Magic Dust ! 10 Career Tips ..Leap-frogging your Career

Quantum leap is an attractive idea but the fact is that robust careers are built one day at a time at a time.

STATUTORY WARNING : Career steroids and power drinks come with serious after effects and thus not recommended !!!

Often younger professionals approach me for tips...how do I leapfrog my career and leap scale ahead of my peers ? They are certainly in search of that magic-dust like the one paddled by some gym coaches who do 'body-architecting' that offers - '6 packs in 6 months' !

And for strange reasons they believe I know that answer. They are only partly right. I do know one part of the answer they are searching for - the 'how to scale career ahead of their sleeping peers'. But I certainly do not know the alchemy of that magic-dust,  the other more enchanting part, how to suddenly leapfrog ahead of peers (emphasis on 'suddenly').

So let me share the half I know with a hope that one would soon realise thereafter that the other unanswered half actually doesn't exist . It is infact  just the 'Tipping Point' effect of systematically pursuing , persevering and sustaining  the mundane  that you imagine seeing the sudden results !

But before that a small story diversion. In younger boxing days, gym routines were normal. Equipment was empty, coaches free and thus were ever so enthusiastic to observe our shadow-boxing moves and routines. But OMG...come a Rocky or a Bruce Lee movie, the gym would be more crowded than the Church gate Station with young enthusiasts in shinning and fashionable brand new gear. Each of them overstraining, over stretching and over engaging our equipment. ??All looking to develop magically that  instant 'move like a butterfly and sting like a bee' transformation ! . And of course we all knew that it would last till the movies were off the theatres or the suddenly the overstrained muscles would start unbearably aching or they unfortunately developed slipped-discs !

The secret ingredient of scaling ahead of your peers lies in your personal belief and philosophy. Let me share some coaching tips with you. Don't want you to have career slipped-discs.  This has no theoretical base but is developed on my experiences of Career Coaching several senior professionals.. and here they go :

??Wake-up ! Careers don't happen in bedrooms. Slumber success leads to lumber pain !!!

?? Converse with yourself and identify what genuinely you believe within yourself are your strengths vis-à-vis the domain you wish to succeed in.

?? Have focussed conversation with someone successful, who you trust and work with,  to give you serious feedback (not the courteous, OMG, you are so great types )

? Identify a Coach . Not necessarily some 'hi-fi' hi-pay variety but someone who is authentic about wanting to coach you. Who is willing to invest structured time in speaking independently to some of your  peers, friends and bosses to assimilate neutral feedback and share it anonymously with you.

?? Identify your desired domain where you want to establish your excellence. Identify current role-models in this domain. Dissect their patterns, behaviours and identify their strengths. Build net-works with them,  if possible. Follow them.

? Invest an exclusive hour every day to pursue  your professional development.  Design your Routine based on your Self-Appreciative Enquiry comprising of serious activities linked to:

* The new competencies you need to develop

* The current subject literature you need to read (books , professional magazines etc.)

*  The various 'Forum' memberships you need to join

*  The blogs you need to read & share views on

*  The professional forums you need to take membership of and actively participate

*  Develop your Social Media strategy to enhance your SM-Quotient

*  Script 1 insightful tweet a day... follow appropriate field heroes on their SM postings

* Once a fortnight write a meaningful post on    Social Media. Identify exciting themes.

?Back and Track your progress once a month with a 2 hour Coaching session with a knowledgeable coach, if possible.

Once in 6 months you need a serious career review with your Coach to discuss status and points at which you need to take career transitions. Whilst rolling Stones gather no Moss, stagnation makes you part of the Corporate wood-work.

Remember, focussing merely on the actions, the what-to-dos and how-to-do-its, is not enough because it's the attitude behind the actions that keep those actions in place. As Jeff Olson says...If " how to do it" were the answer, it'd be done. It's how you do the "hows" that's important. To build your career and do that consistently, you need to first get inspired sufficiently. Rest follows.

That is the magic-dust and I wish you good luck in your career journey ahead !!!