Career Development:A Fifty Year Process

Mitchell W. Manning, Sr.

Career Development:A Fifty Year Process How to use this presentation

1. Review the presentation

2. List key points and questions

3. Discuss with others

4. Decide your next steps

Integrated Career Development

Design Execute Monitor/Control

Design – determine what is really importantExecute – translate into learning and doingMonitor/Control – translate into performance

Continuous Improvement

Keys to Career Success

• Technical education and experience are required• Behavioral Skills are the true keys

– Presenting Yourself– Managing Information– Presenting Your Ideas– Acquiring and Transferring Knowledge and Skills– Conflict Resolution– Questioning Decisions and Actions

Presenting Yourself

• My job is…• This is what I’m good at…• This is how I work best…• These are my values…(I value/believe…)• This is the contribution I plan to make…• These are the results I expect to deliver…• This is how I expect to be held accountable…

Process for Presenting Your SelfWrite your success stories for sharing using this outline...

• The situation (or task assignment)• Your observation• Your decision• Your action• The result of your action• How I feel about…• What I learned,,,

Managing InformationBecome expert at processing information.

Question Process

What’s happening? Situation Appraisal

What’s wrong? Problem Solving

What are the options? Decision Making

What can go wrong? Potential Problem Analysis

What can be improved? Potential Opportunity Analysis

Situation AppraisalWhat’s happening?

• Identify Concerns

• Set Priority

• Plan Next Steps

• Plan Involvement

Managing InformationBecome expert at processing information.

Problem AnalysisWhat’s Wrong?

• Describe Problem

• Identify Possible Causes

• Evaluate Possible Causes

• Confirm True Cause

Managing InformationBecome expert at processing information.

Decision AnalysisWhat are the options?

• Clarify Purpose

• Identify Options

• Evaluate Each Option

• Assess Risks

• Make Decision

Managing InformationBecome expert at processing information.

Potential Problem AnalysisWhat can go wrong?

• Identify Potential Problems

• Identify Likely Causes

• Take Preventive Action

• Plan Contingent Action

Managing InformationBecome expert at processing information.

Potential Opportunity AnalysisWhat can be improved?

• Identify Potential Opportunity

• Identify Likely Causes

• Take Promoting Action

• Plan Optimizing Action

Managing InformationBecome expert at processing information.

Presenting Your IdeasBecome expert using SOPPADA to present your ideas.

Subject – I want to tell you about...

Objective – This is why...

Present Situation – This is how it is...

Proposal – This is how it can be...

Advantages (top 3) – These are the benefits...

Disadvantages (top 2) – These are negatives...

Action – This is how to do it...

Acquiring and Transferring Knowledge and Skills: Training

• What (in under 30 seconds)• Why (in under 90 seconds)• How (action planning)• Example• Application• Evaluation (project management)• Summary and Next Steps

Addressing Performance Issues:Evaluating Others

• Agreement

• Plan

• Process

Conflict Resolution Process:become expert at observing, orienting, deciding and

acting to resolve conflict

Observe

Orient

Decide

Act

The Origin of ConflictIdentify the origin of conflict before attempting to resolve.

Values

Facts

Methods

Objectives

Behavioral Choices for ConflictLearn to use the best choice to resolve conflict.

Collaborate

Confront

Compete

Avoid

Work Behavior ConflictLearn to address the origin of work conflict.

Shared Goals and ValuesHigh

High

Sen

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f C

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an

d A

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Low

Low

Stakeholder Conflict

Balance SynergyLeverage

Company & Shareholders - Profitability - Growth - Reputation

Employee Groups-Equity-Consistency-Teamwork and Collaboration

Individuals- Trust- Security- Fairness- Recognition- Contribution- Growth- Pay & Benefits

Customers- Price/ Value- Service- New Products- Quality

Conflicts from the Hierarchy of Decision-Making

Management•Systems and Processes•Major Impact/ Buy-In

Executive•Direction•Goals•Critical/Sensitive

Individual Employees•Functions and Tasks•Routine/ Operational

Conflict Intervention

Meet with the stakeholderDescribe what they did

Tell them why it is important

Ask them how they feel

Ask them what they will do differently

Confirm their commitment to change

Agree on a schedule for follow-up

Thank them for their commitment

Conflict PreventionShare thoughts, feelings, and rationaleMaintain and enhance self-esteem Listen and respond with empathyClarify and Agree to Next Actions

Questioning Decisions and Actions

1. Why are you doing this? making this commitment?

2. What are your objectives and desired outcomes? intentions?

3. How will you know it has been successful?

4. What have you done to prepare?

5. What can happen? worst case/best case/most likely case?

6. How do you plan to make it work? keep it working?

7. How important is it to you to be successful?

Career Development Success is...

85% Behavioral

15% Technical

Career Solutions Have a Finite Lifetime

Today’s problems come from yesterday’s solutions.

Peter M. Senge, “The Fifth Discipline”

Role of Academe: Building Capacity for Learning and

Innovation

ResourceInvestment

ContinuousLearning andInnovation

KnowledgeIntegration

KnowledgeCreation

KnowledgeTransfer

Education Research

The source of wealth is something specifically human: KNOWLEDGE

Knowledge applied to tasks we already know how to do is PRODUCTIVITY

Knowledge applied to tasks that are new and different is INNOVATION

Managing for the Future: The 1990s and BeyondPeter F. Drucker, 1992

Innovation vis-a-vis Productivity`

How to do Develop contextual skill for enhancing immediate productivity

How to think and createDevelop conceptual skill forthinking beyond the prevailing paradigm

Training

Education

Education vis-a-vis Training`

Distributed Intelligence Enables Human-Centered Systems for Career

Long Development Digital libraries -- large, broadly accessible knowledge base Data mining -- filtering, integrating, interpreting Convergence of computing and communications High-confidence systems -- privacy, security, reliability Machinery for predictability Wireless, low-power, mobile systems Simulation capability improvements Biomedical informatics -- imaging, computational biology,

computer-assisted decision making Understanding of human cognition and learning processes

Empowering the Individual -- Augmenting the capacity to learn and create

Success in Career Development

• Gold-Collar Worker:

“a highly skilled multidisciplinarian who combines the mind of the white-collar worker with the hands of the blue-collar employee” Cultivating the Gold-Collar Worker, M. A. Roe, May 2001

Career Long Development?

• Absolutely! The Economic Policy Institute reported in March of 2004 that for the first time the number of unemployed college graduates surpassed the number of unemployed high school drop outs.

10 Cluster Foundation Knowledge and Skills Topics

• Academics• Communications• Problem Solving and Critical Thinking• Information Technology• Systems• Safety, Health and Environment• Leadership and Teamwork• Ethics and Legal Responsibility• Employability and Career Development• Technical Skills

Career Planning Process

TRANSITION & RE-EVALUATE

EXPLORE EDUCATIONAL &CAREER INFORMATION

AWARENESS & SELF-ASSESSMENT

EVALUATE & CHOOSE

PLAN & TAKE ACTION

Learning About Yourself:Your career is your life’s work. You have 5 decades to complete.

Interests

Skills/Abilities

Values

Personality attributes

Desired lifestyle

Needs & wants

Experiences

Vocation

Making Career Decisions:become better each decade

• It is a life-long process

• There will be barriers to decision-making

• You need decision-making strategies

• Establishing goals in the first decade is key

• Always know your objectives

The World of Work and You:things for you to consider

• Societal influences on career choice• Gender roles• The new job market

– Knowledge and skill-based– High tech– Global– Diverse

• Need for life-long learning

Staying Career Oriented:• Gain career-related experience • Develop broad, marketable skills• Always be looking and preparing• Attend career or professional school fairs• Attend Career Planning Workshops such as:

– Resume writing– Creating Cover Letters & Business Correspondence– Interviewing Techniques– Job Search Strategies – Business Etiquette

• Strive for outstanding job performance• Develop leadership skills

What Do Employers Look for in Work Performance?

Communication skills

Honesty/Integrity

Teamwork skills

Interpersonal skills

Motivation/Initiative

Strong work ethicAnalytical skillsFlexibility/AdaptabilityComputer skillsOrganizational skills

Professionalism:Let professionalism be your calling card and signature.

• Decide what it means for your career • Examples of professional behavior

– Arrive at work on time

– Dress appropriately

– Stay current in the field

– Accept responsibility for mistakes

– Complete tasks on time

– Respect organizational norms

– Keep personal business out of the office

– Avoid gossip and the grapevine

Career Development: Conclusion

I hope your career to this point has been a personal success. I regret I’m unable to be in two places at the same time. I miss exchanging experiences andideas with you. Hopefully, my thoughts, and yourattention, have stimulated your thinking, confirmedyour experiences, and given you new ideas foryour future success. Best Wishes,Mitch Manning Sr.manningmitch@aol.com