Recently, I reminded a client of mine the important of self-reflection. She is doing an amazing job of being more visible in her company, connecting with key strategic leaders and getting involved in high-profile projects.
All good things, right? Well, the challenge is in about 6 months or even a year from now, is her manager or any senior leader going to remember everything she had done? Maybe, maybe not.
So what the problem?
If putting your head done and working really hard is your only mode for getting to the next level, then you are missing the big picture. It’s easy to get caught up in being busy and leaving a trail of successes that even you can forget over time.
Your manager cannot and should not be expected to keep track of all your work accomplishments…sure, he or she should know what you are working on and be kept abreast of your key projects.
I always remember working with a client several years ago who was able to negotiate a whopping 30% salary increase after we were able to carefully chronicle and quantify her work contributions.
She didn’t get a promotion and her title didn’t change, but what she was able to do was have leverage and negotiate better because of concrete facts.
I tell all my clients (and other professionals like you) to avoid failing themselves and their careers by hold 2-hour, monthly self-reflection meetings.
Use this time wisely to reflect on what they accomplished in the past month, lessons learned from their actions and interactions and areas for improvement.
It’s not about not having the time, it’s about making the time a priority. Any time spent in self-reflection about your career, your company contributions, your challenges is invaluable.
Don’t take your successes lights as they serve as an ongoing source for your strength, resilience and confidence during tough times.
In the meantime, let me know what you think about scheduling a meeting with yourself.
Have many of you do this on a regular basis? Does it help?
What did you learn about yourself, your capabilities and your company?
And if you have not tried having such a meeting, would you be do so, it’s not too late to start in 2017.