Most of my clients spend most of their energy working on getting better at what they do.  They build areas of expertise in their respective industries.  They want to be better lawyers, bankers, and influencers.  

I get it, I want to be the best at what I do.

The problem is that I might be the best mentor but if I don’t successfully manage my business, I won’t have the time and opportunity to mentor these women who are changing the world.

A ubiquitous phrase among entrepreneurs is to be successful you have to make time work on your business not in your business.  And as I work with my clients, I realize that the concept of working on their careers, not in their careers, is new to them.  

Building a career that gives you the autonomy and financial resources to have the time and energy to enjoy your family takes planning and forethought.  

Below are five career management areas that you have to master in order to build a career that gives you the life you want.

1 - Financials

Cash flow is the life of any business and your salary is the indicator of the health of your career.  You need to track your salary and monitor its position within the salary market of your job, industry and geographical area. 

What is the salary range of your job in your market?

If you can’t answer it then you have no way to know what you could be making.  And you don’t have the tools to accurately forecast how much you want to make and what you need to do to get there.

The importance of your salary, besides the fact that it puts food on the table, is that it indicates the value of your contribution.  Your competence is evaluated by how much money you make and this becomes critical when you want to leverage your experience for a promotion in a new organization.

2 - Customer Service

No matter what we do we serve clients.  

Who are your clients?

How do you deliver customer service? 

Are you meeting the expectations of your boss?  

Are you even clear on what those expectation are?  

If you don’t have a copy of your job description go get one and make sure that you are delivering what is expected.   

Looking objectively at what you deliver, helps you to understand your value in your organization.  In what ways could you improve the service you deliver?

Your value is the lever that allows you to build the career you want.  Your value doesn’t just help you get more money, it gives you the ability to ask for more flexibility.  It also gives you access to more interesting work and opportunities for advancement.

3 - Marketing

In order for a business to get new clients, it has to market its results.  You have to do the same with your career.  You have to market your results.

Working hard is not the single factor that will improve your career.

Your hard work has to be combined with a strategy of self-promotion.  When given a self-evaluation do you take time to accurately state your accomplishments or do you rush through it just get it done?

Make a list of the people that need to know what you do and how well you do it.  Then start meeting with them on a regular basis.  

Marketing also requires that you build political savvy.  You need to know the culture of your organization, what it values and how things get decided.   Is it a culture of influence?  Is it patriarchal?  Is money the bottom line?  

Each organization has a currency that builds influence and power.  You have to know what gives people prevalence and how to build influence.  

Understanding an organizations culture and currency also helps you determine whether you are a good fit in that company.  It helps you look objectively at what you need to do to get ahead and whether it is a place at which you want to invest your talents.

4 - Product Launch

Product launch is about how you pitch or share your ideas and services.  It is building a step-by-step framework that helps people understand what you have to offer.  It also builds a framework that allows your idea to move beyond you and answer questions that your client doesn’t know he or she has.

While many times product launch falls under marketing, it has it own heading because it is how you implement your ideas.  How you work and promote your work is as essential as getting the work done.

5 - Operations

Operations are the systems that you use to incorporate these skills into your career so you can change the results.  It is how you get things done.

Systems are the key to success in your career.  If you don’t have a system to get things done, then they probably don’t happen.  

In order for the career management areas listed above to be effective, you have to implement them.  Successful business owners know where there gaps are and their next, most important step. You have to evaluate the gaps in your career and decide what is the next most important thing to do to move it forward.

This requires a plan and a system of implementation.  

Systems also require people to help.  You need the right team of assistants and colleagues for optimal delegation and collaboration. 

You should also consider your mentors and whether they are helping you take those next steps to build the career you want.  I have found that my private clients take the most action when there is someone holding them accountable and explaining the career nuances that they might not see.

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Think about which area in your career management that needs the most attention.  Then make a plan to regularly concentrate on this area.  I would love to hear what you need most.  Leave a message on my blog and let me know the area and your first next step.