12 Questions to Enhance Your Career, Part 1
In our work with clients, we're always struck by the power of asking the right questions - and the benefits that accrue to those who ask them. These "better question folks" tend to be up-and-comers who are well-positioned (regardless of job title) to garner important influence in their organizations.
If you'd like to be one of these people - able to guide organizational conversations with better questions - here are three initial questions for you to consider:
1. If I were offered the opportunity, would I invest any of my available personal assets in my organization? (If yes, then continue to the following questions. If no, then you'll definitely want to read Part 2, which will appear in our October newsletter.)
2. What are the primary strengths of my organization that would lead me to invest?
3. What are the risks I would be most concerned about as an investor?
Then, what do your specific answers to questions 2 and 3 suggest to you about the following:
4. The key strategic directions your organization should be pursuing?
5. How you should be spending your time as an employee?
6. Your career trajectory?
7. What your department should be doing differently?
8. The measures and analysis you should be providing to your CEO, Board of Directors and investors?
Why think along these lines? Truth be told, whether or not you actually invest personal financial assets, you're already making a huge investment: the scarce resource of your time. Thinking like the investor that you are can lead to asking more powerful questions. The answers to those questions will help guide your organization - and enhance your career.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of this discussion in our October newsletter.