Managing your employer - understanding yourself
Managing your employer does not mean stamping your feet, giving your employer
an ultimatum, and expecting them to agree to your demands. It’s about taking
responsibility for your workplace development and working with your employer
to achieve your full potential. To effectively manage your employer, you must
consider the following statements:
- Understand your own needs and drivers – what do you need to be happy
and successful at work? What are your motivators?
- Understand the full range of business opportunities open to you with your
current employer – do they mean you can achieve your goals?
- Apply the logic behind other life decisions to work situations.
Career management -a shared responsibility
You can’t expect your employer to provide all the answers. Working towards
a professional qualification means that both you and your employer should take
responsibility for your career development. Show them you are capable of taking
control of your career progression.
You should:
- be self aware;
- be well informed about opportunities;
- anticipate change;
- have the confidence to seek new opportunities.
Obviously, you can’t do everything on your own. Employers increasingly
recognise that employee development is a crucial ingredient for organisational
success. Good employers fully appreciate this and will provide you with:
- development tools and guidance;
- an environment where training and development opportunities are encouraged.
Employers which are part of ACCA’s Employer Accreditation Scheme are committed
to providing the support necessary to help you achieve qualification, as well
as recognising the value of continuing development. Employers at ACCA approved
level and above are committed to finding workplace opportunities to meet identified
needs and discussing these at appraisals. See page 40 for details of ACCA’s
Employer Accreditation scheme.
Tools and techniques - the Seven step planning process
Step 1 Identify need
What am I good at? What do I like least? What do I care about most at work?
What do I admire most when I see it in other people? What do other people think?
Step 2 Set an objective
How exactly, if at all, do I want to change? How will I know when I have achieved
the change? What will I do / feel differently? What differences will other people
see? What evidence will I be able to produce that things have changed and by
what timescale? Get SMART objectives – Specific, Measurable, Agreed, Realistic,
Timed
Step 3 Identify the drivers
What difference will this change make to me? What will I get out of it? What
will my company get out of it? Does this change fit with the company’s
direction? Has anything happened which supports the need for change? Are there
people who might support me in making the change?
Step 4 Identify the resistors
What sacrifices will I have to make? Are there any obstacles? Does this change
conflict with other changes in the company? Why haven’t I made this change
already? Do I have the resources I need to make the change?
Step 5 Identify the possibility for action
Take account of preferences and habits, have belief in planning the change.
What is likely to work best for me? Is my objective clear? Am I being realistic?
What methods and techniques should I use?
Step 6 Define the steps in the action plan
Write a statement of what you will do and who else will be involved. Make sure
you incorporate a date by which it will be achieved – and stick to it!
Step 7 Celebrate success
Recognise and celebrate your achievement.
Specific actions to help manage your career
- Network.
- Seek new responsibilities in current role.
- Consider assignments / secondments.
- Consider job rotation.
- Attend seminars / external events.
- Get yourself a mentor. The January 2002 issue of student accountant features
a very useful and comprehensive article on the mentoring process.
Conclusions
The key to managing your employer is to understand yourself. Each of us needs
to take responsibility for our own career development. It is wise to put as
much thought into career management as in other areas of our lives. By working
through the seven step plan we should stand a chance of arriving at considered
decisions. It is essential to understand what support is available to help arrive
at the right decisions.
Next steps
Now that you know how to manage your employer. Don’t just sit back. Take
the next step to control your career.
- Review your situation.
- Work through the seven step planning process.
- Think about who you can involve to help.
- Commit to action as appropriate.
References
- Managing your employer - a seminar, Andrew Smith KPMG.
- Someone to watch over you - the benefits of mentoring, student accountant,
January 2002.
|
