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This week, I’ll relate to the last two FAQs about the importance of change when it comes to managerial style - one of the most critical factors affecting career development. Before reading on, if you haven’t already, please have a look at my two previous posts in which I cover the other eight FAQs.
The need to change, improve, and advance in life is embodied in every one of us. But to achieve any kind of career development, we have to be committed to making change. Unfortunately just being aware of this is not enough. We have to change our habits.
We all know this when it comes to our health. We visit the doctor and following a discouraging result, find out that in order to get regain our health, we need to change our eating habits.
It’s the same with your career. If you want to climb the career ladder, you have to begin with the first rung - a habit. This will highly influence one of the most important factors affecting career development.
In this post, I’ll be dealing with the final two FAQs about habits:
1. I can’t seem to agree that my habits are all that bad. Should I be throwing some away?
2. People can’t really change their habits, can they?
Again, before reading on, if you haven’t seen my answers to the other eight FAQs, please do so now.
Let’s begin...
Not at all. Some habits are helpful in some situations and others are helpful in other situations. Take Eddy, a successful mid-career marketing manager whose gift of the gab had certainly contributed to his success. On the other hand, Eddy was also known as a conversational bulldozer. Anyone at a meeting with Eddy knew that they’d succeed at getting in one, maybe two sentences before Eddy would interrupt them and bulldoze them down, taking over the conversation. One day after a quarterly meeting and plenty of bulldozing, Eddy’s assistant, Jenny, decided to confront him about his constant interruptions. Eddy was both shocked and offended, telling Jenny that he had no idea what she was talking about. Surprised by Eddy’s response, Jenny was sure that Eddy was trying to cover up for his behavior so that he could continue with business as usual. While Jenny had a right to confront Eddy, it is obvious that Eddy’s bulldozing habit was just that - a habit - something that he wasn’t aware of. At his boss’s urging, when Eddy came in to consult with me, we talked about identifying and controlling his bulldozing habit so that it could be “brought out” only when helpful.
And now on to the second question...
It’s difficult, but don’t despair. Otherwise, there would be no reason to try. I’ll illustrate with a 2005 experiment that was carried out by Professor Ann Graybiel MIT. Armed with chocolate as an incentive, Graybiel taught rats to run through a maze. Once they learned the path, Graybiel removed the chocolate. Interestingly enough, the rats “forgot” the path and no longer ran through the maze. Once Graybiel returned the chocolate, the rats miraculously remembered the path. The conclusion of this experiment was that old habits actually never die. They just need to be triggered and they become active again. This is a valuable finding, as it can give us all hope in improving ourselves. But as the experiment illustrated, in absence of a trigger, improvement can go down the drain.
For example, we’re all familiar with the couch potatoes (maybe ourselves?) who commit to exercising twice a week and end up never even beginning. It’s not all about laziness. It’s really a very difficult process for them to get going, especially in the absence of a trigger. And when they finally do begin, it’s extremely easy for them to find themselves back on the couch. And they’ll have all of the excuses in the world as to why it’s not a good time or day or month for exercise. So finding a trigger, such as envisioning yourself in that corner office, is really important.
Making yourself aware of the need to work on your habits is critical when trying to begin any change. I hope I’ve been able to inspire you to consider some of the habits you need to change to ensure future success. In my next series of posts, I’ll be helping you identify the most important habits you need to change.
And always remember:
This week, I’d like to continue answering two more questions that I brought up in my previous post, Identify Habits that are Harming your Career. In that post, I addressed some of the most popular issues managers like you encounter when you realize that you have to make some serious changes in your habits in order to move up the corporate development career path. Getting promoted at work requires you not only to keep developing what they know but also realizing that what might have gotten you to where you are so far could be what is holding you back from your true corporate development career path. This is where the real work comes in. If you haven’t done so, look back at Identify Habits that are Harming your Career before you read on.
In this post, I’m going to address the following questions:
1. What does it mean that habits control us? I mean, didn’t we create these habits? Don’t we control them?
2. Up until now, I’ve been pretty successful. How did some of my habits suddenly become undesirable?
So let’s tackle the first one:
I mean, didn’t we create these habits? Don’t we control them?
It’s not that habits are some evil force, making us do things we don’t want to do. However, their power can influence the way we perceive things. Think of the countless times you’ve put things down and then a few minutes later couldn’t recall where. Most of us blame “senior moments,” but the (fairly) good news is that the lack of recollection has to do with how powerful habits are. I’ll illustrate this with a true story. When I come home from work, I generally put my cellphone at my place on the kitchen table. The other day, as I was opening the front door in the evening, my husband called out my name from our study, as he wanted my help with some reports he was reviewing. With my coat still on and cellphone in hand, I went straight to our study to assist him. Apparently, somewhere along the way, I must have put down my cellphone when I pointed to some figures on his laptop. Later, after dinner, when I looked for my cellphone on our kitchen table, it wasn’t there - where it always was! I had no idea where the phone could be. Perhaps I had left it at the office. I called a co-worker who was still at work. No luck. Maybe it was in my car. I checked. Nope. Was I going crazy? Well, what was actually happening was that my habit of always putting the phone on the kitchen table was so strong that my brain simply ignored that I had put the phone down in the study. To put it simply, because I had gone against my usual habit, my brain didn’t register this memory - so there was no mental record. No wonder I couldn’t find my phone. But at least I wasn’t crazy! So you can see, the power of habit is so strong that it can even alter our view of reality.
And now for the second question:
Certain habits might have gotten you to where you are on the career ladder, yet at some point, they have stopped you from developing. I’ll illustrate with another story. Usually, my daughter takes the school bus to school. But a few months ago, she had to bring in quite a few supplies for a school project, so she asked me to drive her to school and of course I agreed. After my frantic morning routine of getting dressed, gulping down a cup of coffee and gathering my briefcase, we got into the car to head for her school. Or so I had intended. As I switched into the lane leading to the highway, my daughter yelled out, “Mom, where are you going? I’m going to be late for school!” Pretty confused, I slammed on the brakes and realized that I was driving towards my office. It seemed that my habit of driving to work had overtaken my intention to take my daughter to school. I made a u-turn and luckily got her to school on time. My habit of following a certain route to work had served me well - until this particular day. If we are conscious of our habits, then we become aware of when they are helpful and when they are not.
Next week, I’ll be addressing two more important questions about habits:
1. I can’t seem to agree that my habits are all that bad. Should I be throwing some away?
2. People can’t really change their habits, can they?
Good luck!
And always remember:
Reducing harmful habits sounds like a good game plan for any day - especially as an indicator of how to measure success at work. But you still probably have some questions. Here are the most popular ones I’ve received over the last 35 years:
1. What does it really mean to reduce habits?
2. What do my habits have to do with getting promoted?
3. What does it mean that habits control us? I mean, didn’t we create these habits? Don’t we control them?
4. Up until now, I’ve been pretty successful. How did some of my habits suddenly become undesirable?
5. I can’t seem to agree that my habits are all that bad. Should I be throwing some away?
6. People can’t really change their habits, can they?
In this post, I’ll answer the first two questions, and in future posts, I’ll answer the others, giving you a good idea of how to measure success at work.
After you identify the habits that are leading you to nowhere career-wise, the natural course of action is to change them. The way to do this is not to completely delete them - going cold turkey never works. Instead, you want to reduce them bit by bit. Two things happen in this case. First, your harmful habits begin to play less and less of a role in your managerial style. Secondly, you’ll see that hidden habits you didn’t even know about will begin to emerge. And it’s these hidden habits that will put you on your road to success. To find out what you need to begin reducing, read my post called Identify Habits that are Harming your Career.
We might think that we’re not getting promoted because of an unfair boss, a badly-run company, or just plain bad luck. These factors might play some role, but my experience shows that a manager’s undesirable habits are their largest stumbling blocks to getting a promotion. I even have a name for these: “overgrown habits”. Overgrown habits are much like the weeds that take over a garden, not only hiding all of the productive habits but also preventing them from growing. I’ll give you an example: A manager who habitually interrupts his or her co-workers will never develop the listening skills required of a more senior manager. This undesirable habit will leave the manager with little chance of being considered for promotion.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my responses to these critical questions.
As I’ve promised, I’ll answer the other questions in future posts.
Good luck with working on your own habits!
And always remember:
You know it by now. You’re the result of your habits.
But what you might not realize is that while certain habits might have gotten you to where you are on the career ladder, at some point, they have actually stopped your climb, despite your having aimed your best towards professional development goals for managers.
I’ll illustrate this with a story from my own everyday life. Usually, my daughter takes the school bus to school. But a few months ago, she had to bring in quite a few supplies for a school project, so she asked me to drive her to school, and of course I agreed. After my frantic morning routine of getting dressed, gulping down a cup of coffee and gathering my briefcase, we got into the car to head for her school. Or so I had intended.
As I switched into the lane leading to the highway, my daughter yelled out, “Mom, where are you going? I’m going to be late for school!” Pretty confused, I slammed on the brakes and realized that I was driving towards my office. It seemed that my habit of driving to work had overtaken my intention to take my daughter to school. I made a u-turn and luckily got her to school on time. My habit of following a certain route to work had served me well - until this particular day. If you are conscious of your habits (unlike I was), then you become aware of when they are helpful and when they are not.
I’m sure you can recall a version of this story in your own life. Now let’s see how it all works.
Studies show that about 40% of your daily decisions are made automatically - without a second thought, so to speak. This allows the other 60% of your brain to take in and process new information. In order to maintain this ratio, your brain is constantly identifying repeated behaviors and turning them into automatic habits, through your brain’s natural compression mechanism. With this mechanism in place, you can actually learn to compress your unhelpful habits - allowing room for your potential habits to be discovered and developed. This should be a significant part of the professional development goals for managers.
At this point, you might be wondering if you have any unhelpful habits that need compressing. The answer is an unequivocal “yes.” I’ll explain.
As you already know, automatic habits are wonderful for getting things done quickly and efficiently, not requiring a minute’s thought. The downside, however, is when they take charge in situations in which they shouldn’t (like in my story above). Now let’s take a business example.
As a middle manager, you might be appreciated for knowing every detail of every project, poised to make quick and efficient decisions, thus driving projects ahead at the speed of light. However, what happens when moving up in the ranks of your company requires releasing some control and nurturing a team to take on responsibilities? Your natural instinct is to take over and decide for them, while what you really need to do is develop the ability to let your team come up with decisions, even if it means they might struggle a bit. As you can see, here you must hold back on your habit for quick, accurate decisionmaking and allow room for a less developed habit, nurturing your team. This is the process of “growing” as a manager, which will lead you to future career success.
One word of warning: there are many programs out there that claim to have isolated the most needed habits for you to take on easily and painlessly. The sad result of such programs is that like everything else forced on you, you’ll probably drop such “cookie-cutter” habits as soon as you can (think of some of the fad diets out there). On the other hand, if you concentrate on discovering and developing your own innate habits, you’ll be working on something that comes naturally to you - and therefore much more likely to stick and serve you for years to come.
And always remember:
Middle management is the time when your career can either soar north or plummet south. Unfortunately, for most middle managers, plummeting is the default. It’s not because they’re not talented or lack the ability to soar, an example of how to measure success at work. It’s actually because the flight path was never planned very well.
Up until this point in your career, you might’ve taken careful baby steps - from entry level to team leader and finally to middle manager, honing in on whatever background you’d come to your company with. Of course, this path has served you well so far as a respected middle manager. This is a reasonable indicator of how to measure success at work.
But what’s the next step? At this stage in your career, planning this next step requires a complete change in mindset. Many successful middle managers decide they want to vye for the most senior position in their discipline. For example, a mid-level marketing manager might set the goal of becoming the chief marketing officer. Naturally, they might begin to meticulously plan their climb towards this position, rung by rung up the corporate ladder. The rationale here is that each rung would be a “realistic” move as the years go by. And, if they’re lucky, they’ll reach CMO status one day. If not, they’ll be left by the wayside along with the majority of frustrated middle managers.
So how can you make sure you don’t become a middle management castaway? The first thing you need to do is think big. Solid career planning that leads to real results requires that you take the time to think out-of-the-box when it comes to your ultimate career dream. Taking the mid-level marketing manager as an example, trying out “what if” scenarios is key. For instance, what if you envisioned yourself as CEO or in another C-suite role? Would a series of short term, step-by-step plans to move up the ranks in marketing necessarily make sense? Of course not. To be a CEO, you would need to acquire experience in nearly every other discipline in the company. But if you limit yourself to in-the-box planning limited to the next rung on your career ladder, you’ll miss the big picture...and find yourself stopped in your tracks.
Only after taking the time to think big can you then start to see the multiple paths available to you to achieve your ultimate goal. And once you’ve identified these paths, you can then begin to choose one to plan your next step.
When you’ve chosen a path, formulate goals that will allow you to stick to it. Don’t make what I call the gym membership mistake and commit to seven workouts a week. Instead, aim for two days and then build up gradually. For instance, if you know you want to learn about the financial side of your company, attempting to gorge on every financial report in sight is unrealistic. Sure, just like the gym, you’ll start out with great intentions and full of energy. But then, little by little, the stack of reports will start gathering dust and you’ll blame yourself for failing to live up to your own expectations.
A much more productive plan would be to munch on a couple of reports for a given amount of time and then to increase any intake as time permits. The important thing is that once you have your overall vision in place (and not just your next short term move), accomplishing your vision bit by bit will lead to real progress.
To summarize:
1.Give yourself some time to work out your ultimate goal, leaving “realistic” short-term goals aside.
2.Make a plan towards accomplishing this goal, acknowledging that there are mutliple paths.
3.Begin one or two steps towards the goal, increasing these steps as you are able.
Good luck and don’t forget to dream!
And always remember:
New beginnings always bring new opportunities - but it’s up to us to decide whether to make these opportunites our own - an important part of career goals for managers. Unfortunately, from my experience, very few of us take full advantage of new opportunities. This is usually attributed to what people mistakenly call a “realistic” view of such opportunites. They incorrectly overestimate the gap between where they are and where they could be. So they decide it’s not realistic to go for the opportunity - better to stay put.
Others who understand the importance of career goals for managers realize that opportunities cannot be wasted. Yes, it takes work, but it’s not impossible. I hope you’re part of this second category of managers. It’s 2019 and you have a world of opportunities awaiting you. Here’s how to get going:
First, it’s important to understand that seizing new opportunities means making some changes of your own. To do this, you’ll have to take an inventory of your current habits to see which ones might help or hinder your journey towards new opportunities. For example, when making decisions, do you often seek advice from everyone in your department? Perhaps such a habit has caused you to miss out on time sensitive deals.
Once you’ve taken your habit inventory, follow these steps:
1. Identify the habits you need to change.
2. Reduce these habits so that you can control them. This means being able to take them out and put them away as needed. If you get this right, you’ll find that you’ve made room for desireable habits to take root and grow.
3. Nourish and monitor your desireable habits. With persistence, they will become second nature and lead you towards success.
With this plan, you’ll seize the right opportunities in 2019 and before you know it, it’ll will be your year of success. During 2019, I’ll explore some of the topics I’ve touch on in more detail in the following posts:
1. “Think big but start small: the #1 key to success”
2. “Identify habits that are harming your career”
3. “Reduce harmful habits: why and how?”
4. “Find your untapped potential: why and how?”
Look out for this special 2019 series.
And always remember:
This is the time of year, we focus more on family and loved ones than our career. After all, it’s not called the holiday season for nothing. In truth, spending time with our family helps us see the bigger picture of what we want and where we see ourselves in the future. It is also a great time to begin to reflect and learn how to measure success at work.
Sure, you have had a good year. You kept your team on track and fulfilled the requirements of each project presented to you. But is this enough? Are you where you thought you would be this time last year? What can you do now that will influence where you will be in one year’s time? Do you know how to measure success at work and get that promotion you deserve?
Nearly all of the wonderful inventions we rely on today started as dreams. Scientists dreamed of curing diseases, Inventors dreamed of cleaner ways of running cars, and peace-makers dreamed of a world without war.
What dreams do you have for your career? Daring to dream is very liberating, and allows us to begin to think “outside the box”, and to transcend the normal borders of our imagination.
If you dream of being promoted to a senior position and owning the corner office it might seem impossible now, but is it? If every idea that was once a dream was ignored where would the world be now? We’d still be reading by candle-light or waiting for news from a loved one to come via a written note or a telegram.
Remember, if you don’t have a dream you can make it come true. Allow yourself the freedom this holiday period to dream a little. It may take you to new and exciting heights.
So, now that your dreams are present it is time to make them a reality. You can do this by visualizing your success. Dreaming is one thing, but envisioning those ideas into a reality will help them come true. It will make the impossible seem real. In truth, if you can visualize something you can accomplish it.
Begin by visualizing yourself in a senior position. What does it look like? Where is your desk? What’s the view outside your window? Then visualize yourself in different situations in your new job. What’s it like to run a staff meeting? Give an important presentation? Determine a budget? The more you visualize, the sharper and more detailed the images will become.
Incorporate your other senses too. Visualizing is not just about what you can see. What would you hear as a senior manager? What would sitting in that corner office feel like? How good would your coffee or tea taste now that you have made your dreams a reality?
Do yourself a favor and buy a beautiful notebook or journal. Make sure you get just the right one for you so take your time when purchasing it. Why? Because now is the time to turn your dream into goals, and then reality.
When we put our dream job into words, we make it concrete so that we can set the goals needed to turn it into reality. You need to write down what exactly is your dream job. When do you want to begin it? And, what are some of the major steps you’ll need to accomplish before that job is yours?
You might need to do some retraining or upskilling. When and where can these be done? What other skills can you add to your repertoire to ensure that promotion is yours?
As the New Year looms ahead of you, now is the time to begin planning your future career. Start realizing your dream as you begin this new career path of yours.
Make time to create a detailed plan. This should include a breakdown of your overall dream job goal into smaller, more manageable “mini-goals.” And, a rough due date by which each of these mini-goals should be achieved.
Remain focused on your dreams, and don’t let life or disappointments stop you from achieving them. Those who are really successful don’t have backup plans. Instead, they keep their eyes on the ball and never waiver from their ultimate plan to make their dreams a reality.
I’d like to wish you a very joyous holiday season, filled with love, happiness, and peace for all.
Best wishes
Etika
P.S. And don’t forget.
There is no doubt companies benefit from quick-thinking, fast-acting talented people who are true go-getters who are clearly working on their corporate development career path. These kinds of people hunger for challenges, and take on any task with seemingly endless enthusiasm and energy. They have a particular drive and passion that is sometimes unmatched, driving their team to reach goals over and over again.
What these go-getters are is Producers. It is not uncommon for many managers to be recognized as Producers on their corporate development career path. They are an asset to any company because they become involved in almost every aspect of a project from the initial ideas to its completion. They offer real hands-on support for all team members and they are accessible 24/7 if need be.
So, why can being a Producer hamper your promotional opportunities? After all, this type of manager is truly valued within the workplace, right?
It is not uncommon for Producers to be quickly promoted up through the ranks to middle management positions. However, it can be difficult for them to move up into a senior position despite working so hard and keeping their nose to the grindstone.
This might be a surprise because Producers seemingly deserve a promotion and all the rewards that go along with it. They have a great track record that speaks for itself and they have a great reputation for achieving goals. There is no shortage of opportunities either, so the big question is, why are Producers left on the shelf, stuck in middle management positions?
The answer is clear when you know why. Let’s take a look:
Producers become so focused on driving to meet targets and taking on new projects they neglect other important factors needed to fulfil the role of senior manager.
In truth, Producers are viewed as uniquely individual. They are one-person shows, as it were, who are good at what they do, but who lack other important skills.
Producers can be so driven their team often lacks proper training. Developmental opportunities are missed because Producers are always looking forward when they should be stopping to see who needs support right now.
As well, Producers may not be good at following policies or procedures. They know they exist, but they don’t want them to get in the way of the success of the project; and this is never a good thing. We all know that policies are there for a reason.
So, if you are a Producer what do you need to do to get that promotion?
It’s not as bleak as it sounds. There are plenty of things a Producer can do to ensure that the next promotion is theirs. If you can identify with this type of manager, then take note of the following.
Create time to sit down, one on one, with each member of your team. Ask them how they are feeling about their current job. Do they need training in certain areas? Where do they see themselves in two, five or ten years? And most importantly, how can you help them achieve their goals?
Also, step back and allow your team to drive a project themselves. They probably don’t need your constant input. This might, in truth, be perceived as interference, and that can develop resentment. Instead, give them enough space to thrive.
To become a better manager you will need to be well-rounded, versatile and flexible. You deserve that promotion, but you are going to have to work for it.
Being reflective is always a good thing, and it can only lead you to bigger and better things in the future. Taking stock of what kind of manager you are, and how best to improve on the skills you already have is a great start.
And always remember:
There are many different types of managers, and all have benefits that no company should be without. However, along with these advantages there are some drawbacks that can hamper the manager’s chances for promotion. These can make it difficult in knowing how to measure success at work.
One such manager is the Administrator. This might by you, so keep reading, and why you might identify with being an Administrator there are things that can be done to build on your skills and get that promotion you deserve.
Administrators are those types of managers who know how to measure success at work. They diligently and meticulously plan each step of the process, knowing that planning is necessary to achieve success. They keep everything in order from their pens, their diaries, and even their team. They thrive in an environment which is well organized, neat and ordered.
A good Administrator is highly valued within the company because of their commitment to orderly planning and organization. Administrators ensure that all resources are available and that a clear project flow is in place before a project is even started. They plan the stages of the project very carefully, often incorporating the use of resources along the way. As all Administrators know, projects that begin on time and are completed either on or ahead of schedule are worthwhile and satisfying.
Like many of the managerial styles we are visiting in this series of articles, Administrators are quickly promoted up through the ranks to middle management positions. After all, what company wouldn’t benefit from the talents highlighted above, right?
However, breaking through the middle management ceiling and becoming senior managers is not easy for many Administrators. These hardworking reliable people are often frustrated and disappointed when colleagues are promoted over them. They feel left behind and undervalued. This is not good for morale or the overall success of the company.
So, what are Administrators doing wrong?
Let’s take a closer look at the drawbacks of being so efficient. While Administrators are great at developing ways to run projects efficiently and on time, many exceed expected results, they lack flexibility. When projects suffer setbacks they find it difficult to reassess and change their fixed plans. In truth, many Administrators are too rigid and controlling. They also lack the wider vision to see beyond what is on their desk right now. They don’t seem to be interested in what else is going on in the company either.
Are you an Administrator desperate for a promotion? If you answered ‘yes’ there is good news. Combine your natural instincts and strengths, and build on those aspects of your managerial style which are lacking.
These might be developing and practicing skills such as brainstorming, team-building, and improvising. Spend a little less energy on organization and processes, and more on team building and support.
You need to be seen as a well-rounded manager that is flexible, approachable and someone who is ready to handle the unpredictability of any corporate environment.
There is no reason why that next promotion shouldn’t be yours. We all know you have the skills to do the job properly. All you have to do is show your bosses that you can do it, and that you are flexible. Develop those others skills that you see in senior managers and the next time a promotion opportunity comes up, it’ll be all yours.
And always remember:
Every office and every company needs at least one good Entrepreneur. These are the people who come up with new and inspirational ideas. They are passionate and innovative about what they do. They seem to have their corporate development career path set out clearly in front of them – or do they?
Entrepreneurs are always busy working out new and interesting solutions to challenges faced within the company. They help move the company forward, taking someone else’s ideas and generating interesting projects in the blink of an eye.
Entrepreneurs are naturally admired and valued. The minute they embark on their corporate development career path, they are constantly busy figuring out ways for their company to innovate and expand. And they excitedly jump into new areas, taking their teams on journeys to novel and exciting levels.
Being an Entrepreneur is a gift, and all of those ‘out of the box’ solutions generate an exciting and unique working environment for everyone in the office.
Are you the Entrepreneur in your office? Are you the one who comes up with new and exciting ideas, which lead the company towards a greater profit line?
If you identify as being the Entrepreneur there is no doubt that you have already experienced success in your career. You may have been quickly promoted over others at a young age, and you are perhaps the go-to person when it comes to solving tricky aspects of projects or ventures.
Other time, however, you may have noticed that your career has stalled. You may have applied for several promotions inside your company and been disappointed because you didn’t get them.
You may also be confused as to why. You are hardworking and dedicated. You know the company inside and out, and have proven experience that should suit a senior manager’s position. Or do you?
One thing that Entrepreneurs are not good at is dealing with the practical day to day tasks. Many Entrepreneurs have failed to learn about the less creative sides of management. They are not good at understanding the approval processes, budget allocations, and resource development, for example. They are great at coming up with ideas, but not actioning them through to a successful conclusion. As well, many of the ideas generated weren’t successful because they weren’t practical, and yet after years in the position the Entrepreneur hasn’t recognized that.
Without a thorough understanding of this less glamorous side of office procedures an Entrepreneur simply can’t get ahead and advance their career.
Ensure that you spend an hour or two each day following through your ideas and creative plans. Create a flowchart or Excel doc that helps you keep on track. One which identifies each step of the creative process from the first idea right through to when the project is completed. Make sure each step is dated too. This will give you a clear understanding of how long the process takes. Also, make sure you note who else was involved so you know who to work with in the future.
As well, learn more about the administrative side of your managerial role. If your creative ideas need funding, for example, find out how that process takes place. Who is involved and why some projects are a success and others are not.
Being a well-rounded Entrepreneur is going to help your career to succeed and grow. You are going to gain more knowledge and experience, and these will be seen in a positive light when you do apply for that next promotion.
Being an Entrepreneur is a valuable gift that only you fully understand. Your bosses need you to always be at your creative best. They also need you to demonstrate your capabilities and learn each and every aspect of the job. Stepping outside your comfort zone and doing things that might seem mundane or even boring may not seem like fun in the short term, but they will pay off and you will soon find yourself climbing the corporate ladder.
And always remember:
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