Written by Dr. Zsuzsanna Tungli, Ph.D, Managing Partner Developing Global Leaders Asia

Self-awareness is key to personal and professional development. In this article, you will find a series of tips and accompanying self-assessments to help you advance in your career. 

MY SCORE: Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10.

1. Know who you are and know what you want 

You can only achieve your goals if you know what those goals are. What would you like to achieve in 10 years’ time? At work? In your private life? Most importantly, what do you need to achieve in the next year in order to realize those 10-year goals? 

My score: 

2. Tell people what you want 

It’s easier to achieve your goals if your environment supports you. Tell your boss(es) and colleagues.  Tell your husband, your partner and friends what you want to achieve in the next year. What support do you need from them? Think about it and ask for that support. 

My score:

3. Create your stakeholder map 

Put yourself in the middle of a mind-map and write down the names of all the people who have an influence on your career. Include people from both your professional and private life.  

Then add a number to each name: How influential/decisive are they for your career? How important is their support on a scale of 1-10?  (1=not at all important and 10=essential) 

The next step is ask: How good is your relationship with each of these people? (1=no relationship at all and 10=I can talk to her/him any time about anything) 

The last step is to compare the numbers.  The differences to look out for are the ones where you put high importance – 7 and above – but your relationship is lower – 6 and below. These are the stakeholder relationships you should work on. 

My score:  

4. Build your network 

A strong and diverse network is invaluable to a successful career and requires intentional effort to build.  Commit to applying the following tactics to develop your most effective network: 

• Create & regularly update a list of people whom you would like to have in your network 
• Leverage your existing connections.  Regular lunches or coffees with people you already know and whose insights and experiences you value can often lead to new opportunities 
• Build a network for creating better business results as well as for your career 
• Build your networks before you need them
• Focus on mutually beneficial relationships 
• Schedule time for building your network 
• Remember to build your network face-to-face, virtually and through social media platforms such as LinkedIn 

A sponsor is someone who actively supports your career by introducing you to the right people as well as putting you forward for challenging assignments and career advancement. 

A mentor is someone who has a lot of knowledge in certain areas (e.g. your technical field, leadership, networking, etc.), transfers some of her or his knowledge and gives you advice as to how you can develop in these area. Sponsors can make a bigger difference to one’s career but may be more difficult to find. 

My score:  

6. Work smarter not harder 

Put in the effort, volunteer for challenging assignments, show your talent. Be discerning. This doesn’t mean you have to take on everything, being able ‘to say no’ at the right time is also part of working smart.  

My score:  

7. Communicate your achievements 

It’s unfair but your work doesn’t speak for itself. Commitment and excellent performance are necessary but not sufficient for being noticed and/ or promoted. Make sure your boss and colleagues know about your own and your team’s success stories. 

Informal and formal meetings, newsletters, blog posts, emails and social media are some of the communication channels you should use to make sure that all important stakeholders know about your achievements. It’s not bragging, it’s keeping people informed and up-to-date.  

My score:  

8. Keep learning 

Being current and having a learning mindset are essential for future leaders. Be pro-active, make use of opportunities your company offers but also look for external resources, whether they are courses, books, articles, websites, social media forums, conferences, meet-up groups or other avenues for learning. Build learning into your schedule.  Do it regularly and do it often. 

My score:  

Further actions: 

How satisfied are you with your current scores? What scores would you like to achieve? Write down 3-5 action points with deadlines and put these into your calendar. Reward yourself each time you complete an action point.  More importantly, enjoy your continued journey of self-discovery and career growth! 

Share your story with us. What actions are you taking or have you taken to advance your career? We welcome you to contact us.

Join our upcoming Women in Leadership Program to learn more about how to advance your career.

About the author

Dr. Zsuzsanna Tungli, Ph.D, Managing Partner Developing Global Leaders Asia

Zsuzsanna’s objective is to assist individuals, teams and organisations to become globally competent and responsible leaders in their fields. She writes, consults, trains and coaches executives with international responsibility on developing global leadership, mindset, effective cross-cultural communication, gender equality and responsible leadership. Join Zsuzsanna at the the upcoming Women in Leadership Program to hear more about how to advance your career.