PERSONAL SPECIAL..................... 5 WAYS TO TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR GROWTH

5 WAYS TO TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR GROWTH
 

Your growth is your responsibility and to achieve your dreams you need to constantly raise the bar and set higher benchmarks. Rica Bhattacharyya talks to HR experts for tips to climb the corporate ladder.

1 Identify Strengths  

The first step to take charge of your own growth as a professional or young manager is to assess and know your strengths and gaps. “Be in charge of yourself. Focus to compete with yourself — Me versus Me rather than the deceptive Me versus Others,” says SY Siddiqui, COO (administration), Maruti Suzuki. One should be able to list down one’s strengths and gaps clearly.
2 Job Crafting  

It is important to have clear goals for any young professional wanting to take responsibility of his/her career growth. “Have clear goals… break them up into milestones…Develop a calendar to focus on them. Give yourself measurable targets. Rate yourself on achievement of each milestone,” advises Siddiqui. Also, one needs to continuously define and proactively adapt the boundaries of his or her job/role.
3 Understanding Power Dynamics  

When you work with people there is competition; power struggles, conflicting agendas and personality clashes. In order to grow and move up the ladder you need not be involved in the petty rivalries and office gossip but you still need to navigate through them, says Ruchi Sinha, assistant professor of business, organisational behaviour area, Indian School of Business (ISB).
4 Ownership & Accountability  

Ownership and the willingness to take responsibility and accountability are the recipe towards growth, say experts. “Be willing to take responsibility and accountability. Positive attitude to take responsibility, raising your hand and taking a stretch will keep you ahead in the completion,” says Siddiqui.
5 Seek Mentor & Network  

A mentor, guide or coach can help a professional fast track his/her self-development. “When you walk alone you count 1-100 alone but with a mentor around you learn how to count 1-100 innovatively, effectively and even smartly. A mentor’s learning becomes your learning and helps you shape as a rounded professional,” says Siddiqui.

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