Looking Ahead to the New Year and New Opportunities
By: Wendy Wilsker, Managing Partner, Boyden
I’m not a fan of New Year’s resolutions—how many times can I truly resolve to eat less, exercise more, be more patient, read more books, watch less TV, etc.? One of my favorite mantras has become “progress, not perfection.” This mantra encourages me to continually evaluate, refine, and resolve small habits and goals, and sets me on a course to remain open to people and opportunities.
As a fundraiser, I lived and breathed “Moves Management.” Every single day I opened my dashboard, I scanned my portfolio, created daily, weekly and monthly priorities and goals, and I plotted out strategic steps of engagement for each of my donors. I’ve often thought that the concept of “Moves Management” should also be a guide for managing one’s career.
When you apply the “rules” of Moves Management to your career, you can create an authentic rubric of identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship to your own “portfolio” of your professional network.
One of my favorite mantras has become “progress, not perfection.”
Here are some ways to get started:
Identify: What are the things you love to do? What do you hate about your job? What are some areas that you would like to grow in? Do you have a clear career path in your organization? What skills do you excel at? What areas do you still need to learn? Are there other sectors that you are interested in? What are your personal passions? What are your professional aspirations? Who are your role models?
Qualify: Talk to your boss about your growth opportunities. Do you agree on where you are going? Talk to someone in a role you are interested in. What skills do you need to take on that job? If you are thinking about changing sectors, try to spend some time volunteering with a related organization or in that area. And finally, what do you need to do to have a positive integration of your work and family?
Cultivate: Broaden your network and meet with people who are in the jobs you want. Create your “hive”. Become active on LinkedIn; follow people and organizations you admire. Attend virtual (and live) conferences and workshops for networking. Cultivate your professional mental health.
Solicit: Get input on your resume, skills, and background. Ask someone to be your mentor. Ask if an organization you desire to work with will be hiring. Always review job postings—even if you are happy in a job. Always answer a recruiter’s call and respond to an email.
Steward: Steward the relationships you have formed. Create a group of people who are in the same job at different organizations and meet quarterly. Comment on LinkedIn posts. Review your personal contacts at least monthly—check in and let them know how you are doing.
As this year winds down, consider using the steps above to usher in new opportunities for the year to come.
Wendy Wilsker has dedicated her entire career to the non-profit sector, serving in leadership roles within charitable organizations and working alongside them as an executive recruiter and consultant. She excels at identifying the unique challenges and opportunities non-profits face, and partners with senior leadership to build successful organizational structures, teams and advancement programs.
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