Women: How To Create Your Future In 7 Steps

Shweta Khare

6 years ago

This is a guest post by Joan Kuhl.

My favorite quote from Peter F. Drucker is “The best way to predict the future…is to create it.”

So you’ve been in the workforce for a few years and you’re doing great. You’ve successfully tackled the challenges that have been handed to you and have begun to move up the ranks. But now what? What’s your next step? The higher you rise, the less clear the path to success becomes, especially for women. With so few women in senior positions to look to, it is up to you to decide and create the unique future that will lead you to the greatest professional success and personal fulfillment.

On the positive side, this time in your career is filled with opportunity and excitement—you get to make your own way! When nothing is certain, anything is possible. However, creating your future can also feel very intimidating and overwhelming. Here are seven steps to clarify the process and get you on the unique career path that works for you.

Step 1: Take a personal inventory

What are your the top three qualities you value in yourself that translate to strengths in your current job?

Here’s an example: I have a very direct style. This means people always know where they stand with me and they can feel confident giving me straight feedback—even if it’s negative.

Now, discuss your strengths with your manager or mentor to determine how your strengths align with the company’s current business initiatives as well as higher-level roles that you can aspire to. It is also a good idea to identify the gaps you may need to fill to move up and take on these new challenges.

Step 2: Find what energizes you

Visualize a good but challenging day in your current role. What is energizing for you in this scenario that aligns with the new potential projects and roles you discussed with your manager? Your sweet spot for future career success will be where your passions and strengths converge. The next step is ensuring there is opportunity. Spoiler alert: You may have to create that opportunity yourself.

Step 3: Reimagine your company

Creating a future that works for you must begin with a clear vision and intention in mind. So, imagine your company operating in a way that satisfies your sweet spot and allows you to thrive. Describe what that would look like in three different ways that create an emotional connection:

How it aligns with your personal mission
What makes it the company you deserve
How it is leading change across your industry

Step 4: Identify retargets

What are the professional retargets you can leverage to get you closer to your goals? Here are some examples:

Company women’s network or other employee retarget groups
Local professional women’s organizations
Supportive colleagues, managers, mentors, and sponsors

Step 5: Invest In Content and Connections

Knowledge and relationships are the two main keys to success in any field. Find the workshops, conferences, and other professional education events that will foster your growth and development and move your skills in the right direction. Research the people in your field that you can learn from and make creating and sustaining those connections a priority.

Here’s a list of women-centric events and organizations to explore:

Step 6: Seek out other women to learn about their vision

Who are the women whose careers you admire? Which women do you know whose professional goals align with yours? Make them your tribe.

Step 7: Make the case for your company

This step is absolutely critical. Everybody wants to know, “What’s in it for me?” View your vision through the lens of your company’s executive team: How does your organization benefit from your achieving your goals? Be bold in making the mutually beneficial case for your company supporting you in your career.

About the Guest Post Author:

Joan Kuhl, founder of Why Millennials Matter, is an author, speaker, and champion of women in leadership.Through her international speaking engagements, research, and consulting, she has guided leaders from more than sixty countries and led projects inside of some of the world’s largest organizations, including Goldman Sachs, Eli Lilly and Company, University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, and the New York Mets. She is the author of three books, including Dig Your Heels In: Navigate Corporate BS and Build the Company You Deserve. Learn more at joankuhl.com.