Executives, like everyone else, struggle with career decisions, paths, and strategies. Just because you’re on the executive team or that you report directly to the CEO, doesn’t mean that your CEO is aware of all your talents, has a vision of your capabilities and what you can achieve for the future of the organization, or that he or she is even vaguely aware of your career goals and how they fit with the organization’s strategic plan. So where does that leave you?

It leaves you in control. One of the research sources for this article suggests that career management used to be in the hands of the organization. I disagree. You are the one who must always take responsibility for the path of your own career. Just as good management requires strategic planning for the long-term future and the investment of time and resources, so does career planning. Resting on your laurels or being comfortable or thinking that you have arrived all ring the death knell for a successful career.

In the beginning, let’s be clear that no technique, level of power, process, position etc., etc., etc., can build anyone a powerful career without first being a person of impeccable character. Without a foundation of ethics, you will be unable to build anything. OK that’s the disclaimer, now what is this technique?

Often when conducting training and coaching sessions, even at supervisor, manager, director, and vice president levels, many people feel powerless at work. Indeed, a title alone doesn’t necessarily guarantee you a higher level of power or greater influence. Yes, it’s true, authority does and always will have the final power leverage in almost any given situation. But that does not mean you have no power or influence.  So, how can you gain power and influence and why is it important in helping achieve your career goals?

All too often when people are out of a job, they have no resources to invest in themselves. These resources include such activities as coaching, resume preparation, or even attending key networking events. This is true at every level of position, yes, even at the executive level. While some may have the money, there is a fear of letting go of it. What ever happened to the Boy Scout motto, “Be prepared.”  Being prepared in today’s increasing activity of mergers and acquisitions that can create career careening events would seem a smart move. How can you protect your career during such organizational changes?

We all have some level of self-knowledge. We know what we do and don’t like, we know who we do and don’t like and why. We know where we like to hang out. We may even have some knowledge of our skills, talents, attributes, and even how we like to use them for and in our life’s work. But is that knowledge enough? Does it go deep enough for us to be successful in business, career, and life?

Letters written in long hand have gone the way of the dinosaurs. In fact, we can say the same for letters in general. And this is especially true of the cover letter. Cover letters get a bad rap. Most job candidates fail to see the point in them, believe they serve no purpose or that they are not read by anyone at the other end of the void that is cyber space.