Why your career deserves your attention in 2023

We all know that 2023 could be a tricky year to navigate. Career-wise, it’s more important than ever that you focus on how you can perform well in your current role, or make plans to successfully move up the career ladder.

There could be many reasons why this is the year to devote some attention to your career plans and progress. You may feel unfulfilled in your current role. You might be struggling with some work relationships. You might be worried about the future direction of your organisation. Or you might just be ready to move to the next level, increase your salary and develop new skills.

In November, I launched Getting On: Making work work – a book that’s dedicated to helping you assess where you are now and discover what you need to do to move on. It’s packed full of practical resources, so it’s a great guidebook if you’re thinking of focusing on your career this year.

You should be happy at work!

You spend a lot of time at work, so why should you be miserable? 2023 is the year to work out what you want to achieve and discover how you can make your work as enjoyable and fulfilling as possible.

Earlier this month, I talked to Sara*. Her confidence at work – and outside the office – has been decimated by a demanding and difficult boss. She was caught in a negative cycle that’s affecting her performance and her mental health. Sara’s not alone – this is a common problem in lots of organisations. But having chatted to me, we’re now working on a range of strategies to help her deal positively with her current situation and think strategically about what she does next.

Give your career some love

Do you feel like you drifted a bit in 2022? Perhaps you’ve felt like that since 2020, when it was important to ‘just keep going’. Maybe your new year resolution has been to find a way to progress in your organisation – or to change your focus completely and switch to a new sector.

Whatever your career thoughts, it helps to do some strategic thinking and planning, so that you’re making your decisions thoughtfully and with clear direction. Here are my top tips for getting started.

·       Take stock – how do you feel about your work at the moment? Can you say why? What are the main challenges you face, and what are the barriers to resolving them?

·       Think about goals – where would you like to be this time next year? Are your goals practical and achievable? What steps do you need to take to meet them?

·       Home or away – do you want to achieve more in your current role, or find something new? That could be a promotion in your existing organisation, or a move to another business?

·       Look for support – there’s plenty of advice out there, so this is a case of choosing the support and resources that are best for you. Perhaps start by reading a couple of books or articles that can give you some perspective. Then you might choose to look for a mentor or a career expert – someone who can give you the objective opinions you need.

Getting On: Making work work

I started writing this book because I had worked with a lot of clients who I thought could have benefited from a practical guide to making work a happier part of life. It’s full of real-life examples, stories, resources and reflections – so it’s grounded in experience and strategies that have worked.

Your technical skills and qualifications are important for your work. But to navigate ‘work’ and working relationships, you need other skills. And that’s why people come to me when they are struggling to perform in their current role, or find something new. It’s designed for people who are:

·       Looking for a promotion

·       Have recently been promoted and need additional skills

·       Your ability to do your job is being negatively affected by other people

·       You want to plan the next steps in your career

The book focuses on the things that are most important not just for career success – but for a contented working life. These include:

·       Your own impact – how do you show up at work?

·       Understanding your own conscious and unconscious behaviours

·       Time management, and how it changes as you take on leadership roles

·       The importance of positive working relationships – and how to develop them

·       The most common relationship challenges and how to deal with them

·       Turning challenging scenarios into positive opportunities

With 19 dedicated practical resources so that you can work through your own personal challenges and create a plan that’s right for you, this book gives you everything you need to take stock of where you are now, decide where you want to be, and show you how to get there.

You can buy the book here today or contact Katie to book an appointment to see how I can help you make 2023 your Career Year.

And you might find my Nine Skills assessment for career success useful. It’s completely free – just download it today and get started!

*Not her real name