Successful individuals, like successful businesses, tend to have a clear idea of what they want to achieve. This definition of success, be it anything from being radically innovative to having a position of significant responsibility, is unlikely to be achieved without a practical strategy.
Regardless of whether you work for somebody or are self-employed, below are some coaching questions that will support you in determining a practical way forward:
- Imagine a time in the future when you are already successful. What do you notice about your work environment at that time?
- What do you notice about the people, and the kind of work you’re doing at that time?
- What key skills or talents of yours did you use to achieve that success?
- How did you leverage your network in order to become so effective?
- What skills did you need to develop along the way, and how did you master them?
- Most career paths are fraught with obstacles and set-backs. What resources did you use to help you deal with these in a constructive way?
- What do you notice about your work ethic that allowed you to become successful in your chosen area?
- Having achieved your success, what values would you say your work colleagues most appreciate about you?
- What steps did you take to open doors and create opportunities when you were starting off?