Managing Oneself: Why I Needed a Coach, Part 1

As a junior leader in the early 1990s, adequately trained in my craft and fully competent, I still had things I did not know. Before switching specialties from Field Artillery (FA) to Military Intelligence (MI), I was filled with apprehension. I had no mentor, there were no other officers to ask, so, in normal Burl Randolph fashion, I went to the top for answers.

Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Michael G2 was the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence (G2) of the 1st Cavalry Division, making him the highest-ranking MI officer in the 15,000-person organization. He agreed to meet with me, and I told him my quandary of switching between specialties. FA Senior Leaders were asking me to remain, which was very flattering but beyond my control. My concern was acceptance in the new specialty, and I was uncertain of what to do. LTC G2 relayed that he was in the same situation over 20 years earlier, but his success paved the path for his promotion to Colonel. LTC G2’s next comment was simple, but the moneymaker for me:

“The question is not, ‘What should you do?’, the question is, ‘What do you want to do?'” After differentiating between those questions, the journey of Managing Oneself began.

How to Manage Oneself

Although not published in the Harvard Business Review (HBR) until 1999, the premise of Peter Drucker’s “Managing Oneself” article is timeless:

“How does a person stay motivated over a 50-year work life?”

As my work life was beginning, LTC G2’s comment identified that I needed a coach. Why? Although my knowledge was extensive, it required refinement; I needed someone to cover my blind spot(s).

What I learned about Managing Oneself was that:

1. I needed to develop a Career Plan. Although it sounds obvious, many people work for years before realizing that they are NOT doing what they really want to do, but what pays the bills.

Are you doing what you want in your career or profession? What’s your Career Plan?

2. Create a POP: Plan on Paper. A plan that remains in your mind is simply an idea. I have discovered that 90 percent of the time, a plan committed to paper is executed, rather than simply a thought.

Do you have a POP – Plan on Paper, or simply great ideas? Where is your plan?

3. Plan SMARTly! Is your plan Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Time-bound? If your plan is General, Lethargic, Overblown, Ostentatious, and Perennial, then it is exactly what the acronym spells: GLOOP – a messy, sticky, fluid, or substance.

Is your plan SMART or just a GLOOP?

Planning for Change

Even with the best of plans, life can get in the way. Planning for change, however, should be natural, and so should changing your plan, as necessary.

4. Be Flexible. Because people and situations change, people and plans must be flexible. My 10-year plan changed because of marriage, starting a family, and unexpected opportunities.

Is your plan flexible, or cemented in stone?

5. Follow Your Plan. Develop the discipline to Stay Focused and follow the plan you created, making adjustments as necessary.

Is your plan worth following?

In the early days of my career, a 10-year plan in a well-established corporation was feasible. In the current environment, increments of 3 to 5 years make more sense given the pace of change and the international marketplace. Regardless of your timeframe, managing yourself to stay motivated over a 50-year work life should begin sooner rather than later in your career, and having a coach may help.

How are you adequately managing yourself?

Do you have an executable plan?

Do you need a coach?

Although I knew I needed a coach, I remained unconscious of my true skills.

#coach #coaching #coachable #careerdevelopment #leaderdevelopment

Reference:

Drucker, P. F. (1999, Mar-Apr). Managing oneself. In Harvard Business Review, 77(2), 64- 74. (Reprinted from Management Challenges for the 21st Century (Harper & Row, 1999).