It’s the new year, and like most, you are back in your office or at your desk and looking at a mountain of strategies you need to implement, if you are top residential architects in Miami. If not so much, you are being dragged into meetings, to put out fires, or listen to what everyone else’s agendas are for 2013. Do you have one for your EA program? Or one for yourself personally in your career as an Enterprise Architect professional?
1) Just like an architect, do a current state and target state analysis on your career. Where are you and where do you want to be. It might be a good idea to take a look back at the time that has elapsed since you took on this role and consider whether you have achieved what you set out to. If not – you might not have created written goals for your program, or for your own career.
2) Do any honest assessment at how you are performing. If you just had a performance review, this might be fresh, and hopefully a good memory from late last year. If not, can you do your own 360 review? Talk to the 5 people you interact with most and find out what they think you could do better and what they expect from you in 2013. To be honest, if they are thinking you will be moving some mountains, the time to set them straight is now.
4) Where are your three biggest weaknesses? If you are weak in communications, finding a way to become stronger should be your number one priority. Join a local meet up or networking group and find opportunities to speak up.
5) What are your action plans? If your weakness is putting strategies into action, plot out your next three steps to achieve your #1, 2 & 3 strategies, and plot these actions into your calendar right now. Ensure you have time allotted to either think about what must be done or set them in motion THIS week. There are only three days in the week left, but make sure you are doing something to set these in motion.
6) Shore up your role. Do you know exactly what it includes and are there others than need to be briefed on what it is you do. Consider what still remains on your plate from the role you had before becoming an EA, or what others ask you to do that falls outside the scope of your job description. No job description… uh… I think you know what I’ll tell you that is best to take care of next.
7) What will you do this year to fuel your career growth? Do you have education on your calendar? What about conferences, group participation and books that you wish to read.
8) What kind of community support do you have? Do you have peers to reach out to that you can toss around ideas and questions about your role and your career? If necessary – consider a mentor or coach and if this is new, you might check out options available to you – either internally or seeking someone from outside your organization.
9) What can you learn about the business that you are in to take on more of an entrepreneurial/strategic view? Is there someone in your organization that you can invite to lunch? are there meetings you can get yourself invited to? Pick a department in your organization, preferably the ones that align with your top three corporate priorities and aim to learn more about them each month
