Managing oneself.
Harvard business review, 77 (2):
64--74, 185 (1999)Abstract
Throughout history, people had little need to manage their careers--they
were born into their station in life or, in the recent past, they
relied on their companies to chart their career paths. But times
have drastically changed. Today, we must all learn to manage ourselves.
What does that mean? According to Peter Drucker, it means we have
to learn to develop ourselves. We have to place ourselves where we
can make the greatest contribution to our organizations and communities.
And we have to stay mentally alert and engaged during a 50-year working
life, which means knowing how and when to change the work that we
do. It may seem obvious that people achieve results by doing what
they are good at and by working in ways that fit their abilities.
But, Drucker says, very few people actually know--let alone take
advantage of--their unique strengths. He challenges each of us to
ask ourselves fundamental questions: What are my strengths? How do
I perform? What are my values? Where do I belong? What should my
contribution be? Don't try to change yourself, cautions Drucker.
Instead, concentrate on improving the skills you have and accepting
assignments that are tailored to your individual way of working.
If you do that, you can transform yourself from an ordinary worker
into an outstanding performer. Successful careers today are not planned
out in advance. They develop when people are prepared for opportunities
because they have asked themselves those questions, and they have
rigorously assessed their unique characteristics. This article challenges
readers to take responsibility for managing their futures, both in
and out of the office.