There are many levels to career management. There is the "action plan" which is comprised of short and long term goals. There is the mission to participate in lifelong learning, leveraging networking opportunities and targeting a mentor or mentee. And, then there is the most important level of all, "organizational savvy." This could be the most difficult level to master, and the most crucial to your career. It is the stuff that career counselors don't normally address in a coaching session, but should. Organizational savvy in its simple form is knowledge of the resource structure or resource pipeline within your company. At it's most complex, it is the political proclivities of the organization. For the upwardly mobile professional, it is knowing how to get things done.
A few years ago, while searching for a new career path, I worked in the mortgage industry. As a simple loan processor, I learned very quickly that the more loans in my pipeline, the more money I would make. What I didn't know was that there was a resource network that one needed to know about in order to get your loans closed. There was a labyrinth of underwriters and document reviewers that I needed to collaborate with in order to get my pipeline moving. Luckily, I was paired with someone that knew all the tricks of the trade and taught me how to get things done. It was knowledge that wasn't part of my business education and it wasn't something that was covered in a career management manual or online career webpage. How could this important component of career management be overlooked? Don't overlook it, embrace it as part of your career management plan.
How do you access your resource network? The first stop is to access and your company's organizational chart. Most organizations post this on the company intranet. Look at the reporting structure and look at how often the chart is updated by the HR department; more frequent updates could signal important changes are occuring. Next, keep a journal or log that tracks the meetings you attend; note how the meetings are conducted, the process and document the person or department that is referenced when a task or issue is discussed. Lastly, make friends and collaborate outside the boundaries of your department. Join a commitee or volunteer for a project that is outside the scope of your position. Find a reason to collaborate if joining a project or committee isn't an option.
In the movie, "How to Suceed in Business Without Really Trying" Robert Morse or Michael J Fox, whichever version you prefer, was nothing if not savvy. If you have never seen the movie or the musical, make a point to check it out and take notes.
