In step 1, you’ll be identifying what professional knowledge,
skills, experience, and connections add to or subtract from your professional
value. Strengths add to your value, weaknesses subtract from it.
What is professional value? Professional value is what differentiates you from other professionals.
It is an objective perception. It may sound like an oxymoron because perception
in itself is subjective, but the same strengths and weaknesses that made you seem
invaluable can make you seem less than the standard depending on the situation
and the people involved. However, this assessment is for yourself and your business, so as you go through brainstorming and creating your lists, think about the needs of your business. How valuable are you to your own business?
To get an idea of your professional value, you will be listing
your strengths and weaknesses for each of these professional categories: knowledge,
skills, experience, and connections. You will then assess yourself based on
your lists. Let’s call this assessment your professional profile and each
category a section.
NOTE: As you go through each section in
your profile, think in terms of business management, leadership, as well as
industry and profession specific topics.
The rest of this post has descriptions and examples to
help you better understand each section and get your thoughts flowing.
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Knowledge
Knowledge is information and skills acquired through
experience or education, but knowledge does not assume understanding. With that
in mind, knowledge is a strength if you have and understand it. Knowledge can
also be a strength if you have more information on a particular subject than
the average person in the related field. Additionally, possessing knowledge that
is rare or not easily accessible can also be a strength. To determine if
something in this category is a weakness, you have to think about what you don’t know. Consider this proverb: “She
who knows what she does not know is wise. She he who knows not what she does
not know is a fool.”
Skills
Skills are something you can put into practice; you can
also measure the results you produce. If you can effectively and confidently
teach and demonstrate a skill, it is a strength. It is also a strength if you produce
results that are consistently above the standard. A weak skill is something you
have trouble putting into practice.
Experience
Experience comes in many forms. When you are putting your
list together, don’t forget things like volunteer jobs and small projects
including ones for friends, family, and school. Experience is a strength if it
was a unique or uncommon experience or if you have 5+ years of firsthand
experience in a particular area. If an experience negatively impacts your
credentials, it is a weakness. Refer to your completed knowledge and skills
lists if you have trouble brainstorming for this section; think about what
experiences had a significant impact on acquiring or improving your skills and
knowledge.
Connections
This section is all about the people in your network, the
people that should be in your
network, and your level of influence within your network. If you have
significant influence over a particular network or influence over someone who
does, that connection is a strength. If you have a bad/negative reputation
within a network, that is a weakness. If you do not belong to common and easily
accessible networks that are in line with your goals and professional persona,
that is also a weakness.
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| How'd you do? |
Your completed profile will serve as your starting point
for your professional development, so it is important that you are thorough and
honest. If you don’t have many strengths, it could be an indication that you
lack focus or direction in your career. Many weaknesses can indicate that your
approach may need adjustment.
In step 2, you will be completing a similar exercise and
thinking about your goals. Goals should be SMART so a good plan can be made to
achieve them. Think about that while you wait to see what’s in store for the
next step.
#ShesaBoss and #theGB
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