Kickstarting your Personal Development and Career Growth

At Lesaka we are privileged to be in a growing business. The recent and upcoming additions to the Lesaka kraal, of Touchsides, Adumo and others to come, means that our business is becoming more diverse and with this comes opportunities. Opportunities for growth in one’s current role as roles become bigger and people take on more responsibility and opportunities to move into other roles as the businesses become bigger. At Lesaka the ‘world is your oyster’, as the saying goes. So you might be wondering how you can take advantage of these opportunities to develop and grow in your career. Here are some tips on how you can do just that.

Growing your career involves a combination of self-awareness, planning, personal development, and taking proactive steps to achieve your goals.

Step 1: Clarify Your Career Vision

Before you can plan for career growth, you need to have a clear understanding of where you want to go:

  1. Identify Your Current Role and Future Role: Ask yourself, "What do I love about my current role, and what is my ideal future role?" Understanding your starting point and your desired destination is crucial.
  2. Assess Your Skills and Attributes: Reflect on whether you have the skills and attributes needed to pursue your dream job. Identify the gaps and areas for improvement.
  3. Understand What Sets You Apart: Consider what unique qualities, experiences, or skills will help you stand out in your desired career path.
Step 2: Focus on Personal Development

Personal development is key to growing your career. It involves expanding your knowledge, skills, strengths, and talents to be successful. Here are some personal development areas to focus on:
  1. Self-Awareness: Being aware your interests, passions, likes/dislikes, belief and attitudes and values is critical to making the right choices about the work you want to do as well as the environment you would thrive in.
  2. Strengths Identification and Development: Read articles, take courses, workshops or assessments to identify and hone your strengths to thrive in your career. Often the people you know, like your family, friends, and colleagues, are a good source of information to help you identify your strengths and to develop them
  3. Critical Thinking Skills: Developing critical thinking will help you make informed decisions, solve problems, communicate effectively, and deliver results. Building critical thinking skills requires you to put yourself in unfamiliar situations so you are forced to tap into that side of you brain and gain new experiences.
  4. Personal Branding: Establish a personal brand that reflects who you are and what you want to be known for. It helps you present yourself authentically and stand out in your field.
Step 3: Understand the Importance of Personal Development

Personal development is crucial for several reasons:
  • It helps you perform well and deliver results in your current role.
  • It allows you to identify and develop your strengths to achieve your career goals.
  • It equips you with the necessary skills, abilities, and expertise to grow in your career.
  • It guides you in building a personal brand, essential for professional success.
Failing to focus on personal development can have negative consequences:
  • You may get stuck in a role that no longer challenges you.
  • Your performance may stagnate and be seen as mediocre.
  • You may miss opportunities for both personal and professional growth.
Step 4: Actions to Take to Grow Your Career
  1. Conduct a Skills Audit: Review your current knowledge, skills, strengths, and talents. Identify gaps and areas that need development.
  2. Seek Opportunities from Your Manager: Have a conversation with your line manager about projects or work experiences that can help you develop the skills needed to progress in your career.
  3. Find a Mentor or Coach: Seek someone who can guide and mentor you to improve your performance. This could be your line manager or another experienced professional.
  4. Create a Network Map: Identify people in your personal and professional circles who can support your growth and career progression.
  5. Identify Personal Development Initiatives: Look for courses, workshops, or other learning opportunities that align with your career goals.
Step 5: Create and Discuss Your Development Plan

After taking the steps above, create a development plan that outlines:
  • Your Career Goals: Clearly define what you want to achieve.
  • Actions Needed: Detail the steps you need to take.
  • Resources: Identify the resources, such as courses, mentors, or tools, that will help you.
  • Success Measures: Define how you will measure success.
Discuss this plan with your line manager to gain input, guidance, and support. They may suggest projects, assignments, or formal courses that could help you develop further.

Step 6: Believe in Yourself and Take Action

Ultimately, career growth requires self-belief and action. Stay proactive, continuously seek feedback, and be ready to learn and adapt. By focusing on personal development and taking the right steps, you can grow and achieve your career aspirations. For more information on Personal development and career opportunities at Lesaka go to Lesaka Hub.