DaimlerChrylser
Ursula Schwarzenbart, Global Diversity Office
Managing
a successful long-term Business Career
When
I applied for my first assignment with Mercedes Benz 19 years ago, I never
thought of becoming a diversity manager. Back then, the term
“Diversity” was not even recognized in Management. So for me
– looking back -the fundamental question is: “To what extent can
one manage a long term Business Career?” Especially if you stay with =
one
company during your professional life – it now seems an easy task to
discover proof of ‘the bigger plan’ behind it all and weave the
career steps leading up to today to one coherent story. Was the driving for=
ce
actually ‘career management’?
Hmmm…
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While we impact our own career path in many ways, either consciously or unconsciously, a number of highly volatile external conditions have to be factored in. How much can we really plan these days where Markets are globa= l, Business is fierce and Professions reinvent themselves and Personal Lives <= o:p>
need an increased degree of flexibility? Career =
is a
term with many interpretations: some equate it with success, growth and
acceptance on a
professional and
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Others
emphasize the need for a good work-life balance while investing themselves =
to
do something they are good at and love to do. It can be about
competition, compensation, being connected,
advancement, the right time and place, attitude, self-determination... wins=
and
losses. In the end, it’s the very
I
do remember my first impression when I started my assignment at the Mercedes
Car Production in 1988: “…This won´t=
even last 6 weeks…!” Well, I guess,
now after 19 years with Daimler I´ve
been proven wrong. •
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Let’s
briefly go over the key opportunities a professional organization provides =
for
ambitious people with entrepreneurial ideas: to contribute to the business =
success
of the company, to operate on an international platform, to see and to
make change happen.
What
are people striving for who pursue a career in a global company today?
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Is
it the great job descriptions and thrilling profiles of the people who are
working there? Or is there an underlying desire to be part of something big=
ger?
Are they looking for a ‘safe job’, are they searching for an
‘adventure’ or simply want to make a contribution in their fiel=
d of
expertise?
I
couldn’t really pick one over another.
Regardless
of what the driver may be, performance will leave the most impactful
impression and bring recognition.
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Make
a name for yourself with performance and see yourself
added to the short list of high potentials. The next smart step -for me -sh=
ould
then be to stay
focused on the right positions ahead and, at=
the
same time resist the temptation to accept opportunistic offers that would t=
ake
you off course.
From
my perspective, another success factor is the ability to reflect, individua=
lly
or with a mentor in the company. Women sometimes overlook informal
networks and underestimate their benefits. Mo=
st
beneficial, of course, is the association with a rather senior manager who =
can
make things happen and
provide support.
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At
DaimlerChrysler, we are currently implementing a professional mentoring pro=
gram
for female managers of all levels. It’s designed to increase the
visibility of women in management and will provide support to overall more
women, especially in engineering leadership functions.
It
is also absolutely crucial to foster trust, in both formal and informal com=
pany
settings and to be known as a reliable person. This means that in
addition to the strong competitive environmen=
t we
also need a “competition-free zone” which allows for constructi=
ve
feedback and support on our work and
capabilities.
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In
this ‘zone’, we can sometimes even learn more about career-buil=
ding
and it strongly helps to understand our strengths and potential for growth =
in
terms of the contribution we can make to the comp=
any
success.
Also
consider a change in position every once in a while. With it comes a change=
in perspective
and new opportunities for further career development. Decide
on how deep, broad, operative or strategic of a
profile you want to develop. It provides proof of one’s own market va=
lue
to the company.
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Then
there’s also the time factor when it comes to career steps –
don’t stay in one position too long.=
Certainly, “too long” depends upon the position and
the situation. However, a rule of thumb says th=
at
you should start looking for development opportunities after three years.
Age
remains an interesting factor to look at. Let’s take these European
Commission statistics for female managers: Women under<=
/span>
30 account for 43% of managers. This figure falls to 30% between the ages o=
f 30
and 34. We’re at 20% for
women between 35 and 49.
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Certainly,
there’s a connection between these figures and family. Only 13% of fe=
male
managers have children under 18, whereas the same holds true for 26% of men=
in
the same position. 9% of female managers have 2-3 children, whereas 23% of =
male
managers have a bigger family.
In
fact, a Swiss study showed in 1997 that 70% of male and 48% of female job
starters believed in the likelihood of a career. Then 10 years later, of th=
e
same group, only 42% of men and 19% of women
believed in a career for themselves.
A
recent study with German female executives puts the percentage of those who
consciously plan their careers at 33%.
-PAUSE
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It’s
a good thing to plan a career and at the same time openly meet new challeng=
es
-with the determination to find those solutions that continue to write the =
kind
of success story we want to call our own.
Keep
in mind that it is essential to understand the – often unwritten
-requirements of the organization and its culture. Certainly one of these
prerequisites demands to best see opportunity rather than risk in
one’s work and strive. To be positive, in =
our
focus and in the way we communicate. Another is to be aware of existing car=
eer-building
patterns -one of which may be the fact that in the earlier stages thereR=
17;s
a tendency to ‘adapt and adopt’.
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The
same approach may have to be ‘unlearned’ later on when
individuality and a risk-taking attitude are in greater demand.
Stop,
listen and talk to people, ask questions and find out how things have been
done. Develop a feeling for people’s expectations, what skills each
person
possesses and what they consider right or wron=
g,
including your superiors.
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In
case the organization has an acute problem, it’s a good idea to
volunteer, join in and work hands on in a Task Force. The fact that females=
are
still not at the top of the list when it comes to forming the task force te=
am
may be attributed more to prejudice than skill. Task forces bring visibility
and in turn help to build a career.
Career
Activists love to look beyond -and by doing so learn more about other
industries, meet people from different businesses and as a result understand
more and more of the big picture, how things really work.
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Don’t
underestimate the career possibilities within your current company. Nowhere
everything is better, you might discover your ne=
xt
good move is right in
front of you, within the company you are currently
working for.
Managing
a career in one company is a balancing act between information, communicati=
on
-and also politics -which should never be underestimate=
d .!
That
makes marketing yourself inside AND outside your own company tremendously
important to establish the kind of reputation you aspire to – it
sometimes has to be honed in multiple ways.
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What
remains as the essence of long-term career management is – simply put
–
performance that will be recognized. It is the m=
ost
fertile ground for growth – in exactly the way you plan it.
It’s
helpful to have a tool box of best practices that help you stay the course.=
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S.M.A.R.T
goals, for instance, are simple and effective: Goals should be specific,
measurable, truly attractive, realistic and tangible and, last but not least
-feature the very important time factor.
Can
I fully visualize the goal?
Who
will be involved?
What
shall be accomplished?
Where
and when is it going to happen?
Which
constraints do I face?
Why
do I want to go there?
-PAUSE
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Striving
toward these well formulated goals will allow you to focus your energy on t=
he
job at hand and put forth your best performance … and with it come two
other highly valuable attributes: authenticity & respect.
As
Kofi Annan put it d=
uring
last year’s international women’s day: >>Women must take
their rightful place in the world’s decision-
making.<< In that sense, I wish you all the best on yo=
ur
individual career paths.
Thank
you.
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