Spice Up Your Life

“Tell me what you want, what you really, really want…”

I have a big old confession to make. I love the Spice Girls. I first saw them in concert in Montreal in 1999 and fell in love. Last night, I saw them again in Las Vegas and my unwavering adoration was further reinforced. The fact that I’m a huge fan of the girl-power-defining quintet is no secret to those close to me, and, on a personal note, this passion is one of those first-date, things-in-common that the spousal unit and I bonded over during our early courtship.

The Spice Girls’ first big, signature hit is called “Wannabe” and contains the lyrics posted above. As I was singing along and dancing in my seat, something profound occurred to me -- There’s a career-management lesson in this song!

Telling me what you want is one of the most important lessons in effectively planning and managing our careers. Having a clearly defined career vision is step one to getting ahead, and by letting others know about our aspirations allows them to help us achieve our goals.

Remember my earlier entry about the young government leader who aspires to be a federal-government CIO? He has a crystal-clear career vision of where he’s going, and he’s therefore able to enlist others to help him achieve his goal. As he was recently looking for a new position within the government, I found myself asking him, “But is this potential opportunity support your quest for the federal CIO career?” When he answered "yes," then he knew it was the right thing to pursue.

So, what’s the formula? First, by me being very clear about what I want makes it easier for me to develop a roadmap. Second, by  knowing what I want, I am thus able to enlist the help of others in achieving my goals. By being clear about my own goals, and then sharing them with others, this will guarantee success. This shared knowing also prevents any possible career mis-steps or other potential messiness resulting from taking the wrong position.

Think about using this strategy at home with your spouse or significant other. How many silly domestic disputes could be avoided by 1) me being clear about what I want, and 2) sharing this out loud with our beloved?

In closing, remember the Spice Girls... Don’t be a Wannabe goal setter and communicator. Instead, be an open, communicative “Share with Me” leader.