Start that vital chat about your career path (II)

This post came out from My Paper (20 October 2015)
Title - Start that vital chat about your career path

Some pointers that I've got are:
Do the following before having that career talk

• Write down your values and personal mission statement
• Specific questions to answer that will direct the conversation include:
• What are your strengths and what areas do you need to develop?
• What are the critical skills in your job and how would you rate your performance?
• What are the key issues driving the company? How can you help to solve them?
• What are the major trends shaping your industry and how will they affect your job and the organisation?
• What skills do you forsee that you need in the future?
• What are your short term and long term career goals?
• Which goal will position you best for the future?
• In what ways can you stretch yourself to increase your skills to make you more valuable to yourself and to the organisation?
• What specific actions are you willing to take in the upcoming year to achieve your career goals? What are some anticipated barriers that will prevent you from achieving your goals? What are some strategies to work around or overcome them?
• List your accomplishments in the organisation and the impact they had. Gather your "fan mail" - communications from clients, customers, and senior level managers, thanking you for the work you do.
• What is your expected outcome of the meeting? Create an agenda based on your expected outcome from the conversation with your manager.
• Rehearse your conversation with your boss before the meeting, anticipating your manager's responses based on what you know about him. Practice until you feel confident.
• Schedule the meeting with your boss and give him a copy of the meeting agenda. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big