Excerpts from Get Your Ducks In A Row – How To Better Manage Your #1 Priority – Yourself by Chuc Barnes
“Get your ducks in a row!” The author explains the origin of this expression as coming from the way baby ducklings swim in a line behind the mother duck. If the ducklings stray, the mother gets them back in a row. Clearly, it takes all the ducks moving in unison for the family to guide forward smoothly.
The author makes the comparison to how an individual can “swim successfully through their days” or their career. Here are the things he says you have to get “in a row” as part of your career planning:
· Be adaptable and willing to change
· Know what matters most to you
· Know where you are going
· Chunk your dream goals into steps
· Understand the power of exceptional teamwork
· Set up the best communication system possible
· Keep track of where you are
In line with Our Roadmap to your Future: Creating a Personal Employee Development Plan Lunch & Learn’s recommendation to complete self-assessments in order to gain insight into where you are and use that information to help you get where you want to be, here’s a self-assessment quiz provided in Get Your Ducks In A Row:
Determine Your Habit Traps
Everyone has strengths and everyone has behaviors they can improve.
Are you willing to shut down some habits and make changes in yourself and the way you work?
To determine your possible habit traps, mark these statements with a yes or no. Be honest with yourself.
YES / NO1. / I know the exact priorities I need to accomplish day by day.
2. / I start each day at work by working on a priority item.
3. / My schedule is current and easy to follow.
4. / I know what my boss expects, and I keep my boss informed without interrupting.
YES / NO
5. / My co-workers know what I expect and the best way to keep me up-to-date.
6. / I know how to say “no” to things that aren’t important.
7. / I have career goals that I’m excited about.
8. / I am delighted with where my life is headed.
9. / I am good at setting priorities.
10. / I leave early for where I am going so I have time to focus and so people don’t have to wait for me.
11. / I’m satisfied with the balance in my life.
12. / I take responsibility for what happens to me (and never blame others).
13. / I feel fresh and excited when I arrive at work.
14. / I’m usually happy with what I accomplish in my work day.
15. / I take care of my physical and financial needs.
The more NO answers you have, the more habits you’ll want to break.
Know Where You Are Going
The author of Get Your Ducks In A Row also offers a Personal Vision exercise that might be of use as you create your Roadmap for the Future.
Personal Vision Exercise
Step 1: Get a sheet of paper. In the middle of the page write the word “Personal.” Now, think about yourself and ask yourself, “Before my life ends, what would I have liked to have happen in my personal life?” Write down your best ideas after the word “Personal.”
Step 2: Below the word “Personal”, write the word “Professional.” Now, think about your professional life. Ask yourself, “Before my career ends, before I hang it up, before I never have to work again (if that’s your dream), what would I like to have happen in my professional life? List your work-related ideas and notes under the word “Professional.”
Step 3: Below the words “Personal” and “Professional,” write the word “Outrageous.” Now think about yourself and any dreams you have about things you’d like to do, see, have or be that don’t seem possible right now, but which have genuine appeal to you. It would be a crime to have your life end without having had a shot at those ideas. Write them on your sheet.
You’ve now listed your dreams. Take your time and add to the list if you want.
Once you’ve done this exercise, look over your dreams. Mark the three most important ones for the moment, and then choose the most important one of the three.
Make your priorities workable. Winning the lottery is a dream not a goal. To improve your chances of accomplishing a goal, make it a SMART goal:
S – Specific
M - Measurable
A – Attainable
R – Realistic or Results-oriented
T – Timely
Clarify your goals. Think about the ideas you wrote on the sheet of paper with the words “Personal, Professional, and Outrageous.” Using SMART as an idea prompter, write out a statement for your most important goal. Be sure the statement follows the SMART format, including timelines and/or checkpoints for each of your goals.
Talk your goals over with someone else.
Keep goals up-to-date.
Note: The above information is an excerpt from the book, Get Your Ducks In A Row – How To Better Manage Your #1 Priority – Yourself by Chuc Barnes. If you’d like to learn more, this book is available through the Human Resources Department’s OC Virtual Library. You can access information about the library through the County Intranet: County of Orange, My County Resources > click on HR Portal (from menu on the left) > Scroll down to Other > click on OC Virtual Library for a listing of all available books. You can visit the library location on the first floor in the Hall of Administration, or request to borrow a book by emailing Julie Chon at .
Page 1