Baby steps for growing your career - become an owner and not a follower
In this series, I offer actionable steps to help advance your career. Specifically, today, we will explore strategies for taking ownership of your projects.
Owner and not a Follower
A follower tends to follow advice without understanding or asking questions, a common trait among junior engineers and a significant obstacle to career growth. Conversely, an owner actively identifies and resolves project roadblocks, seeks clarity in others' directions through questions, and stands firm if there's disagreement.
Benefits of being an owner
Contrasted with a follower, an owner assumes a substantially greater level of responsibility in the project. Consequently, team leads and project managers will have fewer concerns. This, in turn, leads to the owner receiving more positive feedback in performance reviews and being entrusted with larger projects. This dynamic significantly contributes to career advancement.
Steps to become an owner
Ensure successful project completion: Dedicate your best efforts to completing assigned projects within specified timelines. If there are dependencies affecting the timeline, proactively communicate these issues early on to build trust within the team and with your manager.
Deepen your project understanding: Familiarize yourself with projects by reading original design documents and engaging in discussions with more senior team members. Grasp the design choices and tradeoffs made during the project.
Embrace questioning: Seek clarity by asking questions when faced with uncertainties. Your questions may uncover aspects overlooked by others or prove beneficial to fellow team members.
Provide constructive feedback: Express your disagreement or concerns about decisions. Valued team members are those who offer honest feedback and express disagreements.
Take ownership of additional projects: Identify tasks within the team that are challenging, poorly documented, or involve many manual steps. Propose designs to automate or simplify these tasks, gradually expanding your role and responsibilities.
Plan your projects: Develop essential planning skills by outlining project milestones. Even as a junior engineer, practicing project planning enhances your ownership and scope. Seek feedback from your tech lead or manager to refine your plans.
Reduce dependency on feedback: Strive for autonomy by identifying areas where you frequently receive feedback and take steps to permanently address them. Freeing up your manager's time enhances your value to the team.
Learn and share: Continuously evaluate current processes for inefficiencies and failures. Learn from your mistakes, celebrate them, and share insights with the team to prevent repetitions.
Give these steps a try for a week and share your feedback on their effectiveness. If you've employed other strategies in the past that proved beneficial, feel free to share them, and I'll incorporate them into the recommendations. For personalized assistance in enhancing your ownership and advancing your career, don't hesitate to reach out for a tailored coaching session.