4S Model: Self

At many large malls, large conspicuous maps are posted showing the many different stores, attractions, and points of interest throughout.  When the typical individual approaches a map like this, the first inclination is to look for a red dot, a big arrow, or the words “You Are Here.”

The first step in the 4S Model is Self, and focuses on creating your guiding mission and vision.  To get there, you have to understand who you are, where you’ve been, and where you want to go from a career perspective.


Creating personal mission, vision, and values statements are very similar to creating corporate mission, vision, and values statements.  They are intended to serve as guideposts throughout your career, and be reviewed and adjusted from time to time.

The vision is the usually the higher level statement, a purposeful direction and outcome in life.  At Anheuser-Bush, it was “through all of our products, services, and relationships, we will add to life’s enjoyment.”  For you it will likely be something just as lofty, and will require deep introspection into what exactly motivates you.  Your vision statement may be an outgrowth of your faith, your strong personal convictions, or centered on happiness.

The mission is usually the strategy statement – how will you achieve your vision.  At Duke Energy, the mission statement is:  “At Duke Energy, we make people’s lives better by providing gas and electric services in a sustainable way – affordable, reliable, and clean.  This requires us to constantly look for ways to improve, to grow, and to reduce our impact on the environment.”

The vision and mission are enacted but only within the confines of intrinsic values.  From time to time you may find that it’s important to revisit and clarify your own personal values.  In 2011 Bank of America went through such an exercise, and amended its values to the following:

• Deliver for our customers, clients, and shareholders


• Trust in our team


• Embrace the power of our people


• Act responsibly


• Promote opportunity

Creating your own guiding mission and vision can be overwhelming at first.  As you ask yourself the questions and use the tools below, you will likely discover some clarity around the things that center ground, and motivate you – the building blocks you need.

Questions to think about

• What do you like?  What don’t you like?
  
  
  
  • Do you enjoy being around people, or is your preference to work alone?
  
  
  • Are you excited by a changing and dynamic work environment, or do you like to operate within a well-defined process?
  
  
  • Would managing people be interesting?
  
  
  • What are you good at?  What are you not good at?  What might you be good at?
    
    
    
    • Are you a math whiz or do numbers scare you?
    
    
    • Do you speak eloquently, or think you might be able to with some practice?
    
    
    • Is the gift of music within you?  Foreign language?
    
    
    • What is your personality?
      
      
      
      • Are you energized by people, or drained by social functions?
      
      
      • Do you tend to lead with either your mind or your heart when making decisions and interacting with others?
      
      
      • Have you found yourself delivering quick judgments, or instead preferring to withhold any conclusions until more information is collected?
      
      
      • What do you need to make your personal life successful?
        
        
        
        • What are your salary requirements?  Why?
          
          
          
          • What will your salary afford you, and what is motivating that purchase?


• Are benefits important to you in a role?  What kind?  Why?


• Are you mobile to work in different locations, or rooted to a particular geography?  What would make you willing to consider a different work location?


• Is flexibility of schedule important to you?


• What are the bright red lines you’ll never cross in considering your career – things you’ll never do?


• What are you willing to compromise to be successful at work, if anything?

Tools and Resources

• Kiersey Temperament Sorter II (KTS II)
  
  
  
  • The Kiersey Temperament Sorter is, per the site, “the most widely used personality assessment in the world”
  
  
  • 70 questions, very painless questionnaire
  
  
  • At the end you receive a report that includes your temperament, along with some verbiage to help explain the results
  
  
  • Strengths Finders / Strengths Based Leadership
    
    
    
    • Tom Rath from Gallup has written two books based on the work of Donald Clifton, the “father of Strengths-Based psychology.”  The research supports the notion that individuals are more successful when leveraging their strengths than when focusing purely on weaknesses / developmental needs.
    
    
    • When you buy the book, in the back is a code to go online and take the assessment (can also be purchased at the link above)
    
    
    • Questionnaire format, also painless
    
    
    • The output is a fairly robust report based on your top five strengths
      
      
      
      • Strengths Finders report is focused on leveraging your strengths as a contributor and teammate
      
      
      • Strengths Based Leadership report is focused on leveraging your strengths as a leader, as well as how to lead others with particular strengths
    
    
    • Quick word of caution:  as with most questionnaires of this type, there is no relative ranking.  If a person’s highest strengths is Strategic, for example, it doesn’t mean this person is more strategic than someone with Strategic as the second-highest strength.
    
    


• Franklin Covey’s mission statement builder
  
  
  
  • Step-by-step application that builds your personal mission statement
  
  
  • Ten questions that require thought and introspection
  
  
  • Based on the work in the Covey organization over the past several decades

Self is about creating your guiding mission and vision.  Beware of avoiding difficult questions and realizations about yourself along the way.  The process can be a challenging exercise in personal honesty and conviction.  On the other side however, you’ve created a beneficial compass for where you want to go – in both your career and your life.