Bloomport U

 Check any “Top 10 Leadership and Career Books” list and you are sure to see names like Bolles, Buckingham, Maxwell, Goldsmith and Collins.  But what if there were a career book written from the perspective of a P&G Executive?  Good news, Mary Anne Gale released her first book titled “Running for Office, Getting Yourself Elected to the Career You Really“ and as a former P&G Vice President, her insights are built on the many successful careers seen during her 35 years at P&G.

In Short:

I recommend “Running for Office” for anyone serious about taking personal responsibility for their career.  The book is an easy read and you can move through it in a single coffee shop sitting without getting booted for squatting.  I picked out the most relevant pieces by identifying what I wanted to remember, and what actions I wanted to take.  Both are outlined below.

Why I selected this book:

I heard Mary Anne Gale speak at the P&G APA convention in Cincinnati in 2008 and her style resonated with me.  Her direct Drucker-esque style got my attention, but it was her practical ideas for career management combined with her “Career Map” concept that led me to career-impacting action.  The Career Map helped me move beyond a simple list of lifetime goals to a strategic career plan with measureable step to achieve the goals. The Career Map is detailed in the book and posted on the book website at http://careerscape.biz/.

Was the book helpful?

Absolutely.  Like the authors presentation style, this book cuts out all the corporate fluff and delivers to-the-point career changing actions.  First is a way of thinking about your career as someone who plans to run for public office.  By thinking in these terms, you begin to understand how to advocate for yourself and to build a pool of “voters” who will help you achieve your goals.  Second, Mary Anne gives you the practical steps you can put into action on day-one to ensure you are on the path to identifying and achieving your career goals.

What will I change as a result of reading “Running for Office”?

There are lots of great ideas in this book; here are a couple actions I will take.

• I will identify three things to learn from my boss, and learn how I can reapply.
• I will schedule the question “what is your top priority” to my join-up with my manager once per quarter
• I will work to identify what I want my own personal equity to include
• I will get serious about finding a couple mentors

What did I add to my learning journal after reading “Running for Office”?

• Trust is central to relationships & trust must be earned; don’t ever forget this
• Voters: cultivate at least five but no more than ten deep-quality relationships (this will be a challenge for me)
• Never turn down an opportunity to build a work relationship outside of work (dinner, event, etc.)
• Deliberately widen the circle of people who know you, and who know your work

NET:

In “Running for Office” Mary Anne points out that “nobody cares more about your career than you do”.  This book helped me to internalize that message and gave me the tools to clarify my own plan. If your career is not where you want it to be, I recommend adding this book to your spring reading list and give it some serious thought.

 Full disclosure:

A version of this article first appeared on my blog in January 2010