A great place to work is all about positioning. It is not about where you are now, but where you are going. A great workplace positions you for growth.
Here are five questions to help you identify a great place to work.
1. CAN YOU GROW THERE?
A dead-end job is not only boring, but debilitating. A stagnant environment results in intellectual and career atrophy. A great place to work stimulates creativity, spurs innovation and challenges you to stretch beyond your comfort zone. Do you have responsibilities and assignments that build new skills? Are there opportunities for internal promotion or skills that land you more challenging positions elsewhere? A great workplace yields a multitude of ways to grow.
2. ARE YOU ENCOURAGED TO GROW?
Another attribute of a great workplace is actual encouragement to grow. Do your senior leaders take an active interest in your growth? Are they regularly assessing your current skill level and inquiring about your future? Do they support you when you express a desire to grow and play an active role in developing your plan? A great place to work will have supportive leaders that are active catalysts for your growth.
3. ARE YOU GIVEN RESOURCES TO GROW?
A great place to work not only encourages you to grow, but ensures that you have the resources to actually do so. Does your employer invest in continuous education beyond the basic requirements? Do you have adequate time and flexibility to actually pursue growth activities? Great places to work invest in your growth.
4. CAN YOU CONTRIBUTE IN A MEANINGFUL WAY?
A great place to work enables you to contribute to others’ growth. You become a better leader when you have someone to lead. This does not always mean a position or title, but rather your ability to sharpen the skills of others while you sharpen your own.
It also is important to know how you contribute to the success of your workplace. Do you see the fruits of your hard work in the success of strategic initiatives? Can you appreciate how your contribution moves the needle? A great place to work gives you bountiful ways to contribute — and compensates you accordingly.
5. ARE YOU INSPIRED?
A great place to work makes you feel inspired. You are motivated by the people you work with. You believe in the mission and have a genuine passion for achieving it. A great workplace invigorates you and creates a genuine excitement about being there.
Overall, a great place to work is where you are challenged to be your best. You have opportunities to grow and the resources to do so. You can see the fruits of your labor. A great place to work inspires you to be great.
Stephanie D. Barnes, Ph.D., is CEO of C-Suite Women’s Network, an attorney, award-winning author, international speaker and master strategist. Reach her at (404) 213 -4041 or stephanie@drstephaniedbarnes.com.