Exam 3: Skills for Developing Yourself As a Leader

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Step 1:Goals.The first step in a GAPS analysis is to clearly identify what you want to do or where you want to go with your career over the next year or so.This does not necessarily mean moving up or getting promoted to the next level.An alternative career objective might be to master one's current job-you may have just gotten promoted,and advancing to the next level is not important at the moment.Other career objectives might include taking on more responsibilities in your current position,taking a lateral assignment in another part of the company,taking an overseas assignment,or even cutting back on job responsibilities to gain more work-life balance.
Step 2:Abilities.People bring a number of strengths and development needs to their career goals.Over the years you may have developed specialized knowledge or a number of skills that have helped you succeed in your current and previous jobs.Similarly,you may also have received feedback over the years that there are certain skills you need to develop or behaviors you need to change.Good leaders know themselves-over the years they know which strengths they need to leverage and which skills they need to develop.
Step 3:Perceptions.The perceptions component of the GAPS model concerns how your abilities,skills,and behaviors affect others.What are others saying about your various attributes? What are their reactions to both your strengths and your development needs? A great way of obtaining this information is by asking others for feedback or through performance reviews or 360-degree feedback instruments.
Step 4:Standards.The last step in a GAPS analysis concerns the standards your boss or the organization has for your career objectives.For example,your boss may say you need to develop better public speaking,delegation,or coaching skills before you can get promoted.Similarly,the organization may have policies stating that people in certain overseas positions must be proficient in the country's native language,or it may have educational or experience requirements for various jobs.