Zig + Zag = Interagency Collaboration

You’ve made up your mind that you are now ready to further advance your career from a management position to a leadership position. 

Why not try a not-so-new, sometimes challenging route to move up the organizational ladder? Why not pivot to other government agencies, using an interagency collaboration approach, to get the necessary skill set sooner and, sometimes, more efficiently? The key is making sure to cross over to other agencies to obtain the necessary skills within the time constraints of your leadership plan.

This zig zag method has multiple benefits. It won’t be easy, but once your brand is known, watch your career take off.

Some benefits include:

1.  Having a network of experience/expertise from other agencies that you can tap into.
2. Gaining exposure to other agencies and their policies and procedures.
3. Building trust as you are exposed to others and others are exposed to you.
4. Improving lines of communication as a result of information sharing.
5. Garnering creative resource sharing/borrowing opportunities (especially when filling critical vacancies).
6. Increasing knowledge management.
7. Building relationships.

What’s required of you

1. Start with a plan. Identify the skills needed for your desired leadership position (director, chief, executive, etc.).
2. Research appropriate agencies, ones that interest you and will help you to develop resume enhancing skills, executive core qualifications (ECQs), and leadership competencies.
3. Draft your leadership development plan and have people in your inner circle critique it prior to sharing with your immediate leadership.
4. Incorporate detail/miscellaneous assignments and volunteer for cross-functional workgroups and teams.
5. Be your own cheerleader, promoting your cross-functional/interagency skillset whenever and wherever possible.
6. Be visible.
7. Develop your “brand” — what you want to be known for.
8. Prepare your resumes/ECQ narratives for up to five positions.
9. Monitor, adjust, revise, revamp.
10. Most importantly, volunteer for assignments that expose you to leaders with whom you should network and seek mentorship.

Overcome your fears

If you are still indecisive or anxious, practice these steps.

Acknowledge what specifically makes you fearful. Jot down these thoughts/concerns and identify ways to overcome them by asking who, what, when, where and how questions. For example:

• Who will benefit from your actions?
• When will the time be right, if not now?
• Where else could you gain the same exposure, knowledge and expertise?
• How do you think you would feel once you achieved the next position in your career?

Draft a plan, write it down and seek out a mentor/coach who can help guide you through the process.

Speak the plan into existence — continually.

Give yourself a “pat on the back” for each successful action or opportunity.

Now, consider yourself fully equipped, so go boldly and confidently towards your dreams!

After retiring from the Federal Government, Sandra Hill launched her business – New Horizen Coaching & Professional Growth Advancement.  She has a passion for coaching (life, business, and career), helping those who seek to build their confidence while facilitating transitions in their personal or professional life. Sandra is a best-selling author, podcast host and writes career coaching articles for Forbes and other industry magazines.

Fulfilling her personal mantra, “Each one Reach one”, Sandra also volunteers with several non-profits and serves as a mentor and partner with local schools. 

Image by Christine Schmidt via Pixabay.