You’re more apt to be remembered for how you conclude an engagement, then how you begin one. Your reputation is established by the sum of your days, not by the start of them. Like it or not, it’s your proactive response to bad times, not good times, that defines your contribution. Consider that when you step into a project, a professional relationship, or a company.

Take Tom (Dick, or Harry) as a case in point:

Scene 1: Tom’s in a new job. He’s excited about the possibilities, motivated to do his best, and determined to convince his boss that she chose well when she picked him above all contenders.

Scene 2: He’s in the second year of his almost new job. He enjoys what he’s doing and works hard at it. He feels like he getting along with his boss and is getting more comfortable in a management position. He hasn’t had a review since he began but his boss assures him that everything is fine. In fact, she described him as a “high potential” employee.

Scene 3. It’s been three years, no reviews, and fewer assurances. Tom hasn’t had a salary increase since he joined the company. The boss he liked and seemed to like him, left a year ago and was replaced by someone who either doesn’t remember Tom’s name or chooses not to use it. Tom doesn’t care since he never sees him.

Tom’s become a slack manager; at least that’s what some of his more industrious subordinates tell him. It’s gotten harder for him to stay focused on work that doesn’t matter, and to attend meetings that don’t go anywhere. It’s gotten easier to go to work later and leave work earlier. Why bother if your boss isn’t around to notice and doesn’t notice when he’s around.

Scene four. Tom just got his first review in four years. It lasted ten minutes, maybe eleven. His evaluation said that he’s a marginal performer. His boss wasn’t specific about development plans because he said that he didn’t know him well enough to give him any. He asked if Tom had any questions. Tom shrugged a response, thanked him for his time, and went home and watched Oprah for the rest of the day.

Scene five. Tom didn’t know if he wanted to quit or get fired. Each had an upside. Quitting was faster and quieter. Getting fired took more energy and made more noise. He didn’t have the energy, so he quit.

What happened to the ball of fire that burned himself out in four years? Three Part Passivity: The company’s, the boss’s, and Tom’s. Tom couldn’t control anyone’s behavior but his own, and for reasons that are part personality and part naiveté, he folded.

No one’s going to make a career for Tom or you by clearing the roadblocks and shouting your name at every career crossroads. You’re living in a  “what have you done for me lately” business culture. If you sit and wait for someone to take the lid off your light and shout Eureka you’re in for a long sit.

You’re in charge of your career and the trajectory that it takes. You may not get all of what you want but you’ll end up a lot closer if you know where you want to go and have a plan for getting there.

Making a plan is more than having a vision. You have to work it out. Ask the tough questions and then answer them: What’s your personal definition for professional success? What do you want to accomplish in your career? What actions are you prepared to take? What are the obstacles you’re likely to run into? How will you work your way around them?

You don’t have to go it alone to get it done. There are people in your company and your community who would be willing to assist you if you were willing to ask for their help. Take action. Take a chance. Take responsibility for your future.

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Yes! You may use this article by Executive and Career Coach, Joyce Richman, in your blog, article in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Joyce Richman (www.joycerichman.com) has been specializing in executive and career coaching since she started her own practice in 1982. She works in a variety of environments including: higher education, manufacturing, sales, marketing, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking and finance, service, IT, and non-profit sectors. A member of the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, Joyce is certified to administer a number of feedback and psychological instruments. Joyce is a weekly guest on WFMY-TV and the career columnist for The Greensboro News & Record. She is the author of Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook to Career Success and co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job. A popular speaker, Richman conducts seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com