Development efforts often focus on how you can achieve your career goals over the long term. Short-term successes, however, are critical to making your next move and preparing for those long-term aspirations.

Here are three immediate ways to build your career options:

1. Play to your strengths.

Do more of what you do best. Early in a career, it makes sense to try a bit of everything and push to improve in areas of weakness, but at a certain point, it is better to focus on your strengths.

2. Reinforce your "brand"

Choose activities outside work that develop the image you want to convey. For example, volunteer for the school building committee if you're good at managing projects. Gain broader experience and conversational ways to reinforce your capabilities at work.

3. Create the context for success.

Surround yourself with people you need to do your work well. People have to recognize common values and goals before they're likely to share what they know, so invest in these relationships.

- Today's Management Tip was adapted from What's Next, Gen X?: Keeping Up, Moving Ahead, and Getting the Career You Want by Tammy Erickson.