Careers are No Longer Ladders to Climb
It’s time to look at career growth as more than a vertical ascent
It’s being called many things such as “The Great Reassessment,” or “The Great Resignation.” There’s ample evidence that the pandemic has caused people to reassess their careers and now consider their future based on more than just having a job or climbing the proverbial ladder.
This has translated to much higher than usual turnover in even the most respected companies and a major disconnect between job openings and job seekers. A significant shift is taking place for employers and their teams. It’s time to stop thinking about careers as simply a ladder to be climbed and look at them from a more holistic approach.
This Fast Company article describes the future of careers as “lattices of vertical and horizontal opportunities, shaped by personal and professional aspirations, in addition to company needs.”
What does this mean for conscious leaders? It means recognizing talent, ambition and ability in everyone and not stereotyping or pigeonholing. For example, your IT staffer could have marketing abilities. Conversely, your marketing leader could have HR talent. We limit ourselves and our teams by thinking about careers as solely linear.
New research is finding that most people want to keep growing professionally throughout their career. In fact, the number one reason most people want to quit their job is lack of growth opportunities.
To meet the demands of the future of work requires a complete reimagination of how we have traditionally structured companies and careers. Conscious leaders are well-positioned to face this transition because they look for the best outcomes for all stakeholders and aren’t afraid to take chances on new ways of doing things.
Here are some important questions to answer that can help you through this transition:
How can you better meet the development needs of your team?
How can you find out if a staffer has other interests and abilities outside their current role?
What kind of resources are you devoting to developing staff and how can you expand those resources?
How are you personally investing in your own growth so you can be a model for your team?
Major transitions can be intimidating, but they can also be exhilarating. This is a golden opportunity to step into greater conscious leadership and help your team create a beautiful career lattice full of vertical and horizontal opportunities as unique as each team member.
Work happy. Live happy. BE happy.
Meredith
The way we work and build teams is rapidly changing. Leaders often feel unprepared to navigate the transition. As a conscious leadership coach, consultant and communicator, Meredith helps leaders and their teams create new ways of working and relating so they can prepare for the future by consciously co-creating it.
Contact her to develop your conscious leadership and transform your organization into the workplace of the future.
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