The Coach’s Corner Newsletter #102
There’s a growing sense of discomfort among leaders, teams and individual contributors about how far they can progress – or encourage forward momentum – in their current organizations.
Whether it’s an inability to get a promotion, little room for growth in a company or a freeze in hiring – people throughout every level of business are facing challenges as they determine their next steps.
Matthew Reeves is the CEO of Together, a mentorship platform that empowers organizations to pair every employee with a relevant mentor. Writing in Forbes.com,
When growth and advancement feel out of reach, employees become frustrated and disengaged. These feelings can contribute to the emotional and mental exhaustion that characterizes burnout.
So what are those who are experiencing career stagnation to do?
THIS WEEK’S INSIGHT
How to break through career stagnation
Geoffrey has been working through the growing frustration he feels in his organization because he doesn’t believe there’s room for him to get to the next level. Throwing his name in the ring for various cross-functional roles hasn’t been successful. With an upcoming one-on-one with a skip level VP, he wanted to work out the best way to approach his situation.
It’s pretty clear a promotion is out of the question right now. But I’ve been looking into Google’s 20% Project. It’s an initiative that began more than 20 years ago, where in addition to employees’ regular projects, they spend one day a week working on what they think will benefit Google.
We explored what that kind of pitch might mean for his current workload.
I’m really not being pushed as much as I want to be right now, so maybe a focus on something outside of my comfort zone that helps my division or the org will give me a sense that I still add value.
For the next week, Geoffrey identified three key projects he’d like to tackle. He shared that the work he spent researching these areas gave him more motivation – for the potential new work and the realization he still had a desire to see more personal growth for himself in his org. After he met with the VP, he was surprised at the immediate buy-in.
I now have calls set up with three different leaders who want to see how these proposed projects might benefit their divisions. I’m not sure how this will end up in the long-run, but I’m willing to have the discussions. I certainly am feeling less stagnant!
THIS WEEK’S TOOL
5 ways to boost professional growth
Leaning on the expertise of Together’s Matthew Reeves, here’s more from his Forbes article on ways to fuel professional growth.
• Mentorship Programs: Matching employees with experienced colleagues through a mentorship program can open up endless possibilities for both personal and professional development. By sharing their wisdom and guidance, mentors can help their mentees plot a course for achieving goals and hold them accountable to it.
• Peer Learning: Peer-to-peer learning allows employees to share their expertise in different skills with each other. This approach deepens understanding, strengthens team bonds and gets employees thinking about new perspectives and approaches to their work. Peer learning can take the form of more structured mentoring relationships or simply a conversation over coffee.
• Job Shadowing: A shadowing program brings people together cross-departmentally, helping employees expand their professional horizons and potentially gain interest in a high-demand career path or skill set.
• Workshops And Seminars: Hosting workshops and seminars is a great way for employees to stay current on industry trends, learn new skills or further develop existing ones.
• Educational Assistance Programs: By offering education allowances so employees can pursue coursework, certifications or degrees relevant to their roles, you demonstrate your company’s commitment to their growth and longevity.
My takeaway
The uncertainty many people experience in the workplace is very real. How you face that uncertainty, by finding the areas where you do have control, can help you define what to do when you feel that your career advancement has stalled.
When I’m partnering with someone who feels stagnant, we begin the breakthrough by wondering, “What do you want most out of this role?” And if you’ve hit the wall, “what do you want instead?”
Choosing to learn and develop new skills within a role can offer you a greater sense of purpose.
When you know you’re adding value in your role, you might decide you can wait for that promotion or title. And all the while, you are strengthening your skills for whatever may be around the corner.
The secret of getting ahead is getting started.
Mark Twain
