When executives are in the middle of a career transition, they often reflect on the novelty of it all. It’s sometimes the first time they’ve have the support required to work on their ideal rest-of-career plan and the strategy to make it happen.
I don’t know how many times I’ve heard, “It would have been great to do this earlier on”. High-achievers who are passionate about work regret the missed opportunity to take their career to the next level within their former organisation, equipped with a genuine strategy.
Some of what determines the path of individuals in organisations is happenstance, but the advantages of planning ahead are worth considering from both an individual and organisational perspective.
A career strategy is, in the main, an individual’s responsibility. That is, in the sense that this planning is an ongoing process of learning about the purpose, interests and skills that showcase you at your very best. This involves:
• Developing clarity on goals
• Learning from the experiences of others/mentors
• Seeking out ongoing challenge in the work itself
• Considering further qualifications
While it’s up to the individual to work at it, we know that employees do this best when supported at an organisational level. Business gets real value out of the process when the aspirations and interests of high performers match the company’s future goals. Charting out the individual’s career path leads to
• A focused talent pool
• Genuine succession planning
• Fortified bench strength at the top end
Critical conversations about where employees see themselves down the track need to happen – it’s just too little, too late in the exit interview.
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