Welcome
Welcome to the latest issue of
Bringing Work to Life.
We explored the following topics
in the past twelve issues (all newsletters are available at
www.elsdon.com/newsletters.htm):
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Workforce planning (May/June 2007)
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Assessing your organization (March/April 2007)
o
Individual change (January/February 2007)
o
Guiding organizational change (November/December 2006)
o
One to one (September/October 2006)
o
New horizons (July/August 2006)
o
Our greatest asset (May/June 2006)
o
Bringing development and performance home (March/April 2006)
o
Progressing in your organization (January/February 2006)
o
Bringing our best to work (December 2005)
o
The promise of affiliation (November 2005)
o
Nothing business, it’s just personal (October 2005)
In this issue we address “Career
plateaus – what to do about them.”
Career Plateaus – What to Do about Them
“At a recent recruiting event in Boston, a highly
respected scientist with decades of experience in drug discovery stood
alongside graduate students ready to embark on careers. He was not there
to screen the eager candidates or offer any advice. Like the grad
students, he was waiting to hand over his resume.” These words are from
the April 16, 2007 issue of Chemical and Engineering News, they
highlight the challenge of later career plateauing. And at the other
end of the career path “It almost felt as if I peaked at eighteen and it
declined from there.” These words could be spoken by many a promising
high school athlete, unable to bridge to the professional level as an
athlete, and struggling academically. And here is how it might be
expressed by someone at a mid-career stage: “I feel adrift, it’s hard
to be enthusiastic about going to work. I feel stuck and don’t know how
to move forward.”
Each of these three situations speak to a career
plateau - a time that seems to offer little prospect of career
progression and much risk of decline. As the examples show, such a
plateau can happen at any life stage. How can we recognize it? What
are the forces that can lead to such plateauing? What can we do about
it, should we choose to – both to avoid this happening and to respond if
it does?
Let’s examine three career stages: early entry
(roughly the first five years after entering the workforce on a full
time basis); mid-career (roughly five to twenty-five years in the
workforce), and career maturity and rejuvenation (beyond twenty-five
years). Let’s first contrast career plateaus with the times when we are
energized in our work:
When we are energized about our careers, there is strong alignment with
our purpose and values, we bring enthusiasm into the workplace, we are
clear about our path forward and are interconnected with many others.
We are learning and developing, aided by engaging in a wide range of
career related activities, such as participation in external groups.
When on a career plateau, on the other hand, we can lose touch with our
purpose and values and our enthusiasm for our work can drop
precipitously. We see this in measures of affiliation suddenly
declining dramatically as the sense of inspiring purpose falls
(Affiliation in the Workplace: Value Creation in the New Organization,
Ron Elsdon, Praeger, 2003). We are confused about our path forward, the
group of people with whom we are connected is shrinking and little
personal development is happening, so there is little engagement beyond
current work.
The causes of such plateauing will differ according
to life stage, here are some examples looking both from an internal
individual perspective and from the perspective of external factors:
In those early years, factors that can lead to plateauing include lack
of clarity about personal aspirations since work and life experiences
are still developing. Lack of flexibility in considering options can
also be a significant internal factor. External factors include
constrained life circumstances due to growing inequality in our society,
growing competition for example in popular jobs or from emerging global
regions, or being part of a declining work sector.
In mid-career, changing priorities may be
significant as criteria for success often shift from external validation
to internal life purpose. Sometimes a mid-career plateau results from
skills being allowed to atrophy, or failure to invest sufficient time in
maintaining a vibrant network of contacts. External factors that can
surface include challenging organization politics, a merger or
acquisition that redefines organizational needs and a declining work
sector.
In the later stage of maturity and rejuvenation,
lack of knowledge of potential options can again emerge as a key factor,
along with too strong alignment with an organization to the detriment of
individual needs. External factors can include the challenge of age
discrimination, the influence of organization restructuring and being
part of a declining work sector.
So how might we address these issues? While there
are some differences according to career stage, let’s look at
commonalities, building on a foundation that we each own responsibility
for our career fitness. We need to first understand the situation that
may lead to a career plateau and then act on that knowledge. These are
steps to consider:
1. Building understanding
ð
Conduct a regular re-assessment about the important and
meaningful parts of work life:
§
Pay close attention to personal intuition and those
surfacing concerns that suggest a growing sense of frustration or
feeling of stagnation. Take an inventory of the current situation,
examining hopes, aspirations and expectations and the extent to which
they are being met. Explore the gaps and what they mean both in terms
of the nature of work and the situation within which it is conducted.
§
Clarify aspirations, values, interests and desired skills
(see the October 2005 issue of Bringing Work to Life) to help assess
whether a major shift in direction is warranted, or whether a smaller
mid-course correction would be sufficient.
§
For those in an organization, clarify the extent to which
the organization’s values are aligned with personal values (see the
March/April 2007 issue of Bringing Work to Life) and consider moving on
if there is a significant disconnect.
2. Acting on that understanding
ð
Based on an assessment of the situation, determine whether
the issues are linked primarily to the organization or to the nature of
the position or function.
§
If this is an issue about the nature of the position or
function, rather than the organization, begin an external exploration
process to examine alternatives that may include new and non-traditional
approaches to work, for example working independently (see the
July/August 2006 issue of Bringing Work to Life).
§
If this is an issue linked primarily to the organization,
consider the extent to which expectations have been communicated and are
being met as shown on the following grid (from Inscape Publishing, which
offers an assessment that brings additional insights to work
expectations).
§
If expectations have been communicated and are not being
met consider exploring options outside the organization. On the other
hand, if they have not been communicated, consider creating an outline
of accomplishments and the value added to the organization together with
an outline of career expectations, then scheduling a time to speak with
supervisors/mentors about both of these items.
ð
A key distinguishing attribute of those who maintain
career vibrancy is maintaining an active network of contacts with whom
ideas, thoughts and aspirations can be exchanged. This is a group with
whom the primary emphasis is one of giving, for example passing along
information about new and emerging trends. Spending time defining this
network and committing to expanding and deepening these relationships is
critical.
ð
Stay current with trends and directions in sectors of
interest. This may mean attending association meetings, it may mean
regularly exploring on-line sources, to be clear about emerging
directions and what they mean personally.
ð
Finally, consider plateaus as a natural part of the
employment life cycle. Frederic Hudson and Pamela McLean in Life Launch
frame this as a continuing cycle in four movements: Go For It, Stuck in
the Doldrums, Cocooning and Getting Ready for the Next Chapter, with
Stuck in the Doldrums as the plateau stage.
While external forces and internal factors can
create plateaus in our careers, the opportunity and capability to break
free is inside each of us should we so wish. In doing so we can, as
Rumi observed centuries ago, “Let the beauty we love be what we do.”
Workforce Trends
Recent workforce trends send mixed signals about
the likely path forward in the short term, recognizing that slowing
growth rate of the workforce means growing scarcity of people in the
longer term. A continued strong employment situation is reflected in an
unemployment rate at 4.5% in May 2007, as shown in the following figure,
slightly lower than the 4.6% of a year ago.
U.S. Unemployment Rate (Seasonally Adjusted), %
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Job openings are generally a leading indicator of
employment conditions at the peak of an economic cycle as organizations
tend to reduce hours before cutting positions when conditions slow
(Bringing Work to Life, March April 2007). As the following figure
shows, there is some indication of recent reduction in the job openings
rate although it is too soon to tell whether this is within the range of
normal monthly fluctuations or whether this speaks to a longer term
trend.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Hires continue to exceed separations as shown in
the following figure, which speaks to continued strength in employment
conditions.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
This is also reflected in the trend of private
sector job gains and job losses as shown in the following figure:
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Where the net gain is driven primarily by expansion
of existing businesses as shown in the following figure:
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Furthermore, a recent slight downturn in mass
layoff events (involving at least 50 people from a single
establishment), as shown in the next two figures, speaks to continued
strength in workforce conditions.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Meanwhile the average weeks of unemployment has
stayed at around 16-17 weeks for about a year, as shown in the following
figure, underlining the challenge of addressing longer term
unemployment.
Average Weeks of Unemployment
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Concern from this trend is reinforced by the number
of discouraged workers (those not looking for work and not in the labor
force) hovering around 400,000 for the past two years as shown in the
following figure:
Discouraged Workers (in thousands)
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
So we see mixed signals, on one hand a continued
overall trend of falling unemployment rates, hire rates exceeding
separations and a short term reduction in mass layoff events; while on
the other hand some indication of a decline in the job openings rate, a
sustained high length of unemployment and a sustained high number of
people absent from the workforce and not looking for work. As we move
forward it becomes ever more critical to reflect the needs of all
parties affected by employment. So that those who give much in their
daily work, not just the wealthiest among us, also receive much.
Quote
“When asked about her secret to getting volunteers,
Mother Teresa said: ‘I just ask them to come and love the people, to
give their hands to serve them and their hearts to love them.’”
Quoted in Purpose and Power in Retirement by Harold
Koenig.
Elsdon Organizational Renewal (EOR) Recent Mentions
·
Reviews of “Affiliation in the
Workplace: Value Creation in the New Organization.” Ron Elsdon.
Praeger, Westport, CT (2003)
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Harvard
Business School
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HBS Working Knowledge: Organizations
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Global Diversity Institute
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Global Diversity Institute - The Journal of Diversity Praxis
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Journal of Asian Economics
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ScienceDirect - Journal of Asian Economics : Ron Elsdon, Affiliation in
the Workplace: Value Creation in the New Organization, Praeger
Publishers, Westport, CT (2003) 280 pp. (hardcover), ISBN 1-56720-436-8,
$49.95.
o
Greenwood Publishing Group
·
Affiliation in the Workplace — www.greenwood.com
·
Chapter titled “How Can You Grow
Your Practice with Purpose?” in National Career Development Association
Monograph, “Starting and Growing a Business in the New Economy” Edited
by Sally Gelardin, 2007
·
Recorded Webinar for Project
Management Institute
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“Becoming Career Fit in Turbulent Times”
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http://pmi-issig.org/Default.aspx?tabid=319
·
“Building a Strong Workforce
Through Affiliation.” Chapter 26 in “On Staffing: Advice and
Perspectives from HR Leaders.” Eds. Nicholas Burkholder et al, John
Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken NJ (2004)
o
http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0471410691,descCd-tableOfContents.html
·
“The Growing Divide Calls for
Advocacy.”
o
Article in March, 2007, NCDA Career Convergence magazine
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http://209.235.208.145/cgi-bin/WebSuite/tcsAssnWebSuite.pl?Action=DisplayNewsDetails&RecordID=947&Sections=&IncludeDropped=1&AssnID=NCDA&DBCode=130285
·
“Reaching for Our Deep Gladness”
o
Article in May, 2005, NCDA Career Convergence magazine
·
http://209.235.208.145/cgi-bin/WebSuite/tcsAssnWebSuite.pl?Action=DisplayNewsDetails&RecordID=625&Sections=6&IncludeDropped=&AssnID=NCDA&DBCode=130285
·
Mention in article on cost of
turnover
o
East
Bay Business Times,
April 2005
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Turnover costs exceed employers' estimates - 2005-04-25
·
“Worklife Survival: Finding a
Fit”
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Article for HR West, February 2005 (Northern California Human Resource
Association)
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http://www.nchra.org/StaticContent/Download/EXT0205007.pdf
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Interview in the education field
“Affiliation as a Unifying Principle in Education”
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Career Pro News
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Affiliation and Education
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MBTI Step II workshop
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CCDA News, April 2005
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Local Chapter News
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Review of ICDC Global Issues
Forum
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CCDA, January 2005
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ICDC Global Issues Forum
About EOR: Our Value Contribution
We enhance your workforce,
leadership and organization by:
·
Using proprietary approaches to
understand workforce and leadership challenges
·
Creating tailored action plans
and solutions to strengthen workforce and leadership practices
·
Building individual capabilities
and contributions
We enable you to focus on
external results and building value, confident that your organization
and leadership are operating at peak effectiveness.
Our Mission
To support your organization by
enhancing performance, productivity and effectiveness through
revitalized workforce relationships and leadership practices.
Our Approach and Values
We tailor our engagements to the needs of each organization with a
process designed to surface critical issues, identify root causes, build
effective solutions, monitor progress and implement.
With a scope that ranges from system and organizational interventions to
work with individuals, our focus is on the heart of the relationship
among the individual, the organization and the community. We believe
that organizational and community prosperity are built on enabling each
person to fulfill his or her potential.
Our Services
We work with individuals and
groups in your organization to drive performance and development for
both the short and long term. As a result people will choose to work in
your organization and will prosper there.
We bring solutions when you need
to:
·
Reverse declining revenues and
performance
·
Revitalize your workforce
·
Stem the loss of key talent
·
Redirect your organization to
new areas
·
Stop losing customers or market
share
·
Penetrate new markets
·
Combat aggressive competitors
·
Handle major change
·
Break down communication
barriers
·
Energize your leadership team
·
Successfully build on an
acquisition or merger
Our proprietary services
include:
·
State-of-the-art tools to take
the pulse of your organization and then move to action
o
Web enabled systems
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Experts to gather and analyze information, moving your organization to
action
·
Individual leadership coaching
to give you world class leadership capabilities
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Leaders who know themselves and their aspirations, build their
capabilities and become catalysts developing others
·
Workshops to build interpersonal
skills in your organization so that:
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Communication is timely, concise, accurate and personal
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People listen to each other
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Negotiations are quick and effective
o
Differences create rather than destroy value
o
Teams move forward, get results and quickly commercialize new products
and services
o
People understand and link their motivations to your organizational
needs
o
Your teams understand what it takes to create a committed, energized
workforce
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People use their time well
·
Systems that make it easy to
drive performance and build capabilities by:
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Linking objectives throughout the organization
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Strengthening key competencies
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Making sure you have the bench strength where and when you need it
o
Giving people tools to take charge of their own careers and development
and have a major long term influence on your organization
·
Proprietary simulation and
modeling techniques that let you explore how to maximize the value of
your workforce
o
Move from guessing what might happen to looking in depth at the
financial impact of different approaches
