The Workplace Coach

One of the biggest issues for employees is “lack of career advancement” opportunities in their organisation.  Almost every employee engagement survey will score poorly on this metric.  Most people want to be able to progress and advance within their own organisation. It’s understandable, this is the place where they are building their expertise and technical competence, and where they are nurturing the strategic relationships that might advance their careers. 

Most organisations will have a Strategic Workforce Plan.  The plan will outline workforce needs into the future, sometimes projected up to 10 years ahead.  I’m not going to talk here about the futility of trying to accurately predict what changes are going to occur in the next 10 years… but part of each plan is usually a strategy to bring new talent into the organisation.  This will be an entry level strategy involving trainees, graduates, interns or some similar type program to bring talented people in at the bottom. The implied message here is that you fill the workforce gaps from below, and the more talented people will, on their own merits, rise over time to the upper echelons of the organisation.

One organisation I recently had the pleasure of working with, the CEO is one of the longest serving employees in the place.  He has been with them for over 30 years, having advanced from entry level all the way up to the top job. That’s the dream right?  Well it used to be but not for the workforce of today.

Back to the original question: How long in the one job (or organisation) is too long? 

Change and the ability to adapt and evolve brings personal and professional development and growth.  It is through dealing with new challenges, new problems and new environments that we are forced almost to start thinking differently, to really engage that creative part of our brain to develop new solutions. 

If you (or your leadership team) have been static for the last 10 or 15 years, how much new thinking do you think is going on?  Is it possible that you (or they) might be struggling to innovate, to come up with new and creative solutions at the moment?

I know I’ve meandered all over this place with this article so let me bring it all together for you with these two points.

1. If you have been in the same place, working with the same people, doing the same/similar thing for more than 5 years now, then it could be time for you to start looking for your next challenge.  It may be in a different business line with your current employer or it might be outside of your organisation.  Decide to move and start looking. Do it for your own personal growth and development.  Loyalty and corporate knowledge are not your currency, your breadth of experience and the fresh thinking that you bring to the table are.

• If you are recruiting to leadership positions in your organisation, I want to encourage you to look outside your organisation.  Consider bringing in new talent, fresh thinking and different perspectives at the top.  Refresh your whole organisation by refreshing your leadership team.  They say culture starts at the top.  You only need one or two new people at the top to dramatically change the culture, performance and future trajectory of your organisation.   

Of course if we can help in any way please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at info@theworkplacecoach.com.au

The Workplace Coach