Today, most organizations organizational are reducing levels of management. Further, there are fewer levels of management. Accordingly, your career path is transiting from a Corporate Ladder to a Corporate Lattice. Moreover, movement routinely is diagonal or horizontal versus moving up. While you may take longer to reach to the top, you have a much higher opportunity to build your talent stack.
Cathy Benko and Molly Anderson define the emerging “Corporate Lattice” model in their book — The Corporate Lattice: Achieving High Performance in the Changing World of Work. They argue that a lattice is better suited for today’s global business environment.
So, you need to change how you think about and plan your career path to take advantage of this new structure.
Join A Company→Work Hard→Move Up the Ladder
"Just remember, you can't climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets." — Arnold Schwarzenegger
When I started my career, the script was: join a company, work hard, move up the ladder.
Today it is much more difficult because of restructuring, mergers, layoffs, outsourcing, robots, and artificial intelligence. A reliable path rarely exists. Moreover, companies rarely offer guidance on how to move forward in this environment. It is not because they do not want to support your professional growth it is because they are not sure what the future holds.
After graduating from engineering, I started my career with Ontario Hydro — a great organization. Moreover, they had a definite talent strategy that included a graduate training program and career planning. As part of the career planning process, we identified target jobs and determined the skills, knowledge, and experience we would need to fulfill them. On the other hand, I learned early on that targeting a specific position was of limited value. In my first two plans, my target jobs all disappeared through restructuring. So, I just focused on gaining additional skills — including an MBA, volunteering for task forces and seeking opportunities as they came up — my career journey is on LinkedIn.
Today many professionals are unable to identify a clear career path at their company as one no longer exists. However, organizations often have little idea what staffing needs they will have in a few years. Thus they cannot identify who would be qualified to fill these unidentified positions.
This lack of clarity occurs for the following reasons:
- companies routinely pivot to adapt to changes in the marketplace
- the half-life of many skills is now five years or less
- automation, robotics, artificial intelligence are reshaping just about every job
The Pace of Change is Fast
"The price of doing the same old thing is far higher than the price of change." — Bill Clinton
Work is increasingly virtual, collaborative, and dispersed. Organizations have flat structures—fewer layers of management. Most careers tend to zig and zag on the corporate lattice. Work is done wherever, whenever. Moreover, information flows in all directions.
What is the result?
The ladder model is collapsing along with the old norms and expectations that defined management.
Most companies manage their work and their people through a hierarchical structure — the corporate ladder. All this considered, the model is virtually unchanged for a century, since the beginning of the industrial revolution. The ladder ties prestige, rewards, access to information, influence, power, etc. to the rung one occupies. The problem is we no longer live in the industrial age.
For organizations operating in a traditional sense, we offer the Ladder of Leadership. Even more, it is a valuable tool for you. You will discover:
- the competencies required at three levels of leadership
- have your behavioural competencies align with those of high performing leaders
- your strengths and challenges
Career planning will be even harder for the next generation. Please encourage your high schooler to read Powerful Career Advice for Your High School Student. It will save them much frustration throughout their career journey.
Shift Across Three Dimensions
How to Your Build Career
You need to rethink from straight up — linear career paths to zigzag — a lattice. A lattice organization will offer customized options for growth and development. This mesh-like approach provides ways to make careers attractive. Employers will discover that they can better engage their best talent. They need top talent who is well suited to respond to change— a versatile employee.
If your organization is not thinking about a lattice structure, you still can. Let your management know you are interested in learning more about other parts of the organization and that you are open to a lateral transfer or a secondment to another part of the organization. Today, as you can work virtually, you do not have to move physically. I physically relocated six times in twelve years with Ontario Hydro.
How to Get Work Done
Work has evolved positively from where you go to what you do. Organizations rarely expect people to sit at their desks from nine to five. A lattice organization offers options for when, where, and how people do their work. Applying the lattice approach to work increases productivity and retention. At the same time, the organization will increase strategic flexibility in its business operations.
How to Foster Participation
“New and stirring things are belittled because if they are not belittled the humiliating question arises ‘Why then are you not taking part in them?” ― H.G. Wells
Organization need to move from top-down to all-in approaches. A lattice organization nurtures transparent cultures, providing multiple ways for people to share ideas, learn, and work together. Working and managing in this supportive environment is significantly better than the traditional directed, top-down communications.
These lattice organizations offer ways for team members to tap into the power of an inclusive workplace to drive innovation, growth, and agility.
Take Control — Influence
"Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing." — Albert Schweitzer
You need to take more active control of your career. In his 2015 TEDx Talk, Dr. Bruce Jackson provides an overview of to “Attentional Leadership Theory.” The underlying theme is that leadership is about influencing people within context. It requires that you place attention and resources to change systems and processes — when, where, and at the time needed. Leading and influencing at any level (personal, interpersonal, team, organizational, community) is about the placement of your attention.
Moreover, Attentional Leadership Theory is a not just a competency-based approach, but a “just-in-time” use of competencies as demanded moment by moment. The inherent belief is that everyone can improve these skills. Think of the approach moving from a wide-beam flashlight to a laser.
Here are strategies you can follow to navigate the new terrain successfully. We offer a personal development plan service. We help you leverage your strengths and your full talent stack to help you achieve career success and satisfaction.
Make Yourself Aware of The Possibilities
Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. — Confucius
Many preferred the traditional linear career path. It was the “path of least resistance.” I will stay at my job until I get promoted. It did not take much research. While everyone did not achieve the end goal of a promotion, it was evident what it was.
In the new workplace reality, you must investigate and vet possible opportunities. You also need to let others know you are open to new possibilities. It may be easy within a small company. However, in large global enterprises, effectively tapping into information becomes essential.
Without proactive research and conversations with leaders, it is not possible to be aware of the possibilities. One may align with your broad aspirations or be a stepping stone. Cultivating an extensive network, both inside and outside your company provides you with visibility into areas of the business. Otherwise, these areas may be opaque to you. This activity is essential.
Seek Help
Having a deep understanding of your behavioural strengths and challenges is beneficial in many ways. When you understand the standard set of behavioural traits that a high-performers in given the role share and your behavioural DNA, you are in a much better position to enhance your talent stack to be a success.
You see people being successful in target roles with diverse education, experience and backgrounds. We can provide you with this precious information. You will become laser-focused on your development needs. Your personal development is efficient and productive.
Most employers recognize and appreciate the value of an engaged employee who is raising their hand and asking for support. With a personal development plan, you can go to HR with suggestions about professional development programs or conferences you would like to attend, courses you want to take, or functional areas of the business you want to understand better. HR will often be extremely receptive. You are modelling the ideal, proactive behaviour that today’s talent leaders seek to cultivate.
Do not Wait to Hear About Open Positions
Instead, identify your ideal opportunities. When you respond to job postings, you will be competing with scores of other better-qualified candidates. Rather than waiting for assignments, be proactive and connect with high-profile executives you admired. You can explain why you wanted to join their team should an opportunity occur. You will make a more substantial impact if you meet with the executive in person. However, writing a personal letter is also a good alternative. Your targeted approach will set you apart.
Shifting roles inside your company may feel as dramatic as a career change. You will learn new things, build your talent stack, and broaden your network. Many organizations have parochial views about the transferability of skills and experience. With a deep understanding of the talent stack required for success, you can change this paradigm and create these opportunities for yourself.
Effective career planning requires you to be laser-focused on targeting the opportunities that appeal to you most. You need to develop a strategy to connect with, befriend, and court those connections. Armed with a thoughtful explanation of why you want to shift roles and what you have to offer — may be warmly welcomed.
Cultivate Influential Allies
Having a mentor board of directors is useful. These advisors can help as you weigh possibilities. Having a sponsor, a leader who is willing to exert political capital on your behalf, is even better. However, once you have landed these key allies, your job is not finished. As you change roles in your career, keep your mentors and sponsors informed about your progress. To be in the best position to help you, they need to aware of the new skills you have developed and your current aspirations.
An understanding of your current skillset allows your advisors to better advocate for you and steer the right opportunities your way. Otherwise, they are likely to retain their initial impression of you.
Final Thoughts
It may feel disconcerting if your company has not crafted a linear career progression for you. However, it is a significant opportunity for you to take control. You can build a career that is uniquely tailored to your strengths, needs, and interests. It starts with a career assessment and then your development plan. Following these steps will help you proactively shape your professional future.
Insights About Your Behavioural DNA To Advance Your Career
We are incredibly passionate about Behavioral DNA and the impact this scientific insight can have on you. Using SuccessFinder, you can discover your behavioural strengths and challenges.
In a given role, the high-performers have a common subset of behaviours. Our talent analytics compares your talent stack — behavioural traits and competencies — with high performers. We show you how to leverage your unique talents to achieve career satisfaction and success.
Focus on your strengths and manage your challenges. You complete the assessment online, we then provide you report and personal feedback via video call. We offer the service worldwide. We’d love to hear from you!