Now that you’ve got that 80’s “classic” by Yazz stuck in your head, let’s talk about career direction!

Traditionally, progressing in your work life is perceived as “moving up” – as your career develops, success often means moving into management. 

However, not everyone is born to be a manager or a leader, regardless of how skilled or knowledgeable they are in their chosen field. 

Most of us have experienced a work situation where the person managing or leading a team is incredibly knowledgeable, and for this reason has been promoted into a position of leadership; however, they lack the skills or, potentially the temperament, to lead effectively. 

Leading a team well requires a person not only to be provided with the appropriate training and skills, but also to have a particular personality type. Someone extremely passive in nature, with all the training in the world, is likely to find leading a team challenging. Similarly, an overly assertive person may also struggle to keep a team on board depending on the team dynamics.

Another challenge is that as people progress “upwards” in an organisation the positions available become increasingly limited. Therefore, those who do not move “upwards” may feel less valued, or that they need to change employers to successfully progress their career.

So, what is the answer for those whom the idea of leadership fills them with horror? Or for those who perhaps are not an appropriate fit as a leader but whose skills and knowledge are of great value? 

We need to change our thinking and support horizontal career growth and have this held in equal esteem as moving vertically. 

Employees should be provided with opportunities to learn, to diversify into different areas of the business, to be a leader in terms of the knowledge and skills they can share, to be seen as an “expert” in their skill area, and they need to be compensated accordingly for their expertise, without this being intrinsically tied to also having to manage others. 

Moving sideways can give employees a much greater overview of your business which in itself can be incredibly valuable. Of course, again, they need to be recognised for this value they are bringing. 

Continually growing and learning and being empowered to share knowledge with others potentially allows employees to experience greater self-development, build self-esteem and ultimately have a sense of fulfilment in their work life.

At EASI NZ we support businesses to develop a staffing strategy that accommodates vertical, horizontal, and innovative career growth while still achieving your business goals. Our recruitment services help identify staff who are the right “fit” for your organisation and the role – in values, skillset and dispositions. Internal mobility should be supported by regular review processes which allow employees to share their aspirations and goals, as well as challenges. Offering individualised career development options often boosts employee performance, leading to better business results. Developing amazing people who are dedicated and loyal to their organisation creates amazing businesses.