Now that you are a part of our community you will hear me refer to what is traditionally called “career development” as “managing your career”.

I am happy to admit I adopted this from a great book I read by Donald Asher you will see below about how to get promoted.

Over the years I have found that the phrase career development can be confusing as it means something different for various people. 

If you think about it, managing your career (MYC) makes perfect sense. Whether you realize it or not, you are either managing it at a standstill or managing it with actions that will help you grow and move forward.

A little bit of stagnation is okay for a short period of time.  It happens to all of us.

Believe it or not, the average person is stagnant. But when asked how they feel about their career, they are not satisfied.

Let’s explore why.

There is a myriad of reasons – I will share the reasons I have observed as a mentor and coach for many people.

• Fear of failure (or success)
• Lack of clarity or vision
• Hanging out in the comfort zone
• Overwhelmed and analysis paralysis
• Lack of accountability or support

Let me elaborate –

Fear of failure (or success) –

Are you afraid of making the wrong move?

Afraid of changing jobs, taking on new tasks or moving into a leadership role being exposed to risk?

Could you be afraid of success?  Sound crazy, but it happens. With success comes pressure, visibility, expectations, etc.

Lack of clarity or vision –

You may not know where to start, what options you have, etc.

Lack of a roadmap can lead to no action at all.

Being too comfortable –

You may equate comfort with satisfaction

Do you feel secure with what is familiar to you right now

Is it easy to rationalize staying put?

Overwhelmed and analysis paralysis –

Do you get overwhelmed by all the options?

Skills, timing, networking or state of the job market can all be factors.

Are you waiting for the perfect conditions?

Lack of accountability or support –

Do you have someone to challenge and/or encourage you?

Do you know how to find that someone?  Where do you start?

Do you struggle with setting goals?

Next thing you know, weeks or months have passed with no action.

No matter the reason, if you want more money, challenges, responsibilities you will need to take action.

The good thing is you are not alone.  I am here to help.

How can I help? So glad you asked.

I have a series of videos and blogs on how to manage your career so stay tuned…