When Results Don’t Speak For Themselves – Career Progression Requires More!

So, you are great at your job.

You get results, hit the targets, meet your objectives.

Your reviews are positive, the powers that be love you and often praise your contribution to the bottom line.

You are reliable, hardworking, talented and you get the job done.

Your organisation probably sees you as a top performer, their golden goose, a highly valued resource.

So, how come you can’t achieve that next step in your career?

Maybe you are looking to progress to a senior management role? Maybe you are already there but now you have your eyes on a board position?

That progression is probably really important to you. It’s what you are used to; you’ve had a successful career to date, characterised by promotions and remuneration increases. You like that success; it boosts your self-belief.

How can you make it happen?

It can be enormously frustrating when you are fabulous at what you do but still cannot achieve your career aspirations.

How do you rationalise this? What excuses do you tell yourself?

Do you blame the people above you? Are they biased against you in some way or maybe you feel that they just don’t like you? Could it be that they are threatened by you? Or merely incompetent?

Do you feel that playing politics is inauthentic and unnecessary? (Maybe you have little in common with those who matter and so it wouldn’t work anyway?)

Do you believe fundamentally that your hard work and the results you deliver should be enough? That they should be rewarded?

Are you starting to look around for opportunities with different organisations or worse, are you starting to wonder if you are really as good as you thought you were?

Driven and ambitious high achievers often reach this position at some point in their careers. Indeed, many flounder and there is some evidence that up to 97% of such people do not progress any further!

So, what’s the answer?

Well, it’s not rocket science but it can feel a little uncomfortable.

The simple facts are that senior resources do not JUST deliver. Instead, they are generals, they are personal brand aficionados and they are people addicts.

As generals, they are brave, confident and decisive leaders who challenge, enable and encourage. They are ambassadors for the business commanding respect and gravitas. They serve the business and its people, encouraging empathy, collaboration, innovation and so on. They prioritise the business’ interests over their own and they are open and accountable.

These people understand how they land with others (what their personal brand is) and they know which parts to dial-up and dial down depending on the audience. They are experts in self-advocacy and know exactly how to display the goods in the shop window.

Of course, they are also people addicts. They have high emotional intelligence and excellent soft skills. They use these to manage their stakeholders, achieve influence and impact and become political ninjas.

Conversely, results focused high achievers are often so focused on results that they neglect to spend enough time developing this triad of essential skills.

So, when you think about how you can achieve your career goals, is it time to turn the spotlight on yourself? Have you really spent enough time curating these key skills?

Here’s how it might feel if you decide to grow in these areas: You will no doubt become the “natural choice” for that promotion. You will achieve the success you seek and the boost to your self-worth that you crave. That existing sense of friction which you struggle to define will vanish. You will regain control of your career trajectory as you develop skills and techniques which will not only propel you to the next level but equip you for sustainable future success and progression.

All of that is within your control.

Growing in these areas takes understanding, commitment and time. You have to figure out where you have gaps and how to plug them. Then you have to dedicate yourself to practicing your new abilities endlessly.

Executive coaching can help you understand where you are today and define where you need to be to achieve your goals. It can then help you develop the skills you need and hold you accountable for employing those skills every day. Ultimately, coaching can put you in the position to become that “natural choice”.

If you are ready to do the work; let’s talk.

Amanda Gardiner is a Leadership Coach with Coach Execs Ltd. Her passion is to help ambitious, driven, high achievers to identify and develop the skills they need to become impactful and eminent leaders, benefiting themselves and the organisations they work within.

amanda@coachexecs.co.uk

www.coachexecs.co.uk