Feel Like Your Career Has Reached a Plateau? Maybe You Need to Disrupt Yourself
Author: Nicky J. Davies |
0
Categories: Career Reset
Life is a series of learning curves building on each other, and our careers are no different. Being at the beginning of a new learning curve can be exciting as well as a little daunting. Progress seems to be slow at first but then there is a moment when things click into place and suddenly your growth speeds up dramatically. You may be rapidly promoted at this point and start a new learning curve, but once you near the top of the curve, things become more habitual, more boring, and we can become complacent. This is the moment in time when what you do brilliantly well can be done just as effectively by many of your peers, and dare I say it, maybe more swiftly and affordably by those rapidly progressing behind you.
The traditional path of working many years in the same company or industry, heading for the C-suite still exists but it’s not for everyone. And if you feel like your career has reached a plateau, things have even become a little boring, then it sounds like you are ready for a new challenge and maybe do things a little differently – disrupt yourself.
Whitney Johnson suggests that there are four principles of self-disruption:
1. Target a need that can be met more effectively
Think of Netflix and how its initial niche was people who found going to Blockbuster to rent a film inconvenient. They would have to go there twice, once to find the film they wanted to watch and rent, and the second time to return it. Netflix initially had a door to door DVD rental system and now thanks to technological innovations, its services are provided through the internet and downloads. Blockbuster with all its stores and operating costs were outmanoeuvred and went out of business.
So, in the same way that businesses look for needs that aren’t being met well in existing markets as well as new markets, look for where you can meet a need more effectively.
In one of my jobs working in the National Health Service in the UK, a small group of us identified that a number of doctors and surgeons really struggled to communicate ‘bad news’ to patients. Following through on this, I ended up as an external consultant training trainee doctors in communication skills and writing curriculum materials that were incorporated into their training.
2. Identify your disruptive strengths
It’s not enough to just think about what you do well, think about what you do well that most others can’t. Get into the detail of what specifically it is for you by asking questions and listening to feedback from others you admire. When working as a consultant to my corporate clients, they would often comment that I can quickly get to the heart of a problem and take them to depths that they hadn’t anticipated, resulting in real clarity on next steps. That ability is probably what makes me an effective coach too.
What would it be for you?
3. Step back (or sideways) in order to grow
Your well-being depends on learning and advancement. People who rise to a certain level in their careers may allow themselves to plateau as personal growth stalls at the top of the learning curve. Avoid this by jumping to a new role, industry or type of organisation and put yourself on an entirely different growth trajectory. This may mean a sideways move or even a step back to learn and develop new skills before rapid growth and promotion.
People may think you are a little crazy – and that is probably a good sign that you are on the right path for you!
I can remember when I handed in my notice to leave and setup my own business. Fortunately, I had a supportive manager who ‘got it’ but many of my colleagues thought I was crazy leaving the ‘safe and secure’ job and opportunities for promotion, for something that looked much riskier.
4. Let your strategy emerge
70% of all successful new businesses end up with a strategy different from the one they initially pursued.
Steve Jobs once talked about how it’s only when you look back that you can see how the dots join up and make sense.
Disruption is about not following traditional paths so you often can’t see the end from where you start. This is where an eye for opportunities and the courage to follow through is important.
Where I started with my business was helping organisations who needed to or were going through big changes. That was 2004. Now my business is much more focused on equipping managers to be great business leaders. Of course these two are linked, but I didn’t think this is where I would end up, and who knows what it will look like in another 15 years.
Holding steady rarely means staying where you are. It often means you are losing ground and falling behind. Life is constantly moving forward and the opportunities are there for greater reward and personal growth. Choose to do things differently – disrupt yourself and see where it takes you.
Life is meant to be an adventure - really live it!