What do you do if your career goals and aspirations clash with your boss's vision for business innovation?

Conduct a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis to assess how your career goals align with the organization's strategic direction. Consider factors such as your passion for certain aspects of your work, the company's market positioning, and the potential for personal growth within the organization. Evaluate whether any misalignment is temporary due to specific circumstances or if it reflects deeper philosophical or strategic differences.

If your career goals clash with your boss's vision for business innovation, it's essential to communicate openly and respectfully. Start by understanding your boss's perspective and the reasons behind their vision. Then, articulate your career goals and aspirations, explaining how they align with the organization's objectives. Seek opportunities for compromise or find common ground where both your aspirations and the business's needs can be met. If necessary, consider discussing potential adjustments to your role or responsibilities that could better align with your career goals while still contributing to the business's vision for innovation.

A crucial question to first answer is: how mobile is my industry? Can I find another job without much difficulty? If so, I say follow your ambition and focus by looking for an opportunity more in line. I spent a year at a very successful company trying to build momentum for a product I was hired to launch. It was a frustrating experience in which I felt my boss and I were often not on the same page. Shortly after leaving they determined the product was actually off-strategy, and cancelled it entirely. It was the right decision by them, in my mind, and helped me understand why it was the right move for me to leave.

Prepare for the conversation with your boss by gathering relevant information about the company's goals, recent innovations, and market trends. Approach the discussion with a mindset of curiosity and empathy, seeking to understand your boss's perspective without judgment. Use active listening techniques to ensure that you fully grasp their concerns and priorities before articulating your own aspirations. Be prepared to provide concrete examples or proposals that illustrate how your goals can contribute to the organization's success.

Brainstorm creative solutions that could reconcile your career goals with the organization's innovation agenda. Consider proposing cross-functional projects or partnerships that leverage your skills and interests while advancing the company's strategic objectives. Explore flexible work arrangements or job rotations that could provide opportunities for you to explore new areas of interest within the organization. Keep an open mind and be willing to consider alternative paths that may not have been apparent initially.

The most valuable assets in a career are one's mentors and network. So: while working for a boss with whom you aren't aligned may expand understanding and teach patience, if the misalignment persists the relationship is neither mentoring nor building network. It's time to find a new boss. I've only worked at a few very large (Fortune 50) companies which provided opportunities to change bosses, roles, and geographies. Moving (especially geographies) allowed me to move up quickly, kept my learning curve steep and rich, and gave me the good fortune of a rapidly expanding network.

I've really enjoyed most of my jobs. A key element of maintaining that enjoyment is monitoring my happiness in various companies and roles. After many years feeling restless, I tried working for myself by co-founding a small company. After determining I'd picked the wrong partner, I went back to being an employee but prioritized picking the boss over picking the role. After deciding I loved working for a socially-conscious company but didn't like the role, I prioritized picking a new socially-conscious company over the role. Now that I consult to nonprofits I pick the client over the project or the nature of the work I do. In short: I keep checking in on what matters most to me, and then reevaluate priorities before making another move.