What do you do if your career goals and aspirations in HR aren't being understood by your managers?

While Jack Welch said this many years ago "Control your destiny or someone else will". In today's BANI-Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, Incomprehensible world the relevance is more than ever. Another of my fav. is "if you don't plan for yourself you will fall into some else plan" & falling into someone's else plan has never been my idea of growth. So, the first step is to communicate your GOALS to yourself, using the gold standard in decision making and problem solving model GROW - Your GOAL, what you wish to achieve, Your REALITY - Your Current situation. Your OPTIONS - alternatives internally or externally, if you are able to this with brutal honesty the WAY FORWARD automatically guides you to the next steps.

If your career goals and aspirations in HR aren't understood by your managers, initiate a candid conversation to articulate your ambitions and discuss how they align with the organization's objectives. Provide concrete examples of how pursuing your goals can contribute to the team's success and the company's growth. Seek their guidance and support in developing a plan to achieve your career aspirations within the organization. Remain open to feedback and be proactive in seeking opportunities to demonstrate your skills and dedication to your HR career path. Consider seeking mentorship from other HR professionals or networking with colleagues who share similar career aspirations for additional support and guidance.

If there is such a problem, I can say from experience that the communication channels were not properly established and the ideas were not clear. In order to eliminate the problem, the goals should be clear and there should be regular communication with the manager.

This is tough and requires a significant amount of forethought in order to ensure a desirable outcome. Communicating your interest in HR (or whatever field) is clearly the first step. Make sure that HR is the direction that you want your career to in. You may want to consider pursuing a host of informal interviews with individuals that work in HR first to make sure that HR is the direction you really want to go in. Once done, network, network, network-find those employees in the company that can help you- start with those that already work in HR. Als0- show that you are serious about HR by pursuing a degree or certification in the field and use it as leverage to help you land your dream job in the distant future.

I believe it is important to understand your manager's perspective on your career goals in HR, or elsewhere for that matter, to ensure alignment and support. Different managers may react differently, with some feeling threatened and potentially impeding your progress due to their being self-centered, while others may be more supportive. It's essential to gauge your manager's mindset early on to navigate effectively. Communication and transparency about your aspirations can often help bridge any gaps and foster a supportive working relationship.

NO ONE will care about your development more than you. You'll have to own your growth, and find challenges that improve you. Unfortunately, this comes mostly from others in your external HR communities rather than your company.

You are replaceable is what I was told when I shared my desire to progress my career in HR so no matter where you are in your career if an opportunity arises step outside and take new pathways you never know what it might lead to. ??

A career change can only happen if you have the skills and knowledge or experience to do so. Stepping outside your standard work experience can help your career journey to expand your skills and knowledge but choose starting at the bottom carefully you may not enjoy it especially if you have been at the top