Feeling stagnant in your career ??

This week's article originates from an interesting coaching session I had with one of my clients

She is a senior leader in the technology domain - well known and respected within her organization??

She has been on a fast track throughout her career

However, for the last one year, she has been feeling restless with her current role

She felt that she can do so much more, but her current role did not allow her the right opportunities

Her exact words were?“I feel like I am playing second fiddle”

“I need a bigger role, a bigger seat at the table”?she continued

While she spoke, I could sense her frustration during that session

She was already exploring some other roles within her organization

Infact, she was also thinking about changing companies, if needed

Look….

This is not uncommon with senior leaders and experienced professionals

You have had a very successful career, fast promotions, rapid growth all along

And then suddenly….

..You hit the brakes

..Your growth stalls

..You feel stagnation

And you start getting restless and frustrated

Rings a bell ??

Well, let’s get some more perspective into such situation

First things first....

Career growth is NOT a straight line

You will have plateaus, ups and downs in your career

That’s a FACT. Period

New roles and responsibilities, new manager, new culture, personal life situations – all of these can change your career trajectory

And not just that….

The pyramid gets narrower and narrower as you climb up the corporate ladder

The higher you rise, the more competitive it becomes, right ?

Second....

It’s easy to fall into a trap of blaming the external world for your situation

It’s easy to feel like a victim in such cases

As if everyone was working against you, the world was conspiring to pull you down

Clearly, that is NOT the case

Instead of finding someone to blame, it’s important to pause and reflect

Less from a point of view of?“Why it is happening with you”, but more from a view of?“What can I do about it”

Thirdly, and this is probably the most important aspect....

Whether you search for another role within or outside your organization, that will take its own time

But how you manage the current situation and your energy levels is very important

Because if the level of frustration continues, it will start impacting your performance

It will impact your confidence and morale

It will reflect in how you show up as a leader

It will start impacting your team’s performance as well

At some point, it will start creating self-doubt,?where you might question your own abilities and self-worth

All these will create more stress and anxiety

And soon, it will impact areas outside your work – family, relationships and so on

Final point….

Sometimes, it is not about finding the right opportunities

It’s about CREATING the right opportunities

It’s about finding how you can bring the spark back, how can your rediscover your edge

..Are there things outside your role which are of interest to you ?

..A cross-functional project, speaking opportunities, training and knowledge sharing maybe?

..How can you create more impact, especially outside your immediate area of influence ?

Look….

Whether you are the CEO of a company or a mid-level manager, it doesn't really matter -?all of us go through such phases in our careers

Yes, there is some influence of external environment as well, but largely,?how long this phase will last will depend a lot on how you deal with it

..Are you ready to face it head-on and take charge ?

..Do you get into a zone of inaction, hoping that it will improve on its own ?

..Do you start playing the victim card and start blaming others for your situation ?

How do you respond ? Think about it?

And as you think, here are some questions to reflect upon :

1) Are you feeling a sense of restlessness or frustration in your current role ?

2) What is the cause of this feeling ? What is the real cause ?

3) How long has this been happening ?

4) How is it impacting you ?

5) How long do you want this to continue ??This is a really important question to reflect upon, as it will lead to the next question

6) What action can you take to improve the situation ?

I would be interested to know about your thoughts, so keep writing

Till then

Stay safe and stay healthy

Have a great weekend !

Harsh

www.harshjohari.com ???

P.S.?

1) For all those who have recently joined this community, my previous newsletters are available here (My Blog ). I strongly encourage you to take some time out to read some of the articles and engage in the reflection at the end of each article. It will be like a a self-paced coaching exercise for you

2) PLUS, whenever you are ready to take the next step for your personal and professional growth, you can book a short exploratory call here (Book Your Call )