A New Cartography for Career Development

I am in the process of recruiting a front-line supervisor. While speaking to a candidate, I stumbled upon a thought-provoking realization. Many people choose to pursue management because it seems to be the only available next step. It's akin to finding a traveler at a crossroads in a forest, confused and pondering over which path to take. Everyone they know is encouraging them to take one branch in the path, the path of management, but for some reason that doesn't quite fit. How many of us, eager to advance, opt for the management trail simply because it seems like "the next step"?

It's the well-trodden path of increasing management responsibilities, where top performers are rewarded with challenges that may or may not rely on the path traveled thus far. When there's only one path to follow travel, the Peter Principle guides the way. Eventually the traveler finds themselves lost and wandering, promoted to their level of incompetence, searching for a way back to familiar ground.

Now, imagine the forest adapting, sprouting a secondary path for those wanderers who don't yearn for management's responsibilities. Instead it forges a path of expertise. Isn't this a way to retain the wizards of the technical realm? Many organizations have begun building this second path for individual contributors. They are heralded for catering to those top performers with enough sense to know they don't want to lead people.

But, alas, what about those who are neither managerial nor technical? They're left to wander aimlessly. Or worse, give up completely.

Here's where the forest's magic unfolds a second time. Picture a "choose your own adventure" path, where each traveler crafts their unique trail. Employees select from a menu of options that best fit their personality and desire. Doesn't it sound liberating at first? Yet, who guides these intrepid explorers? Who ensures they discover the hidden opportunities? The complexity of managing this matrix of competencies turns into a riddle wrapped in a mystery.

Now, consider a world where these paths are not arbitrary, but built on three solid foundations: managerial, technical, and customer-centric. Can you feel the sense of direction it gives to each wanderer? The managerial path for those whose hearts beat for coaching others. The technical trail for the curious minds diving into the depths of knowledge and process improvement. And the customer track, for those thrilled by the dynamics of customer interaction.

But the world of work is made of urban jungles, not magical glens. In the real world, call centers and concrete replace magic and mystery. The three-path journey might look unique to each industry. The management path in a call center might begin with a lead or training role. The technical track venturing into areas like WFM and process improvement. And a customer advocate route that thrives on handling complex interactions and first-level escalations.

This three-path forest offers a new cartography for organizations, does it not? What do you think? Is it time to lace up our boots blaze and blaze new trails in career development?