Overcoming Workplace Barriers
Felipe Silva Azevedo
Automation of Banknote Processing Machines | Healthcare Automation | Healthcare Automation Advisor Systems | Technical Specialist | Workflow Plan | Automation Project | CAD | 3D Printer
If you are like most employees, you would like to know that your work matters – that it’s more than just showing up for a paycheck. For other, they want an opportunity to create a bigger impact in leadership or management positions.
Whatever your motives, career development skills can make whatever you do more interesting. Instead of repeating the same routines day after day, you can learn skills that will make your job easier, more worthwhile, increase your value to the organization, and if desired-make you more promotable.
Globalization has made job security tenuous. To become the kind of employee your company fights to keep, become a more vital part of its success through your own career development. Before this can happen though, it’s important to eliminate, reduce, or work around internal and external barriers to your career success.
The past has great deal of influence on how we perceive ourselves in the present, but it’s not reliable indicator of future success. Fortunes have been won and lost; employee productivity comes and goes. What affects how you perform today, is greatly affected by how you manage both internal and external barriers now. When you begin to control them, you can manage the course of your career.
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Internal Barriers:? Self-Limiting Beliefs
Internal barriers to career success are any psychological self-limiting beliefs that inhibit productive, constructive job behavior. It’s what happens by our own doing, manufactured not only by our self-image, but also by what we think others expect or don’t expect of us.
Fears
Frears can be so large that they are disguised as excuses. “I never wanted to be a manager anyway. I didn’t really want that kind of work. “Is it fear of failing, success, risk-taking, or being rejected that’s keeping you from making a larger contribution? The following slides show de forms of deep-seated fears that are careers-stallers. Which ones are affecting you?
Holding Back
Do you hold back? This means hiding ambition, waiting to be asked, or expecting those in power to notice your talents and grow your career for you. The real world won’t likely beat a path to your door. Don’t blame others for your laziness. Know what you want and go for it!
?Reluctant to Discuss Achievements
Are you reluctant to discuss your achievements or abilities in a business setting with those who need to know about them? This doesn’t mean flagrant bragging, but to casually mention your skills when appropriate such as, In my experience as a project leader of 12 departments…and then continue with your ideas.
?Avoid Attention
Do you avoid attention or taking any action that will increase your visibility within an organization? If so, start volunteering for projects to increase your impact. If you want to be noticed, speak up!
?Lack of business Skills
Some people lack business skills such as accounting, problem solving, decision-making, or technical expertise. If you are of them, take the initiative to round out skill deficiencies in your career goals. Take classes, read books, or ask for training.
?Avoiding Politics
Some employees avoid office politics. While it can be a stressful topic, knowing what’s going on gives you power to negotiate the darker side of career planning. Don’t create office politics but know what’s political.
Lack of Organizational Curiosity
Do you lack organizational curiosity about where you work? Get to know the chain of command and your career options.
Excessive Capitulation
Do you excessively give in to the wishes and whins of others when they attempt to dominate the situation? If so, work on your assertiveness skills to hold your ground and speak up when appropriate.
External Barriers to Career Success
There are also external barriers affecting your career path as well. These are influences or events over which you may have no direct control, but you can still choose how you respond to road blocks.
Breaking the Glass Ceiling Part 1
The glass ceiling is an intangible barrier within the hierarchy of an organization that prevents women or minorities from obtaining upper-level positions. To break the glass ceiling, first know your rights.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has laws that prohibit this form of discrimination. Title VII protects individuals against employment discrimination on the basis of sex as well as race, color, national origin and religion.
Breaking the Glass Ceiling Part 2
What can you personally do? You might find a career mentor, network, ask for work flexibility, take a non-traditional job role, get involved in high-visibility projects to be seen and heard, be a professional, dress the part, do your work exceptionally well, or become the president of your professional association to develop leadership skills.
Status Leveling
Many organizations have increased employee involvement in critical work decisions by decentralizing authority and flattening management hierarchy called “status leveling.” This means fewer traditional management roles are available. If you lack advancement potential, increase your worth with exemplary performance at the individual level.
Political Games
Office politics and games can be fatal to one’s career development. There are so many ways to sabotage one’s efforts through softball and hardball games that these are treated separately on the next slides.?
Tactics for Office Politics or Games
Tactics for Softball Office Politics
Have you ever been the victim of office politics or game playing by your boss, rivals, or colleagues? If so, scroll below to learn how to foil the antics of even the most formidable players while preserving your integrity and position.
1. Subtle Exclusion
Subtle exclusion is the game directed by those in power over others, appearing to acknowledge one’s contributions but in reality, ignoring or barring those contributions.?
Sarah was excluded from important business functions critical to her work. She needs to determine if it’s an oversight, a test of her assertiveness, or a turf battle. She will stick to the facts and be professional with an unemotional matter-of-fact tone, stating why she believes it’s important for her to be included. If it’s a war, strengthen your support group.
2. Stealing Ideas
Stealing ideas. Harriet did the work—someone else took the credit—particularly annoying since it was her boss. Insecure people steal the ideas of others. Harriet needs to protect herself with emails to document her ideas. She may also cc others she feels are on a “need-to-know” basis.
3. Died on the Vine
Died on the Vine refers to the game played to ignore your program, project, or idea to death without making it look like sabotage.
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Steve’s boss didn’t want to appear to be the killer, so he just ignored it until it dried up on the vine. Deciding to bring it back to life depends on priorities and changing circumstances.
4. Divide and Conquer
Chris tried to play “Divide and Conquer” by creating mutual suspicion among members of an alliance to reduce the likelihood of them forming an alliance against his ineffectiveness as a boss. Diplomatic questioning of peers can uncover this game. Peer teamwork with solidarity can end it.
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Tactics for Hardball Office Politics
Now let’s take a look at some of the hardball games of office politics—more external barriers to career development. Sometimes these may played to intentionally oust you.
1. The Setup
Sally played “The Setup,” putting Tom into a position to fail or look bad. He wasn’t given the support he needed to succeed. When he blew it, Sally knew it would show up at review time to build a case against Tom. He needs to document his work contributions to create a defense against this offense.
2. Kicking It Up
Brad played “Kicking it Up,” a political game to get Eugene out of a meaningful job and into a menial one by awarding a promotion, a slick title, and a raise without real power or authority. Eugene needs to be fully informed about any new job offer before he takes it.?
3. The Bad Reference
Jacob played “The Bad Reference” game to get Tony to resign so that the he wouldn’t have to fire him. Tony was promised a favorable reference if he complied. If not, a negative one would be written. Since Tony had evidence of his contributions to the bottom line and a strong peer support network, he decided to call Jacob’s bluff.
4. Making Life Miserable
Emma played “Making life Miserable” when she wanted Olivia out but had no grounds on which to do so. She assigned Olivia a bad territory and special projects requiring long hours but paying less commission. Olivia needs to decide if the battle is important enough to fight
5. Abolishing the Job
Ava played “Abolishing the Job,” an underhanded way to get rid of Ethan without firing him. Ava eliminated his job position and then “reluctantly” let Ethan go since there’s was no job to do. But Ethan had created peer advocates and networked within his organization which opened up new opportunities.
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