Why Asking Your Boss For Career Advice is a Mistake

One of the major mistakes I made in my professional journey was relying excessively on my manager's view and opinions of me in shaping my career path.

For the longest time,?I used to believe it was my manager's responsibility to help me determine my career path and help me to achieve my goals. Too often, I trusted my manager's judgement in assessing my skills and talents, putting their opinions of my capabilities at the forefront of my plans. I naively thought they knew best and assumed they had my best interests at heart -- even when I had doubted their opinions and guidance. It was a mistake that held me back.?

Treating your manager as a career coach is a mistake I see repeated by so many professionals. It will ultimately hold you back from trusting your own decisions.

Your manager plays a key role in your daily work life. They watch how you do your work, guide your performance, and make decisions affecting your career trajectory within your organisation. Of course, you should pay attention to what your boss says about your work. But beyond that, it's worth remembering that their advice will always be biased toward what is best for themselves or the company. Finding a boss who will help your career with complete independence of thought or motive is extremely rare.?

Your professional growth and career path is primarily driven by your personal aspirations and goals, which may not always align with your manager's objectives. For example, your ambitions to advance or explore opportunities in other departments could negatively impact your manager because they will need time and resources to recruit and train someone else to replace you.

So, while good managers can play a pivotal role in your career, it's critical to understand that they do not have the independence of a coach to give you the best advice for your career.?

The Role of a Manager

In most organisations, a manager's primary responsibility is to ensure the smooth running of their team or department. They coordinate tasks, make strategic decisions, and set expectations for their team. They also offer positive and constructive feedback to help you enhance your skills and improve your performance.?

However, this doesn't extend to individual career coaching. While a good manager can, and often does, help shape your professional growth, their focus is on broader team dynamics, organisational goals, and overall productivity.?

A manager's role resembles a team coach, who ensures everyone is in the proper position, playing their part effectively and working towards the team's overall success. A career coach is comparable to a personal trainer, as they are dedicated to your personal development, career goals, and long-term achievements without the inherent bias of being part of the same organisation.?

Why a Manager Isn't a Career Coach

Career coaching is a specialised discipline that involves helping professionals like you understand their strengths, interests, and ambitions and aligning these with their career paths. This goes beyond the manager's scope, as it requires an in-depth exploration of personal aptitudes and passions that may be outside the immediate team's objectives.

Recognising that your manager isn't your career coach doesn't mean neglecting their insights or completely disregarding their guidance. Instead, it's about understanding the boundaries of their role and proactively taking control of your own career development.

Your manager can support you and offer feedback on your performance and skills, but they are not career coaches. Many managers find it challenging to take on this additional role because it is outside their area of expertise. And, let's remember your manager is human -- they also have their own career concerns.

Taking Charge of Your Career

If you want to make progress in your career, seek a professional coach who can help identify your career goals and plan the path to achieve them. Coaches provide objective advice and strategies to help you reach your goals without the organisational conflicts constraining your manager.?

As an executive coach and career strategist, I help experienced professionals cultivate self-leadership skills and build self-awareness and confidence. These qualities are essential for establishing trust in your professional growth choices and enabling you to make well-informed decisions about your career path.?

If you're not experiencing the career progression you deserve, it's time to stop letting your manager control your career path and make your own choices.?

Always remember, it's your career, and you can choose a path that aligns with your purpose, goals and vision.?Send me a direct message to get started.