| |
| |
|
Management Information |
|
|
|
5 Ideas To Leverage The 3 Stages Of Career Development In Your Organization
In most industrialized nations, the average age a student graduates from high school is 18 years old and the average retirement age is 65 years old - a difference of 47 years. On average, most people work 40 to 50 years of their lives. It is well established that during these 40 to 50 years of employment workers undergo at least three distinct phases in their career development: 1. The "Bring It On" Stage 2. The "Realistic" Stage 3. The "Reinvention" Stage The Bring It On Stage ranges from the mid-20's to the early-to-mid-30's. It is during this first stage of career development that workers are determined to make their mark in the world or work. It is also the time when they have the most energy and the strongest drive to achieve their goals. Most people in this stage believe strongly that they can make what they want happen - possibilities and success seem unlimited. The Realistic Stage ranges from the early-30's to mid-40's. It is in this stage that specific values and career realities begin to emerge. At this point of their career development, many people feel the values clash between choosing priorities in their work lives and their home lives. Having been in the workforce for 10 to 15 years, they are discovering that they might not be able to do it all after all. They may feel that they are not necessarily the ones in total control of their own career destinies. The passion they felt in the Bring It On Stage has been tempered by workplace realities and truths such as lack of leadership support on their ideas, a more than likely mediocre work environment, and the reframing of their earlier passions and goals. The Reinvention Stage occurs from the mid-40's to retirement. This is when people are well on their way to totally redefining and reconciling their work and outside-of-work lives. They have learned from and have mastered many of the challenges they faced in the previous two stages and this is the time many choose to focus on creating a legacy of specific contributions they want to be remembered for in their careers, their families and their communities. This progression through the three stages of career development is natural and normal for most workers. Following are some ideas that employees, managers, and leaders of organizations can use to increase effectiveness, productivity, and satisfaction in the workplace: -- Realize that in today's and tomorrow's workplaces, these stages of career development are normal, natural, and will occur -- Understand that your organization, work group or team is made up of a combination of people who reside within each of the three various stages of career development -- Recognize that an individual's work-related and personal values, beliefs, and behaviors are in large part shaped in relation to which career development stage he or she is currently in -- Be aware and prepared that conflict is likely to occur among people who reside in different stages of career development. For example, an employee in her or his mid-20's may not understand or agree with the leadership approach or direction given by a manager in his or her early-50's -- Whenever possible, try to find ways to match people's values, beliefs, and behaviors to tasks and projects. For example, consider assigning people in the Bring It On Stage to tasks or projects that require a lot of energy; assigning people in the Realistic Stage to value-added initiatives where they can feel engaged and a part of something bigger; and Reinvention Stage people to legacy projects, such as a mentoring program, company history initiatives, or leadership development programs. Understanding that career development stages are natural, normal, and will occur can go a long way to keeping employees motivated. In addition, knowledge of the three stages can help managers and leaders prevent and resolve conflicts that may occur due to career development differences in values and perspectives. Dr. Dan Strakal has been an expert on the changing workplace, job transition, and career development for nearly 20 years. He acts as a trusted client advisor and consultant within the corporate sector, government agencies, civic organizations, small businesses, and educational institutions. He also provides business, executive and career consulting, coaching and workshops for individual clients and is the coauthor of and contributor to two books, Better Job Search in 3 Easy Steps and Better Job Skills in 3 Easy Steps. Dan is often called upon by the national and international media as an expert and has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Self Magazine, SmartMoney.com, Computerworld, Diversity Inc. Magazine, Chief Information Officer (Australia's Magazine for Information Executives), the Radio America Program: News You Can Use, KBS Radio Canada and many other media outlets. He is on the Board of Directors of the Career Planning and Adult Development Network and is a Platinum Member of the Career Masters Institute. More info at http://www.capable-consulting.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Directed Introspection One of the greatest obstacles to progress can often be our awareness of past failures. If we tried something a couple of years ago and fell flat on our faces (and especially if we were ridiculed or derided as a result) we tend to be reluctant to rock the boat again. Five Overlooked Ways To Hire Winners Here is a true story. My dentist did a "clinical" evaluation of my teeth. How To Rebuild Trust Here are some quick thoughts on ways to turn things around.Determine the real reasons why trust has diminished. Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: The Best Incentives are Free This article relates to the Recognition competency, commonly evaluated in employee satisfaction surveys. It tells the story of how the performance of one team was affected when the powerful motivator of daily praise and recognition disappeared. Problem-Solving Success Tip: Measure the Right Things. Measure the right things. It's not enough just to measure-you have to measure the right things. Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits, Challenges and Solutions Workplace diversity refers to the variety of differences between people in an organization. That sounds simple, but diversity encompasses race, gender, ethnic group, age, personality, cognitive style, tenure, organizational function, education, background and more. Preparation: Your Companys Best Defense in Case of Catastrophe You've hung out your shingle and are ready for business. But what if something unforeseen were to occur? Is your business truly ready for all that being in business entails? It only takes one catastrophic event to adversely impact a once thriving business. Dissenion Down On The Cubicle Farm How content and satisfied are American employees? Not very!According to Corinne Maier, a psychotherapist and author of "Bonjour Laziness," corporate cubicle inhabitants are anything but tranquil and joyous. These natives are truly restless. Do the People in Your Organisation Dress For Success? What really amazes me, with all the personal and professional development seminars people attend, from executives in corporate world, business owners and employees alike, very little investment has been made into the way they look .. How to get an Audiences Attention A trainer dryly discussing how to motivate people in an organization basically has just another "point-by-point" presentation. But suppose that he mounts the podium and begins to speak. 5 Tips For Creating Great Jobs 1) Create A Powerful "Mission Statement"-When your business mission is clear, every part of your business will improve, because you have a clear, definite major purpose. You will more easily attract people that believe in your mission. Re-Discovery Procedures for Building Effective Management Systems: Phase V Now we turn the corner to our final phase: Re-Discovery.Last year marked the 200th anniversary of the expedition of Lewis & Clark, and much has been written about their remarkable journey up the Missouri River and on to the Pacific. The Seven Cs: Partnership Danger Signs - Conflict Becoming the Norm - Part 2 A series of articles exploring the seven critical areas that can indicate a partnership is in trouble.Conflict Becoming the Norm - Part 2In a previous article, I wrote about how unresolved conflict can create havoc in your business and can often end in a failed partnership. Is Your Business A Dysfunctional Family? The other day I brought my mother into an appliance store to purchase a television. By the time we left with her new television, she was completely disgusted. Inventory Management 101 Inventory management may seem complicated to some, but if one truly thinks about what the words "inventory management" mean, it is a simple concept. Inventory is basically a list of goods and materials that are held by a business and are available in stock. How To Own A Business... Instead Of A Job Every business is run by someone who took on a risk with their time and money. So I believe that person should be rewarded. Organizational Structure, Creativity, Innovation Organizational structure can inhibit or foster creativity and innovation. The problem with organizational structure though, is that it is resultant of many factors, including history, organic growth, strategy, operational design, product diversity, logistics, marketing, client base, supplier base and so forth. Biometrics and "Return On Investment" At this time of tight budgets, the mantra of business is "Return On Investment!" With few exceptions, expenditures are measured against the bottom line. Outlays for capital expenses are strictly evaluated in terms of profitability and the total cost of ownership. How To Get 10% More Work Out Of Your Employees It is getting harder to run a business for a profit. We are faced with rising costs, lowered demand etc. The 5 Things Great Managers Sense about their People, Every Day Using all of your senses, to help you test how your people are feeling in your business, is a learned skill. Once you start to use it, your abilities to notice become refined and you have a background sensor working for you, day after day.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
