SNAKES AND LADDERS: What not to do when taking a sideways or downward career step

FIVE THINGS NOT TO DO WHEN TAKING A SIDEWAYS OR DOWNWARD STEP IN YOUR CAREER.
Margot Smith

Careers can sometimes be like Snakes & Ladders. You take on a high profile project and overachieve, and you climb up the ladder. Next thing, you realise you are becoming too technically specialised, and you decide to take a step down to get more experience in a broader range of management and leadership skills, and down the snake you go.

When people take a step down or sideways, even if it’s for very strategic reasons, the biggest success factor is attitude. As in Snakes & Ladders, different roles (both paid and voluntary) are steps towards your ultimate destination. This is never a straightforward path.

If you’re faced with a sideways or downward career step, my advice is to put you big girl (or boy) pants on and make the most of it. See it is an opportunity. After all, many other people would probably be grateful to have the role you’ve just secured.

LONDON CALLING

I moved to the UK at the start of the global financial crisis. I considered myself quite the catch from an employer’s perspective and thought it would take me days, not weeks or months to land a role in London. But it took me two months to secure a three-month contract position. I went from managing a team of 20 in Australia to flying solo in a project-based role. But I embraced it and, before long, I was offered another, meatier role.

It’s fair to say that I went to London to add global experience to my CV and also to enjoy living and working in Europe. During these two years, I travelled more than I have ever had the pleasure of doing before or after. I also met some lifelong friends.

So my priority was living life to the fullest, not just career development. But it took me several years to get back to the responsibility levels of my pre-London role.

FIVE TIPS

Informed by my experiences, and also those of friends and colleagues who have also taken a perceived sideways or downward career step, I can share the following tips.

  1. Don’t remind everyone repeatedly that this is a step down for you. Whether or not the decision to take this career move was your choice, be mindful of those around you. Reminding everyone around that you are “better than this” doesn’t reflect well on you. If you are humble and show colleagues what you can do, they will see how much value you can add.

2. Don’t treat the role as beneath you. Give the role 100% and approach it with a positive and proactive attitude. That is the best way to demonstrate that you can add more value. You have made a choice to take this role (whether or not the path that led you here was of your choosing), so do your best and overachieve, if that’s what you have the potential to do.

3. Don’t fail to respect the people around you in similar roles or circumstances. Be aware of those around you, and how your language and behaviour could be interpreted by them. If they are both fortunate and happy with their role and position within the organisation, your comments about this role being a step down (for you) is not particularly sensitive. So zip it, and get on with it.

4. Don’t ditch the role as soon as you can. I can think of too many circumstances where people have taken a role for the right reasons at a point in time, only to resign within a few weeks when something else comes up. Yes, you have your career to think about and you are only answerable to yourself, but think about the organisation you have made a commitment to. They have inducted you, spent time and resources to get you up to speed and, if you make a fast exit, you’re leaving them in the lurch. Think carefully about your reasons for taking the role in the first place. Are they still valid? If so, don’t jump ship for the sake of it. Consider if there is still growth in this role.

There are times when the role advertised doesn’t match the reality you find once inside (and probation exists for both parties). But if you made a choice to take this role and if it’s exactly what they advertised it to be – you should consider honouring that commitment for a reasonable period of time.

5. Don’t be smug when you move onto the next opportunity. Okay, so you’ve given the role a red hot go, and a new opportunity has opened up internally or externally. Everything is finally falling into place. Be gracious, be grateful for the opportunity and thank everyone who supported you in this role. Time for your next adventure!

 

Margot Smith is the General Manager Membership at IML.

CAREER DOCTOR: AN IML SPECIALIST TAKES A PROBLEM TO TASK.

BY PETER CULLEN MIML

Stepping out of your comfort zone and into the unknown

It is quite normal to have our thoughts and emotions hijacked by anxiousness when preparing to take on a new role, project or team. We can become overwhelmed with these thoughts and emotions to the point where we are not thinking clearly or perhaps even rationally. And we haven’t actually done anything yet.

Let’s take a step back in time. The people who made the decision to place this higher level of responsibility on you did so because they believe you are the best person for the role. They believe you are capable of achieving their desired outcomes. They believe you have the capacity to learn and grow in this new role and to be the person they need to grow the company in the future. They should also understand that learning and growing takes time, commitment and support from both sides.

 

There are some essential building blocks that will help you move forward with confidence. 

 Clarity: Seek as much clarity and truth about your role, responsibilities and reporting lines as possible. There is a need for discussions on expectations of those you will be reporting to, those who report to you and vice versa. Research the teams’ history to understand previous concerns and successes. When you have this clarity, you are better able to ascertain your own strengths that will support you in your new role and more clearly identify your development needs. Having this knowledge removes the unknowns and diminishes your potential to be anxious from over thinking the reality of the role.

 

Action: We will often need courage to make decisions and take action in areas which are new to us. Having personal one-on-ones with team members is a great way to create a mutual understanding of each other as people and respective capabilities. Exploring each other’s thinking typically results in better ideas while making it easier to assign tasks, delegate and to build a collaborative environment which often leads to more substantial outcomes. Your team and manager will expect you to be decisive and take action when necessary.

 

Practice: Remember, taking action also means we make mistakes. How we react to a mistake makes an enormous difference to establishing self confidence in our role. Knowing it is an inherent component of the learning process means we take the opportunity to be open and honest about our mistakes, seek advice or greater understanding from the person we report to, a peer or colleague and then implement it. Through consistent practice, focus and determination we will learn to get it right and continue to progress in our role. Honest self-reflection and feedback from others will help to continuously improve our current and newly learned capabilities whilst identifying new opportunities for personal and professional development.

 

Authenticity: Knowing and living your personal values goes a very long way in establishing yourself as the person you really are rather the person you believe other people want you to be. Being open, honest and transparent in your dealings with others in an appropriate and respectful way helps others to see you as a person more worthy of their trust. And that is the foundation stone for people believing in you as a role model.

 

Be true to yourself and move forward quietly, calmly confident

 

 

 

Peter Cullen is an education and training facilitator who teaches IML Education and training courses.

Each three-day program engages participants in developing and implementing their capabilities as managers and leaders.

 

 

 

MAKE YOUR MARK. GO CHARTERED 

Chartered Manager (CMgr) is the internationally-recognised professional designation accrediting management and leadership excellence.
The highest status that can be achieved as a manager and leader, it allows managers to professionalise their leadership skills and stand out in a competitive global market.
Focused on Continuing Professional Development (CPD), Chartered Manager is awarded on experience, expertise and a commitment to management and leadership.

For more details visit Chartered Manager

4 reasons why I got my management accreditation

Why become a Chartered Manager?

Why did I bother? After all, I already have a Masters in Management (MMgt), and numerous other accreditations in coaching and human behaviour assessments. Well, while that’s great underpinning theory, we all know that it’s hands-on experience, proven results, and continual learning to stay current that matters most.

Just like other professions, standards of practice vary. For example, there are bookkeepers, qualified accountants, and there are Chartered Certified Accountants. As a leadership coach, it concerns me that in the coaching industry, there are numerous life coaches, wellness coaches, transformational coaches – a whole raft of labels anyone can use. From attending a weekend coaching course, to completing a full Diploma in Coaching, credibility varies greatly.

1. Get recognition as a manager

When IML ANZ refreshed their membership brand, they heralded a deliberate intent to raise the bar in professional standards of managers and leaders, they had my immediate attention. You see, leadership is at the core of everything I do, and everything I help others do. Our company – Vital Leaders’ mission is to develop more dynamic leaders, so it sits well with the Institute’s re-energised, agile direction.

On 16 January 2018, I officially achieved the internationally recognised, designated status of Chartered Manager – CMgr. What’s that mean, you ask? Good question. It’s quite a new recognition pathway for experienced managers and leaders in Australia and New Zealand. In fact, it is recognised as the highest status you can achieve as a leader.

IML ANZ offers this globally recognised designation here in Australia and New Zealand, though a strategic partnership with UK’s Chartered Management Institute – CMI.

2. Learn more about yourself as a manager

Similarly, there are accidental managers who fall into the industry and struggle without support, there are skilled semi-experienced managers who manage operations and outcomes, and there are dynamic leaders who inspire change, ignite growth, influence positive outcomes, and are intentional role models and mentors. There IS a difference, but it is often overlooked in recruitment processes and shoulder-tap promotions.

The Chartered Manager assessment offers two routes, depending on what qualifications and experience levels you already have. I took the qualified route, which required me to submit a comprehensive assessment outlining how I manage change and lead others, outcomes and learnings, from over the past 18 months. I also had to demonstrate how I stay current, including outlining my professional development plan for next 12 months.

An assessor was assigned to me, and I had the privilege of meeting with her for my final assessment interview in London, while I was there visiting family. My submission piece was assessed against strict professional ethics and the CMI Code of Conduct and Practice.

Honestly, the process was more challenging than I initially thought it would be – but that’s a good thing. Achieving Chartered Manager status is more than a document of proof or a form-filling exercise. It required considerable introspective reflection on why I do what I do, and particularly, what I learn from each experience. It recognised the vast range of skills I use, often subconsciously, but always intentionally.

3. Credibility, currency and commit to ongoing professional growth

What being recognised as a Chartered Manager means to me is these three core things:
Credibility – International recognition of my high-level expertise as a currently practicing company manager, leader of change, trainer and mentor of aspiring leaders; formally assessed to rigid Code of Conduct and ethical practice standards (formal qualifications + experience + intentions + results + learnings).

Currency – acknowledged value of what I currently do, how I resolve issues by challenging the status quo and driving change, how I meet client expectations by using the latest practices, and recognition of positive outcomes achieved the last 18 months.

Commitment to continual growth – acknowledgement of my insatiable thirst for continual professional development [CPD], and commitment to research and learning, for which I will be held accountable each year through a CPD reporting process.

4. Stand out from the competition as an intentional leader

Embedded into our leadership development programs, is a trust formula for leaders, which is fundamentally about building credibility.

Character + Competence + Consistency = TRUST.

The Chartered Manager process gave me the opportunity to provide evidence of my ethical, honest and intentional character, my competence levels and achievements, and my consistent approach to continually learn and grow. Being awarded the Chartered Manager designation and proudly upholding those standards, means I stand out from the mediocre, and stand proud as an intentional leader – as a trusted role-model and mentor.

Yes, it’s means more than just another paper certificate.

Yes, I’m proud of being globally recognised for my achievements.

But above all that, I’m honoured to share my journey and what I’ve learned so that others can aspire, reach and grow.

Intentional leaders mentor and develop more leaders … and my intention is to keep doing that.
Leadership credibility matters.

Want to find out more about becoming a Chartered Manager? Click here.

By Jilinda Lee CMgr FIML, Director and Founder of Vital Leaders.

Annie Parker Gives Her 5 Top Tips For Surviving The Uphill Trek

Written by Carolin Lenehan

 

Annie Parker’s journey into the intoxicating world of startups began atop Mount Kilimanjaro, where she pulled out her phone, and in a single text, quit her job.

“I thought I’d get this huge adrenalin rush when I finally made the summit, but instead I fell in a heap and cried,” she recalls.

The sense of achievement wasn’t the cause – instead, the realisation hit that nine months spent trying to fill some missing sense of purpose were over, and now she would have to go back to the job that wasn’t doing it for her.

Six years on, Parker is interim CEO of Australia’s legendary startup nursery Fishburners, with responsibility for 845 early stage tech startup companies.

 

Here are her five hot tips to surviving the uphill startup trek:

 

  1. Take responsibility and make your own path

“When I reached the summit I realised that I had to take responsibility for my own personal development. No one can decide what your future is, and no one should do it for you, because if they did, they’d probably get it wrong,” Parker says.

 

  1. You’ll know the tipping point when you feel it

There is an inevitable point of no return with every startup.

“It’s like abseiling down a cliff . . . That moment where you tip backwards and you go, ‘What if this doesn’t work, what if this rope doesn’t hold me?’ You realise you are so vested in the potential of what this idea could become that you can’t bear the thought of finding out later someone else did it instead.”

 

  1. It only takes small steps to move forward.

Get over your fears, take that first small step and learn more. Then take another.

“A startup – by definition – has probably not been done before, so it’s OK that you don’t what the whole plan is from day one,” she says.

“Attend some startup events at places like Fishburners – you’ll be surprised how happy people are to share knowledge and experiences. From there, it starts to become obvious what the next right step is for you.”

 

  1. It’s OK to not be OK

Starting a business is a risk, and things can go wrong. Annie’s moment came earlier this year. In a raw and brave LinkedIn post, she shared:

I think it’s hugely important not to gloss over the bad bits and call them out for what they are – valuable (painful) learning experiences… I know everything will work itself out in the end, but until it does, I’ll be wrestling with the embarrassment of not being able to make the plan work; the worry that people will think less of me; the concern for others we bought along on the journey and hoping that they’ll be okay too….

 

  1. “Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming.”

This line from Finding Nemo’s Dory character was on repeat in Annie’s head as she dug deep to put one foot in front of the other and climb her mountain.

“Starting a business you will have moments where you feel you’re spent and have no energy left, but just give it another half hour, day or that extra week, and you never know- you might still find a way through.”

 

Let’s Talk Leadership: With Stephanie McConachy MIML

Stephanie McConachy MIML is part of the new generation of leaders and is passionate about equipping young managers with the knowledge and skills to manage staff and develop further in their chosen careers.

Having recently joined the Institute of Managers and Leaders Board of Directors after three years on the Emerging Leaders Board, McConachy is highly qualified to offer advice to aspiring managers and her thoughts on leadership make compelling listening.

With an established background in marketing, communications and branding, Stephanie’s experience has been varied from working in a small start-up to national law firm Minter Ellison and global firm PwC. Currently at PwC Stephanie operates in a national role acting as an advisor to senior leaders across the business on all matters of marketing.

“When I think about the leaders I admire I think, ‘who would I like to follow?’ I like leaders who take you on a journey,” says McConachy, who features in the August issue of Leadership Matters. “The best leaders are charismatic and they are great communicators.

“They care about the cause and they care about the organisation and they care about the people and they are great communicators. They take you on a journey and you want to follow them.”

In her current role, McConachy is responsible for driving the PwC marketing initiatives and presence in the South Australian market across a range of end-to-end marketing campaigns that build brand awareness and support client acquisition and retention initiatives.

McConachy believes “everyday leadership is the purest form of leadership” and she lives by the mantra of “just do it”. In other words, don’t get too caught up in the pursuit of perfection but rather just throw yourself into tasks and show people the way forward with your passion and dedication to a common cause.