Feature

By Pratichi Shah

Dealing with the Ceiling - Glass or Otherwise...

So you are ready to move up, climb the ladder and grab the brass ring, right? And you want to know the best way to get there? The answer is easy: it depends. Bad response, right? Well, the truth is that the path upward really does depend on many things, including who you are, what you do, where you are and where you work. So let’s take a look at how each of these things affects and enables your getting through that ceiling.

Who the heck are you? For those of you who read last month’s article on Career Management, you already know that I am a big believer in the importance of knowing yourself. Guess what? That applies here as well. In order to climb the ladder and ultimately break through whatever kind of ceiling may exist in your world, you need to take the time to understand who you are in your career. This means really knowing your strengths and your weaknesses – not just the ones that the career tests, SATs, MCATs or bar exams attested to, but the other things as well. For instance, do you manage projects really well? Are you particularly adept at navigating relationships with clients, bosses, colleagues, patients or others? Are you scared to death of conflict and do you avoid it? Maybe you are incredibly good at legal interpretation but not great in persuading others to your viewpoint? Take a look back at your career and picture what has gone well and what has not. What have bosses told you during performance reviews? What instances have gotten you accolades and which ones left you with the stomach churn of knowing something could have gone better? What is the point in recalling these experiences? Because knowing who you are, what you do well and what you can improve allows you to reach into your toolbox of skills in the most efficient and effective way when an opportunity presents itself. And part of climbing any career ladder is about using the tools in your particular toolbox the best way you can.

What do you do? Once you have taken inventory of yourself, think about your chosen field and understand what works within it and what does not. In your mind, what does success in your profession look like? What do individuals who have achieved that success do? Do they pursue ever-higher credentials? Do they publish writings or findings? Do they put in long hours? Create greater innovations? Understand what it takes to move forward in the way you want within your field. If you can find someone who has already achieved a level of success that you admire, ask if you can chat about his or her path; or, better yet, see if he or she will mentor you to help you learn and understand what helps you get ahead. And as you look around, be open to role models and mentors who have approached their careers in different ways. So, for example, if you have a legal background, you may want to talk to people who have translated a law degree into success via corporate law, private practice, civil service or academics. Also, talk to different kinds of people (yes, that includes men!). The tricks of the trade that propel you upward can come from a variety of sources, and movement can be along many different paths.

Where are you? The next piece to consider is where you are in your career. What level are you at now and what level do you want to reach? Consider the way you do your job and the way you negotiate your work relationships based on your place in your career and your organization. Are you clearing coffee cups after meetings to be helpful? Are you spending big chunks of your day chatting with co-workers about last night’s Grey’s Anatomy? Either of these things is fine – everyone likes colleagues that are helpful and friendly. But taken to an extreme or mixed into certain office cultures, these actions may position you as the office busboy (or girl) or the local entertainment blogger, rather than someone on an executive or leadership path. Likewise, when everyone is pitching in to pack for the office move or to make photocopies for a big morning meeting, are you standing on the sidelines because that’s not your job? While that may protect your status and ensure you are not perceived as the office copy-girl, it may also lead folks to believe you are not a collaborative team player. Again, based on your position, consider your actions and choices and how they represent you in the workplace. To move up in most fields and organizations, it’s important to strike a balance between being a team player and stopping short of being everyone’s gal Friday. By the same token, being approachable and friendly is great, but being constantly chatty about everything but work? Probably not.

Where do you work? Think about your current organization and make sure you know every inch of it – and knowing the nearest ladies room and Starbucks doesn’t count. Understand what makes your organization tick. How do decisions get made? What behavior is rewarded? How does socializing work? How did your manager and their manager get their jobs? How do people get promoted? What is valued – both in skill sets and in behaviors? How assertively (or not) do people behave? This is one instance where keeping your head down and your eyes straight ahead won’t necessarily help. You need to keep as broad a range of vision as possible and get underneath the day-to-day operations so that you really understand the culture of your workplace. Then, consider your actions and patterns against the culture you have discerned. Are you acting within the cultural lines? If you are pushing the boundaries, are you doing it appropriately (i.e. without alienating people along the way)? This helps you navigate up that ladder you want to climb with informed decisions about how you do your work, present yourself and navigate office politics. The better you know the culture, the better you can respond to it; this allows you to demonstrate your leadership potential.

So what’s the bottom line? There is no prescribed way to climb the ladder or break through the ceiling. Your way is based on your profession and situation. The more you know about yourself, your field, your position and your organizational culture, the better you will be able to showcase your talent and skill in the best possible light. After all, they’re what got you this far, right? Show them off the right way and they’ll continue to get you through that ceiling and into your future.

As a special gift to ABCDlady readers, I'm offering five readers a free one-hour coaching session on career and work issues. To sign up for this offer, be one of the first five subscribers to email me with the subject line "Free Coaching – ABCDlady Subscriber". Looking forward to working with you!

Pratichi Shah is the Chief Talent Officer for a national non-profit organization and was a senior HR executive with a global benefits consulting firm for 10 years. She holds an MBA in human resources management and has over 15 years experience in HR, leadership development and executive coaching.

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