Team members who view their work and role as a job operate very differently from those who see their current position as a stepping stone in a career.
Career-minded team members invest more emotional energy in their work, develop their skills more aggressively, engage with work and colleagues more actively, and take more pride in their accomplishments.
The upside of getting team members to view their role and work as a point in a career is a difference maker for organizations. Not surprisingly, good leaders encourage everyone, no matter the specificity of their current role or work, to take a longer view of how they will grow and develop to play other roles in the future.
The reframing of what the work means to team members, especially for those who fill entry-level roles or do very precise work in support of others, depends on what leaders do to get them to think about their future.
Good leaders promote a career orientation by engaging team members in planning for their future. Specific conversations and investments make this long-term view more palpable and understandable.
First, good leaders spend the time to walk people through their potential career paths. Helping them to visualize the future beyond their current position is both energizing and uplifting.
Even in an organization that has limited opportunities for advancement, good leaders impress upon team members that they must prepare for the future wherever it may take them.
This is best done by working with them to map out the actionable steps to achieve advancement. The skills they must acquire or develop, the experiences they must realize, and the relationships they must nurture are all part of this mapping.
Leaders who invest in the skills essential for a team member’s advancement prove the importance of forward thinking. It is also critical for leaders to connect what team members do in their current work to the organization’s mission and success.
This shows them that what they do creates a larger impact and encourages them to think about what other work and roles might add even more value. Leaders shouldn’t want anyone in the organization to think of their role as just a job.
They want team members to push beyond this limited view, which too often produces lower-quality work. This is to everyone’s benefit.
How many team members on your team see their work and role as a job versus a career? People who do “jobs” are generally more detached and transactional.
They seldom own problems or go above and beyond to create quality outcomes.
That’s why good leaders don’t speak only in terms of work and jobs. Instead, they spend time with team members to discuss their potential and careers.
Careers engulf people and inspire them to do more. Everyone worthwhile has one.
A Daily Dispatch from the Front Lines of Leadership.
