How do I grow within the same Organization?

Switching and jumping from one organization to another doesn’t come naturally to us. It is not easy either, moving out of one organization is like moving out of the comfort zone. In majority cases, such step is extreme and is taken for many pressing situation like lack of growth, toxic work environment, unmatched aspirations to name a few However, for the subject we will confine our discussion & thoughts on lack of growth! Growth (financial as well as responsibility) is what each individual is concerned about and it is one of the prime driving factor for us. What makes this Growth elude us? We did a survey with one of the client organization and here are a few of the concerns shared by their employees:

1. We do not get enough opportunities to learn new skills
2. There is a lot of bias and individual growth comes as undue favour to a few
3. We want to try out new things but there is not enough support

The list goes on and to keep this article focused, I would want to take your attention towards the solution and not the problems. This will work in most cases Carving out your growth map in your existing organization is indeed a positive step. Success lies in not just excelling at what you do but also exploring the future goals. We call it IDP (Individual Development Plan) in technical terminology Remember, it is about YOU. So while you are working hard to excel at the assigned tasks, you must also

1. Identify your Future Goals. Identify higher responsibilities that you would want to take, this could be vertical or horizontal. Remember, growth keeps a distance from us as we do not know what the real growth is. An increase in your compensation and position is not what the growth is. It’s an illusion. No one knows better about us than we ourselves. Before we start talking about the lack of growth, we must know what we want and what is good for us

2. Know what can take your there. Once you have identified your aspired role, identify the skills & abilities it demands, next.

Identifying Career goals is your first step towards your success. Now that you know what is good for you; you will have to ascertain the path towards it. You will find a lot of hep/guidance around when you know what is good for you else, everyone will have an opinion on your Growth and none of them will actually help

3. Plan for your growth. Now, acquire these skills by self-learning, training, observing etc. Once you know your destination and you know the road to success, you have already begun your march towards your Career goals and you are half way there already. It is your goal, your journey and your skill requirements so no one else but you yourself needs to prepare for it. Do not wait for your organization to plan trainings for you or for them to tell you what you must learn. All you have to do is to find out different resources and there are many ways to do that.

  You can find your role models within or outside the organization and observe them. There will be a lot to learn from them, you just have to start following them You have something called GOOGLE which has almost everything available, mostly free too. Explore the learning material and learn from it You can also seek your organization’s support if they have the provision of sponsored training. Most of the organizations, generally support such cases…in fact they will be happy and proud to see your initiative. You can also volunteer your support to your peers handling your dream task and learn by helping them.

4. Demonstrate your new skills. After you have acquired the skills, scout for opportunities to exhibit & practice the skills. Remember, it’s your plan; no one in the organization is yet aware of it so don’t expect the work to be assigned to you. Just go out and help/assist people doing those tasks and get noticed

Got noticed and that’s very important. Instead of curing your peers & seniors and blaming them for the bias; you better give them a reason to bank on you. Most often, you will find opportunities coming your way; don’t miss, grab the opportunity. If you don’t find then coming your way; step forward and ask for it as you had showcased your ability already. This will not be a favour but something that you deserve In short, what happens with you is a result of your actions and only you are responsible for it. If you feel there is a bias, do some root cause analysis and you are find your little contribution there J “It’s not what you achieve, it’s what you overcome. That’s what defines your career.” —Carlton Fisk