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Unlocking Career 'Progression'

Why Choosing not to climb the corporate ladder may be the right decision

(IF it’s for the right reasons…).


In our fast-paced world, the ‘story of success’ is often synonymous with relentless ambition and career progression. Climbing the corporate ladder, smashing glass ceilings, and achieving professional accreditations, left, right and centre are typically seen as the hallmarks of a successful life.


However, an increasingly common sentiment among many women challenges this conventional wisdom: the choice to prioritise personal fulfilment over career advancement.


As part of #IWD2024 Amy Mercer and I had a conversation on whether it’s truly ‘acceptable’ (to each of us as individuals) for women to opt out of career progression, and under what circumstances does this choice become a meaningful and fulfilling one?


The Pressure to Succeed

From a young age, women are often encouraged to excel academically and professionally – this starts at home and is quickly consolidated within the education system. Society, family, and even personal ambitions can create a powerful drive towards career success – none of which is a bad thing.


There’s a strong argument to suggest that this drive is spurred on by the strides forward within the feminist movement towards gender equality, which rightfully emphasises the importance of women's (equal) presence in all areas of life – professional and personal.

Surely none of this is bad. ‘Bad’? Not so much – that said, if we’re honest, this way of growing up from a girl through teens into adulthood can sometimes translate into undue pressure.


The expectation to succeed can become a source of stress and at it’s worse, lead to burnout and dissatisfaction. To avoid this, it’s essential to recognise that success should not be a one-size-fits-all concept but rather a personal journey that we define through what’s important to us, under pinned by our own values and goals.


What’s Important to YOU?

For some, the corporate ladder is not the path for us. It’s crucial to ask yourself:

  • What brings you joy in your career?

  • What does progression look and feel like for you?

  • How do you currently measure progress?

  • What might be an alternate way to look at and measure progress?


Reflecting on these questions is a good place to start to get you thinking about whether your current career path aligns with your personal values and aspirations.


Exploring potential reasons…

There is no doubt a myriad of reasons behind why some may not choose to advance their careers (and if it ‘feels right’ for you then it almost certainly is) it can be useful to consider what some of these could be. My belief is that these could be grouped into 4 main reasons:


  1. I’m Fulfilled and Balanced right now! Hurrah!

  2. Our good old ‘friends’ Fear / Self-doubt / Imposter Syndrome: For some of us fear driven by their inner critic, a fragile sense of balance, or the fear of failure might be holding them back.

  3. Lack of Joy: A career that doesn’t align with one’s values, isn’t fulfilling, or feels like a necessity rather than a choice can also be a reason – essentially, you’re stuck.

  4. Limiting perspectives on career progression.


1.Fulfilled and Balanced:

Go YOU! Why not reflect on the ‘why’ so that you can maintain as well as support others?

  • What is it that that leaves you fulfilled right now?

  • How can you sustain or even grow this sense of balance and joy?

  • What, if anything, could ‘rock’ this and what could you put in place to mitigate this?

  • How could you ‘pay this forward’ to other women?



2. Fear and Self-Doubt

I’m a believer that we ALL have moments of self-doubt. In reality I’d go as far to say that anyone that says they have never experienced self-doubt is a) lying! b) in denial or c) an un-tapped multi billionaire (if any ‘c’ is reading this, I’d be happy to go into partnership with you revealing the ‘secret’!!!!).


For the 99.99999% of us, rather than seeing our self-doubt as ‘what it is’, let’s consider how we can reflect on this constructively.

  • Notice your Inner-Critic: Identify what it’s saying and challenge these thoughts.

  • Re-frame your ‘inner critic’; Use it as a protective mechanism rather than a limiting force. Naming your inner critic, like “Gertrude,” can help in depersonalizing and managing it.

  • Visualise Success: Consider what would change if you knew you’d succeed by your own standards.



 

3. Re-defining Joy and Career Progression

  • Clarify what joy means to you: Reflect on when you last felt true joy across all areas of life.

  • Explore alternative ways to achieve joy: Consider different career paths or roles that could bring satisfaction.



4. Shifting Perspectives on Career Progression

The ‘traditional view’ of career progression is often linear – one way – upwards – the good old ‘ladder.

  • Ladder vs. Lattice:  Career growth can be lateral (over), explorative (around), or even downward for new experiences or better work-life balance.

  • Growth in Place: This underutilized career development tool involves fully exploring and pushing the boundaries of one’s current role.



Through adopting a lattice mind-set, it’s possible to find fulfilment in diverse ways that align with your personal goals and broader ‘life’ circumstances. Remember, this doesn’t need to be set in stone, sometimes, you may need to slow down, other times you may be chomping at the bit and have the resources (physically, mentally, emotionally – financially!) to do so. Allow yourself to be a little more fluid.



Wrap-up?

Ultimately, the decision to pursue ‘relentless’ career progression or not should come from choice. Taking a bit of time ensure we’re fully aware of what’s behind our current motivations can be a helpful exercise to do from time to time. I’m not saying that this way is the ‘only’ way, far from it – this is written from my perspective, drawing on experiences from both my years within corporate HR and Learning and Development roles, as well as a working mum.  


I’m passionate that, through giving ourselves the permission to embrace a broader definition of success – having OUR all - and understanding what’s most important to us, we can lead more fulfilling and present lives, free from the unrealistic pressure of “having it all” in the ‘conventional’ sense.


If you enjoyed this and would like to hear more, check out the full webinar!

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