Copy of Flying high - your flight path in each role...
How about we take off for this week’s journey on a plane safer than a Korean Air flight in the 80s (a doff of the cap to Malcolm Gladwell’s ‘Outliers’), tastier than a low cost carriers’ inflight ‘gourmet’ meal and more exciting than an onboard episode of the ‘Bold & The Beautiful’ (but equally formulaic)?
I’ve seen a few career ‘travel plans’ but there is one that stands out to me as best articulating the progression of learning in a role.
The spectrum of time on a career path, as for a flight path can vary depending on desired arrival point. For some each role is a short domestic hop while other savour the joys of the long haul (the destination makes the length of journey worthwhile). I’ve based the timing below on a short flight: an LA to Vegas; a Singapore to Kuala Lumpur; a London to Paris. For many the right flight time will be a little longer.
Takeoff – 6+ months to learn the role.
Often the most nerve-racking, exciting and energising part of the flight is take off. So too with a new role. In the first six months you will come up to speed, navigate the relationships (and politics), technical knowledge and soft skills associated with the new role. A former organisation referred to this as ‘time to competency’. The length of time this phase takes will depend on the stretch and complexity of the role. If you’re the CEO of a major corporation this may be a far longer journey (a couple of years) and if you’re a storeman (I speak from experience) it may be a few weeks.
That’s not to say that you stop learning at this point. This takeoff phase drives only to competence .
Flying High – 6-18+ months to perform at best in the role
Once you’ve hit 30,000 feet the journey is really just starting! This is the bulk of the flight and takes your above the cloud cover to mastery of the role. In some highly fast paced start-ups this may be a 6 months but is more likely to be a minimum of 12 months. During this time you’re delivering your best work with passion, conviction and meaning. The learning continues unabated but you’re having a real impact on the orgnaisation. Every day is still be an adventure (and not one without obstacles).
Landing – 6+ months to identify and obtain a new role or expand learning in the current one
The Captain has switched on the seatbelt light and the final meal is thankfully a distant memory. It’s time for the final descent and landing. You have reached a plateau of learning in the current role and are ready for a further challenge. This may be a frustrating time. You’re nearly there and just want to be at the destination – something that often takes a good deal longer than expected. Patience is a virtue – but so is taking active steps to manage this phase. As a career adventurer you have been development planning and establishing career goals throughout the role – now is the time to bring these to fruition. Remember: while you’re focus will be on the next destination, you still need to keep up the pace at this time. Dropping your performance now may cause you to fall short of the next airport!
The destination is not always a promotion. In many cases it is a broadening your current role, stretching within the job and taking on new learning opportunities. If it is a totally new role then it may very likely be a horizontal move (into another, different role at the same organisational level). As with flights, it is often necessary to take in a stopover before reaching a further destination. Building depth and breadth to your skills and knowledge is critical and the horizontal move is a fantastic way to achieve this. Finally it may be a full promotion – taking a role with significantly more responsibility further up the ‘ladder’. (I remain convinced that modern careers more often resemble crazy paving than a ladder).
Once you have taken on broader duties, move across to another role or stepped up to a promotion then the cycle starts again: Get to competency; deliver in role and establish mastery ; identify the next role or expand the current one.
There are a few tips to bear in mind for a successful and safe journey:
Navigation: You need to continually check your coordinates, where are you heading. This should be part of a regular review of your career development (both with your manager and by yourself). Understanding your potential next steps allows you to focus on building mastery and networks in complementary areas,
Fuelled up.: Ensuring you have the motivation, drive and passion to take full advantage of the learning within the role and to deliver your best performance in the flying high phase.
Overshooting the runway: Too long in the role without stretch stunts your learning, engagement and enthusiasm. This has been known to lead to crash landings! Ensure you move or stretch yourself before you lose the energy and desire to deliver.
As a manager (air traffic control) you will give guidance to your staff and help them manage their flight plans. It is hugely powerful to recognise the stages of your own team and plan around these and enables you to establish the balance between those taking off and landing.
Anyhow, this blog is due to land so arm the doors and cross check! I’ll be taking off again soon – fly with us again.