You find yourself at a dead end. You thought all along that your path was destined for greatness. But here you are, with nowhere to go.
Did you pick the wrong path? Not initially.
Did you move fast enough? Sure, at the beginning.
Did you think that you could close your eyes and let your “career cruise control” take over?
Unfortunately, the fact is – too many people, in far too many organizations all over the world, seem to feel they can stop learning and still progress. They think that once they get onto the first rung of the corporate ladder, they’ve got it made. They think there is nothing new to learn, and no room to grow. They believe what got them here will, in fact, get them somewhere new.
The problem is – this sort of career limiting mentality died many years ago (in the Peter Senge era). People who still believe their “right of passage” is guaranteed, will ultimately begin to wear themselves into a rut, and their career (and in some cases their organization) will grind to a halt.
The outcome is – the various “knowledge banks” never expand. Wisdom and experience is not passed on to other employees. The sum total of the knowledge within the organization dries up and becomes outdated, which ultimately leads people and organizations into failure.
The solution is to help people, and the organization overall, develop a chronic itch – a relentless drive to improve abilities and competence. You must create a burning platform of chronic dissatisfaction with the status quo, and an ambitious goal of quantum improvement. Organizations have to create “winning environments” where employees are encouraged to mix healthy doses of curiosity, with a spirit of entrepreneurship, and future-oriented focus.
