This column is part of Globe Careers' Leadership Lab series, where executives and experts share their views and advice about leadership and management. Follow us at @Globe_Careers. Find all Leadership Lab stories at tgam.ca/leadershiplab
You've reached a point where you know everything you need to know to effectively get the job done. Meetings progress without fanfare, milestones are met, but you don't feel the pressure to perform the way you used to and, in general, you are operating on autopilot.
If this sounds familiar, there is a good chance you are in the career comfort zone. This may sound ideal to some, but it means you are stagnating. The risk of being in the career comfort zone is that your performance will start to waiver as complacency and boredom kick in.
The desire for personal growth has propelled my career from management consulting firms, Silicon Valley tech companies, and back to Canadian soil to manage talented sales teams at Vicinity. Since I'm the only person looking after my career, I need to be in tune and look for opportunities that will take me to the next level.
Some people are hard-wired to take risks but, if that's not your nature, there are key signs that it's time to make the next big leap. The best-case scenario is to see it coming so you can avoid entering the career comfort zone altogether. But if you find yourself beyond that point, you can still take stock and focus on getting out of it. The longer you wait, the harder it can be to break out of career stagnation.
I have a quick checklist I measure myself against: am I bored, am I running out of room to progress in my role, am I being passed over for new opportunities, projects, and responsibilities, does my role lack pressure to perform and prove myself? If the answer is yes to any of these, it's time to take action.
Where to start?
Start by developing a plan. Once an outline is in place, it's easier to identify opportunities that are going to take you to the next step. Key ways to get started:
- Identify people whose careers (and personalities) you admire and seek them out as mentors. Learn from them and listen to what advice they have to offer. Their career road map might prove a great route for you to take, too. At the very least, you might find inspiration.
- It’s important to be engaged in your industry, keep track of what’s needed in the job market and identify ways you can fill in the gaps. This is what led me to Vicinity. I looked at the market and compared it to my resume. Even though I had already been a general manager, I saw this as an opportunity to build upon my experience in a sales-driven environment.
Making the right move
Keep in the mind that finding the next opportunity can take time. Don't jump into job that is slight variation from the work you do now.
Secondly, your career does not have to take a 180. Keep one variable the same when making a career change. Consider changing industries while keeping your job function the same. Alternatively, changing your function within the same company can be another good bet.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway: Look for opportunities that are going to push you to tap into a higher level of thinking and performance. We achieve great things when there is pressure to perform. My first job after graduating as a civil engineer was in consulting. With little experience, I was suddenly in boardroom meetings with senior level executives. The pressure to prove I deserved to have a seat at the table drove me to find mental strength I didn't know I had.
It's not just about you
While it is everyone's job to manage their own career, as a business leader, you want to do what you can to make sure your team doesn't hit the comfort zone, either. This could impact the goals for the team and the company. Those who are not engaged don't push themselves to do great work. Those who don't do great work don't move up in their careers. Without making a change, these folks can find themselves feeling stuck and unfulfilled, and it can drag the team down.
Look for opportunities to give staff new roles that build in new functions. This is easier for large organizations but if your team is small, look for projects that will give employees opportunities and room to expand. Helping others out of the career comfort zone helps get you unstuck, too.
Fiona Lake Waslander, is general manager of Vicinity, a turnkey loyalty program for small and medium-sized businesses. Vicinity is a division of Rogers Communications.