How and When to Disrupt Your Career, and Yourself (Quick Study)

Harvard Business Review2 minutes read

Feeling stagnant in a familiar role can lead to the need for change to avoid boredom and seek new challenges, as discussed through personal experience and the concept of the S-curve. It is crucial for both employees and managers to actively seek new challenges and support transitions to new roles within the organization to prevent disengagement or departure.

Insights

  • **Staying too long at the top of the S-curve can lead to boredom and a desire for new challenges:** Remaining in a role where you have reached mastery can result in stagnation and a yearning for fresh opportunities to grow and develop.
  • **Managers should actively assist employees in transitioning to new S-curves to prevent disengagement:** It is crucial for managers to support employees in navigating transitions to new challenges within the organization, ensuring continued engagement and professional growth.

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Recent questions

  • What is the S-curve concept in career development?

    The S-curve represents a learning curve with three stages: launch point, sweet spot, and mastery. It illustrates how staying too long at the top can lead to boredom and a need for new challenges.

  • How can employees avoid feeling stagnant in their careers?

    Employees can avoid feeling stagnant by proactively seeking new challenges within the organization. This prevents boredom and the need for change due to lack of growth.

  • What happens when employees stay too long at the top of their career curve?

    Staying too long at the top of the career curve can lead to boredom and a desire for new challenges. This can result in disengagement or even departure from the organization.

  • How can managers support employees in transitioning to new challenges?

    Managers can support employees by helping them transition to new challenges within the organization. This prevents disengagement and encourages growth and development.

  • What can employees do if they feel the need for change in their current role?

    If employees feel the need for change in their current role, they can assess their strengths and seek new challenges within the organization. This proactive approach can lead to personal growth and career development.

Related videos

Summary

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"Embracing Change: Avoiding Career Plateaus"

  • Feeling a need for change after working in the same role for several years at a company you love, but not utilizing your strengths daily.
  • Personal experience of feeling the need for change after being a top equity analyst on Wall Street for eight years.
  • Introduction to the concept of the S-curve, representing a learning curve with three stages: launch point, sweet spot, and mastery.
  • Explanation that staying too long at the top of the S-curve leads to boredom and a need for new challenges.
  • Importance of proactively seeking new challenges within the organization to avoid leaving due to lack of growth.
  • Emphasis on managers supporting employees in transitioning to new S-curves to prevent disengagement or departure.
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