Build It and They Will Climb

I was with the SWAT team a few weeks ago when they were practicing building entries (I've learned more ways to enter a building through watching them).  The team had just acquired some new collapsible ladders, and the command staff wanted them to practice assembling the ladders quickly (i.e., within seconds), positioning them, and then using them to enter through a window.  The toughest part to practice was the building, followed by the positioning.  The two were interdependent, since the height of the ladder and the window against which it would be placed had an impact on each other.  The decision of "where" and the ability of "how" were tied together closely.

I've been in the "post-college" career world for exactly 20 years as of today.  The SWAT exercise made me think of some professionals' career management skills.  We talk a lot about climbing the ladder of succcess, but many seem to think that the magical career fairy is just going to shove the ladder in our path so we can start climbing.  Not so.  The reality is this: we need to take the same approach as my tactical law enforcement friends.  If we're going to climb the career ladder of success, we'd better be prepared to build it and figure out which wall it should be leaning against and how high to position it.  THEN start climbing.

One of the first questions I ask my graduate students is "What do you want to be when you grow up?"  You'd be surprised how many have not thought beyond the next promotion they think they're going to get.  I'll be fascinated by their answers this fall given the current state of the economy.  There are so many employees living in a state of fear that their job is about to be eliminated.  I was having this discussion with friend and colleague Lisa DiTullio a couple of weeks ago about the atmos-fear in many companies.  I've met so many people who are afraid to leave and simultaneously afraid that they won't be allowed to stay.  These are the people who have let others define their career ladder.

I contrast this with my friends and acquaintances in the consulting and social media communities.  We meet for breakfast the first Friday of every month, and the energy is through the roof.  No fear.  No uncertainty.  We're all busy and productive and happy.  Often, our only complaint is lack of down time.  We see the current economy as a challenge to be overcome, a problem to be solved, or an opportunity to be capitalized.  This is a group of people who have built their own ladder and are climbing it at breakneck speed.

Juliet Wehr Jones has provided some excellent career development advice at the Career Key Blog.  Great stuff!  All of her points she poses boil down to one single question:  who is building YOUR ladder?  Your career is the longest-running accomplishment of your life (next to breathing).  Do you own it?  Is this an accomplishment you are seizing or have you delegated it to others?

Comments

[Michelle Williams]

I just wanted to comment about the Jonathan Keese you mentioned in your blog. The adversity that Jonathan so passionately writes about lately has to do with the fact that he has taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from innocent people in Virginia and Florida and is now hiding from them rather than pay them back the money that he has taken. There is a blog that is circulating on the web that states "Jonathan Keese Owes me Money". He is not a candidate that knows how to deal with adversity because he himself has gone into hiding rather than deal with his own adversity.

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