So, you’ve plugged along giving to your best – long hours, always agreeable, nice and pleasant to everyone.
But where has it got you?
Still stuck in the same place!
If you are not getting ahead the way you want to, you are doing something wrong.
And this is an epiphany!
If you get this you are on the road to your unquestionable success. Believing anything else will leave you powerless and hopeless.
The big question is why no progress?
Well you can be reasonably sure of one thing – it’s not a technical skills issue. Why should it be? You are a CA(SA) after all.
It is, however, a skills issue.
But more than likely it’s a people’s skills issue.
Now that’s quite a broad statement to make!
Not really. It is basically coming from two places:
- Failure to present yourself confidently to your boss or other high level executives or;
- Being perceived as ineffective in dealing with your staff – ‘not strong enough’.
Oops!
What about BEE?
Of course this is an issue. But look carefully before you lay the blame at this doorstep. Rather examine yourself in relation to the above criteria before making that call. If you lose out getting a position and you are told BEE was the cause, you need to ask yourself if you really were the best candidate.
So back to the two causes.
That’s it! Look no further.
This is the terrible part. Mostly people in this predicament are unable to see what it is they are doing wrong.
This is where coaching can become extremely valuable. Coaches can prod around your blind spots and give some invaluable insights, This is especially true of a coach who has sat at a high executive level. They are able to give you a top-down perspective that is often very different to the way you see things from your standpoint.
Often in my work I see habitual behaviours in my clients that are impacting negatively on them notwithstanding that they think that they are doing their best. What we quickly discover is that they are missing some critical issues. They don’t realise that these issues are noticed immediately by others (usually their boss) and are seriously getting in the way of their advancement.
Here is an interesting example of this:
- I had a client who operated in the IT industry. Traditionally, flexi-time is a fundamental to this business. Coming is at 10.00 am and leaving at 19.00 is usually quite acceptable, as long as you did your required minimum hours. However, the team were all in early and by coming in at 10.00 he was separating himself from his co-workers – they were resentful that he was not following the team protocol. When he came in at the same time as they did, he found himself being much more connected and accepted.
The bird’s-eye view that coaches can offer is extremely valuable. It could easily open the way forward in a dramatic way!
Result?
More fun, a sense of accomplishment and, of course, more financial reward.