Maybe… what workers need is not a full-on 8-course menu of career development options.
What they need is just some juice. To get a leg up on some dreams they are chasing, to get unstuck, to get in the right headspace. Like an aspiring DJ looking to secure a bigger stage than any they have played on before; a private hire driver looking to be less reliant on driving; a manager looking to shape their work more meaningfully and independently.
Some mojo-jojo.
Because they want to level up. They want to get to the next level. Their next level. Not too far ahead, not some standard stage that every other person goes through. It is a very specific next step, and it is within their reach but not quite—yet. They can see it, though.
Which is great, because it is all about taking the step.
As Scott Adams says—it is the system and not so much the goal that brings you to where you want to go.
When they take the step, they are moving, they are learning, they are curious. If they succeed, it’s a bonus. If they fail, maybe we lend them some juice to hang on and power up again for the next step.
If we can help them ask themselves the right questions, lay out some stepping stones, and even offer some financial boosters, workers may be more willing to go further or try new things.
