Two Tracks of Growth
Which Path Do Your Direct Reports Want to Follow?
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How Do We Grow?
You have a responsibility to your staff to understand their career aspirations and facilitate their growth in the right direction. But what should they be aiming for, and who is accountable for making that growth happen?
A stereotype in the technology industry is that growth happens one way: via promotion into roles that carry increased people management responsibilities. At best, this path can produce excellent leaders who take their teams and companies to the next level. At worst, this path can alienate staff who aren’t naturally suited to management — so they get frustrated and leave the company. Clearly, we don’t want the latter to happen.
You may find it more helpful to think about two mutually exclusive tracks: the management track and the individual contributor track. Both are very different growth trajectories, carrying very different responsibilities. However, despite the differences, both can have an incredible weight of influence at…
