Unraveling the illusion of the traditional career ladder, we delve into the realities of professional growth. We challenge the conventional wisdom, exploring alternative paths to success, and debunking the myth that a linear progression is the only route to professional fulfillment.
Career rivers: a better framework for your professional journey
Consider your career as a river delta-a fertile area to explore that flows toward an ultimate objective.
- When your professional destination is no longer a lonely perch but a thriving, wide-open ecosystem fed by the work of others to explore, every twist and turn in your journey changes from a liability to a strength.
Cooperation, not competition
Working with others is central to what she does and what she cares about.
- No river is truly alone: it’s fed by many tributaries along the way and contributes to other rivers in turn. Every time rivers join together, they become stronger.
Ready, Set, Flow
The stories we tell ourselves matter
- Identify your ocean
- What will your legacy be?
- Embrace variety
- Navigate obstacles
- Find strength in collaboration
- Look for those heading to the same ocean to strengthen your career and see how you can support others
Finding your flow
Everything happens in its own time
- As long as you’re learning, you’re moving toward your ultimate goal
- A career river can create a delta of many different paths, all equally valid to pursue
- Not only is it ok to shift directions, it’s expected
Navigating obstacles
When you reach a ceiling on the career ladder, the only way you can keep going is to shatter it
- If you embrace your career as a river instead of a ladder, you’re better able to confront these obstacles.
- You have several ways to get where you’re trying to go
- A career ladder that falls is broken. A river becomes a waterfall, and then keeps flowing
