Management Information

By John Schonegevel

In Part One we concentrated on how to build a career that meets your personal aspirations, drivers and values. In this part of the article, we'll concentrate on the other key requirement for effective career development - your organisation's needs.

Identifying your firm's needs

It is clear that most organisations have higher expectations of performance than ever before. Standards are both more important and often less clear. At the same time, the traditional measure of good performance - job promotion - is no longer a viable gauge.

Although professionals are expected to focus on growing within their current roles, rather than on looking for the next promotion, most of us do not have an alternative way of discussing or conceptualising our development in terms of role growth.

One powerful model for achieving this is the Four Stages Model developed by Gene Dalton and Paul Thompson whilst professors at Harvard University. Dalton and Thompson were originally asked to investigate performance at a large electronics firm. This organisation tracked engineers' performance over time. Their data made it clear that expectations of individual performance change as people move through their careers. While some engineers continued to be rated as high performers throughout their careers, the majority received progressively lower ratings, even though the work they did remained the same in absolute terms. As Dalton and Thompson continued their research it became clear that the differences could be explained by four stages of development. Subsequent research with groups of professionals and managers from other sectors confirmed their initial findings.

The progression identified by the two professors is independent of position on the organisation chart. It explains why two people with the same job descriptions may be valued differently by their firm. However to be a high performer in the latter stages depends on mastering the early stages. Thus the Four Stages provides a powerful road-map for understanding the long-term expectations organisations have of their employees.

The Four Stages of Contribution Stage 1; Contributing Dependently or The Apprentice

Stage 2; Contributing Independently

Stage 3; Contributing through Others

Stage 4; Contributing Strategically

Stage 1 contributors accept direction, establish basic competence and learn the ropes. While people who do this early in their careers are seen as highly effective, those who continue to depend on others for direction after several years are seen as contributing less than their peers who enter Stage 2 by becoming technical experts.

In the same manner, those independent experts who fail to broaden their perspectives and to develop others will in time, be perceived as less valuable, unless they are brilliant enough to contribute as much on their own as their Stage 3 colleagues do by contributing through others.

Those who are able to develop Stage 4 characteristics of having the vision and credibility to influence organisational direction are perceived as being the most valued by leaders in the organisation.

One of the many interesting and useful findings from the research is that most of the people who perform Stage 3 functions are not in formal management roles; for every manager in Stage 3, there are at least three non-managers performing similar leadership roles.

The implications for career development

The Four Stages Model describes values that have existed in companies for decades. However understanding the model has become extremely important for all those interested in appreciating how to develop their own careers.

Moving from one stage to the next increases an individual's ability to contribute, it increases their value to their employer and leads to increased job satisfaction.

Understanding the process of making this move gives us all more control over our own development as well as a providing a roadmap for increasing our contribution and future success throughout our career. This in turn increases the likelihood that valued employees will stay with their current employer, with all the attendant benefits for both parties.

Further research shows that moving from one stage to the next, especially between Stages 2 and 3 and from Stage 3 to Stage 4 is difficult for most people to achieve without the additional support, coaching and development capabilities provided by enlightened leaders and employers.

Is yours one?

John Schonegevel John (Skoonie) Schonegevel is passionate about people. About how to help them live fulfilling lives at work. About how to create and sustain organisations in which people are able to give of their very best. Organisations where culture and practice encourages personal responsibility and enables every individual to be engaged, enthusiastic and effective. Because organisations need more people like this. You can share and swap ideas with him through his website http://www.new-frontiers.co.uk.

Skoonie is a director of New Frontiers, behavioural change specialists and Novations Consulting Partners.