Development, me? No thanks…
Maybe this is you. You are working, doing well, have no major problems you are aware of and then out of nowhere, you are asked or even encouraged to engage in some kind of development program – take an assessment, 360 exercise, coaching – whatever. And you think to yourself, I don’t need this. I am a good performer. Just leave me alone and let me do my job. I don’t have time for this and I haven’t screwed up, so why me?
Derailing could be just around the corner
Success at work depends on so many things – what you do well (competencies), your work ethic (effort, time spent), the quality of your relationships (interpersonal skills), learning agility, flexibility, leadership potential – a myriad of factors. Yet, despite our strengths, many of us derail at some point in our careers; that is, we simply fail to live up to what seemed to be very strong potential. Why do so many careers stall, sputter and sometimes actually flame-out? The research shows that many capable people derail at some point because they are simply unaware of their own destructive behavioral tendencies. Derailers, or “traits-to-avoid” are at least as important to success as essential-to-success key traits and core competencies. Talented people derail all the time and not because they are incompetent – it is because they do something destructive that takes them down before they even know what hit them.
What is Derailment?
Derailment happens when an employee or leader previously deemed to have strong potential is let go, demoted or plateaus. Derailment can be due to interpersonal or relationship problems or, perhaps more commonly, the lack of alignment between the individual’s values and the values of the organization; that is, company culture. For example, an individual who craves a fast pace may not thrive working in government or large organizations and may act-out in inappropriate ways, causing derailment. Or, someone who doesn’t take feedback well can react defensively, causing others to stop providing that feedback resulting in serious problems with far-reaching consequences. Defensiveness, in this case, is the source responsible for derailment, not the mistake that eventually got the person in trouble.
Derailing is not usually due to Making Mistakes
It is important to recognize that derailing due to an unrecognized, destructive behavioral pattern is not the same as taking a calculated risk that doesn’t pay off. Taking risks will result in errors which can accelerate learning and growth. Most of us acknowledge that we learn more from mistakes than from successes and most forward-thinking organizations today encourage smart risk-taking and have a healthy tolerance for winning vs. losing in the game of opportunity. Sometimes the only way to gain competitive advantage in the long-term is to take risks in the short-term that may or may not work out; this is strategic leadership. Derailing is usually not due to making a mistake like this – it is more likely to be behavior that others find unacceptable because it undermines success for the team, the culture or relationships.
Seize the development opportunity!
So, take every opportunity to learn more about yourself and how others perceive you. There may be nothing “wrong” but life and work require constant examination and re-evaluation. And you may avoid derailing in the meantime.