How to break the career deadlock? Expand External Contacts!

Many successful managers and professionals return to business school in the middle of their careers, mainly looking for directions, rather than honing leadership skills. Many people are stuck in their careers. They are looking for direction and support and are looking forward to a long and eager change in the near future. But their connections have dragged them back to the past, and they are not even aware of it. In a class discussion, I suddenly realized this: we are analyzing an outstanding functional expert (functional expert, HR Director responsible for recruiting, appointing, training, reward, assessment, etc.) Harris (alias), He was sent to a top business school to study the Integrated Management program, and the company promised to take responsibility for the company's profit and loss management after he had finished his studies. But the promise was never fulfilled, and Harris was in a dilemma: He was fed up with his "closed eyes" job, but he had to be faithful to the companies and mentors who offered a lot of opportunities, and he did not realize that his current position was the most beneficial to all his superiors. He has become increasingly frustrated by the same work he has been doing: devote more time to producing results that exceed expectations and seek more advice from the company. At first, my students were very strict with Harris, thinking that he was insecure, risk-averse and passive. He should negotiate hard or leave. No headhunting company offers you the perfect opportunity. He should be more self-aware, and all introspection will not help. What broke the deadlock? Introverted Harris eventually did not go along with his instincts, but instead focused on building an "external" relationship so that he could objectively examine the trends that were shaping his industry, broaden his horizons for possible career choices, and meet people like him who managed to move away from highly specialized areas, Finally see a different self, and then understand that his mentor may have been using the same perspective to see himself. Most of the "Harris" I've met have a lot of contacts, but it's mostly limited to people inside the business. They found these connections to be significant in terms of exchanging work-related information, doing their jobs (as defined by tradition), and finding talented people to form a team. But such business connections can also stall: they don't have the right talent for different, future jobs, because they don't get comfortable. If you find yourself in this situation, like so many of my students, what will you do? Strive to increase your "external horizons" (Out-sigh), which is your insight into the world outside your confines. Develop your connections with teams, departments, and even industry. Seek external expertise. Try to understand "office politics" at the top of the promotion. Find ways to get to know your superiors, at least two of your superiors, and they tend to be in different units or regions, even if it makes you feel that it is the way to achieve your goals. ParameterWith major initiatives and efforts to contribute so you have reason to see them. Try to improve your visibility, not just keep doing your job. Let the outside person also see you. Use what you learn externally to build relationships with different people within and increase the value of your business results. It's not the same thing to understand what the people who control your destiny think is important, and what you might have done. Find out what your market value is. Look for like-minded people. Your network is a mirror of your own, and be aware of what it reflects. If you want to make a change, make your connections look to the future. The bad news is that you will need to prioritize networking, but we have limited time. The good news is that once you start networking, such as having a few lunches with your former colleagues or old classmates, it's like running and you can't stop.