The Most Important Step You Should Take to Succeed as an Employee

No organization can run without employees. As an expert puts it, "every organization needs employees. Similarly, the employees need the organization also. The simple fact is neither of them need be ashamed to admit this." Bur if you feel that you have not achieved success as an employee, it shows that you are not aware of the secret that can catapult you to the success-plank. Let us find out what it is. But its unfolding comes with a warning. You may not like it. But without it, you cannot achieve success as an employee.

Before the cat is let out of the bag, you should understand that there are a few uncomfortable facts. The first one is that you may have the habit of reading all the personal development and self-improvement books and articles for improving yourself as an employee. You may have taken up courses that have been designed by the so-called experts. You may have attended seminars and conferences of some of the big names in the personal development field. Though these books, seminars, and conferences can certainly do good, there is one particular thing you are missing out. That is what is impeding you from moving from your present spot to the level you wish to reach. 

What is this secret that no one has advised you till now? It is spelled as "MOMENTUM."

Momentum is the only ammunition that can help you surmount the challenges you encounter along your way. Momentum will alone help you maintain your motivation level even during challenging times. This means if you learn to generate momentum, it will be easy for you to achieve the goals you have set. 

If you think that by momentum, we mean that you should take big strides, you are wrong. It is enough if you take just one step forward. But you should take it daily and consistently. You may ask: "How long should I take these steps for reaching my goal?" It purely depends on your ability. In fact, there is no one-size-fits-all rule for this because every individual is different. 

But unfortunately, momentum is not a thing that comes by accident or that comes about naturally. You have to make deliberate efforts for creating it. Only then, you can move forward. Simply put, it first needs your intent and then, your efforts. Since you will be creating it, it is completely under your control. 

Unfortunately, a number of people wait for momentum to get created. They have to wait eternally because unless they make efforts intentionally, it will remain as an unborn child. But here is a caution. During the process of creating momentum which means taking a step on a consistent basis, you are likely to face bumps. You may get stuck as well. But these things should not deter you. You should keep taking the steps. If you find that there is a necessity to make modifications or changes to your course, you must not hesitate to make them also. 

The following are some of the momentum killers. If you succumb to them, you can never achieve success as an employee. 

Impediment #1. 

"I do not want to spend my hard-earned money on such things." This may be one of the impediments that can stop the creation of the momentum that can take you towards progress. You must understand the fact that if you are not ready to spend the required amounts to take up the studies that can help you in your progress, you will reach your destination very late. So, it should not be an excuse.

Of course, if you are a person without financial wherewithal, you are advised to make full use of the Internet. In fact, the Net contains millions of materials that can help acquire the knowledge or skills you require for fast-tracking your journey. Of course, you can visit libraries and read the right books that can improve your skills. But you should begin the process of creating the momentum IMMEDIATELY. If you sit idle and wait for things to happen, nothing is going to happen. 

Impediment #2. "I do not possess the required qualifications to show to my employer that I deserve a higher position." Of course, qualifications may show that you possess the knowledge or skills employers are looking for. But there are other ways to show your employers that you have the required skills. One of the best ways is to come out with killer-suggestions that can lift the business of your company to the stratosphere.

Coming out with such suggestions requires deliberate and purposeful efforts. There may be several resources available on the Net and in the library. You can read all of them. They may trigger your creativity. Even resources that are not related to your field will also help. You can use what is called the "cross-fertilization" technique for coming out with killer suggestions.

Therefore, not being able to spend money or not possessing the required qualifications are not real impediments. The impediment is YOU and YOU alone. You should be ready to dispense with the cobwebs in your mind so that you create the momentum that is required for taking you to the higher levels in your organization. Therefore, the simple mantra is: Keep taking just a step daily and consistently for creating this momentum. 

Are Your Employees Not Happy with the Career Opportunities in Your Organization?

Are the employees working for you happy? Do they feel that they have the right career opportunities in your company? These are major questions you should address if you want to retain talent in your organization. 

According to CEB, a US based technology company that offers insights on best practices, more than 65% of employees are not happy with the career opportunities available in their organizations. Due to this, these organizations are losing millions of dollars in turnover. Only if these entities realize the importance of improving engagement of their work force by putting in place growth-based cultures, they can stop incurring this huge loss. 

The traditional system is offering career paths that are linear in nature. This means employees will get only one promotion at a time. In such flat organizational structures, employees will be spending more number of years at each level. Studies conducted about this in 2010 revealed that during that year, employees spent three or more years at the same job level. Experts call this as 'stalled progression' and this has resulted in dissatisfaction among 70% of employees. These employees have started feeling that their career opportunities are not satisfactory and hence, they decide to leave their companies. This results in huge turnover costs for the organizations.

In fact, promotional opportunities have shrunk during the last decade because companies have removed positions as well as management layers with an intention to save money. CEB conducted a survey in which over 12,000 employees throughout the world participated. These employees categorically stated that the main reason for their decision to quit a company is lack of career opportunities. 

Apart from employee turnover, companies will face another issue also and that is their existing teams will face more stress. This will slow their productivity and this may cost the companies to the tune of about $25,000 per employee. In large enterprises, this may add up to a whopping figure.

Career experts suggest that companies should dispense with the concept of measuring career progression with promotions. They should instead infuse career cultures that are growth based. Such cultures mainly involve planning and encouraging employees to move across functions. This will improve employee engagement and chances of improvement of career growth also increase. This can reduce employee turnover to the extent of 33%, say experts. An organization with approximately 10,000 employees can save $7.5 million dollars a year.

According to Brian Kropp, who belongs to the HR department of CEB, "Employees don't jump for joy at the idea of a lateral move because companies don't promote such movements as being beneficial to career development. To continuously improve skills and build job satisfaction, employers and employees need to start thinking about careers in terms of continuous growth rather than focusing on promotions. Increasing job satisfaction does more than keep employees happy – it can save significant money by reducing unwanted turnover."

In short, creating reciprocal value by creating a synergy between the interests of an organization and employees can build a career culture that is growth-based. Instead of encouraging and expecting employees to chart the course of their career paths, organizations should find ways for building career partnerships so both employers and employees can work together for ensuring development opportunities, encouraging personal growth and fulfilling the needs of the organization. This strategy will help the employees have the growth they seek. This will help the organizations reduce the gaps in skills because they will be able to build needed capabilities for their business. Experts firmly assert that this strategy is three times more powerful than if employees are expected to chart their own career growth.

Kropp adds, "While employees should play an active role in their own development, they shouldn't be encouraged to go at it alone. When organizations approach employee career paths as a partnership and make development a regular part of conversations, not only do they improve employee engagement but they also ensure development happens where the business needs it most."

Simply put, for creating growth-based cultures, organizations should design careers around the experiences of employees so they can grow along with the organization. 

Secondly, employees must be motivated with employability which means their capabilities, knowledge, skills, experiences, personal traits and achievements and not just title progression will make them more valuable to employers. 

Organizations should make available to employees targeted job opportunities before the employees decide to look for alternative jobs.

Managers should be allowed to export or import talent for which a talent brokerage must be created. This will help in overcoming the problem of "talent hoarding."