Can you identify the roadblocks that may stall your career?

Written by: Roger R. Pearman

Bosses do not give enough feedback, and when they do, it is often too late for the kind of adjustment that is needed for an individual to be successful.  Ideally, feedback is naturally occurring on a regular basis, which outlines what an individual needs to continue to do or to tweak to be successful.  As a result of the dearth of effective feedback, individuals get into trouble before they realize it.

Individuals who are hired for a particular job present the technical skills and know how to do the job.  What is also critical is how the individual will fit in the organization.  And fit has to do with behaviors, perspectives, and attitudes about the work.

>> Learn more at the webinar: REALITY CHECK: We are hired for our skills and fired for our behaviors

Imagine that Javier shows up for the interview.  He has all of the necessary technical skills.  He is charming and gregarious—seems like a good worker.  Not long after he starts work, he is seen as not responsive to feedback, unwilling to collaborate on the team—he wants to be an individual star, and the initial good will as a new employee evaporates.  By the time he is given feedback, his 90-day probationary period has passed.  If he had been given the Career Roadblocks Finder, he could have been coached on those certain behaviors that were essential to success.  While it’s not too late since the report could help set the stage for a very important conversation, a lot of energy has been wasted and he is headed in the wrong direction.

Looking at the trends from decades of research, career trouble falls into two broad categories: Work-Related Behaviors like Work Focus, Working with Others, Team Sensitivity, Relationship Building and Political Savvy.  A second category is Self-Management Behaviors like Career Mindset, Patience, Information Management, Growth Orientation, Empathy, and Future Orientation.

The Career Roadblocks Finder provides you with an early warning system so that you can identify areas that might need to be adjusted for you to be successful.  For example, if working with others in a collaborative way is mission critical on your job, you need to be clear about the behaviors that are essential to demonstrate.  Or, if demonstrating patience in a service-oriented role is essential, just how patient are you?

Knowing which behaviors can block or stall your career is just as important as knowing which behaviors will accelerate your career.  And the Career Roadblocks Finder gives you all three.  You will receive specific tips and markers for the kinds of behaviors that will make a difference in your career development.

As it is titled, the Career Roadblocks Finder is designed to give you the insight you need to soar by removing those barriers that can shorten your career.

Shop the Career Roadblocks Finder online assessment from HRDQ.