Page 111 - Free Yourself From

94 It’s Not a Glass Ceiling, It’s a Sticky Floor

else come to us and share their view of our talents and potential. We
then consider those greater opportunities, versus investing time to
become more aware of our own hidden strengths and desires and
taking accountability for what we really want. It sometimes seems
more natural for our boss to come to us and say, “I really see you as
a strong managing director.”
But consider this question that I routinely ask the women I coach:
Who would you rather have influence your next job or shape your
career path for the next decade, you or someone else?
Whoever that someone else might be, that person probably won’t
have the same grasp on your desires, motivations, and strengths that
you do. This person might frame the so-called opportunities pre-
sented to you around the open boxes that need to be filled, rather
than around your needs and desires. Or worse, this person might just
see your work as a vehicle for furthering his or her career without any
consideration for yours.
Of course, the answer to the question is that you are better off
in your own driver’s seat. Once again, this takes us back to the need
to pause—just briefly—from the day-to-day details to think about a
long-term and short-term plan.
Yes, the vision thing—men and women who are executive suite
material think out the next job long before they even raise their hand
for it.
I had one woman I was coaching who always talked about what
she wanted her last job to be. She wanted to oversee the human
resources for a major organization and she wanted a seven-figure
salary. We talked on a regular basis about the interim jobs that
would get her there, and whenever a new opportunity came up I
would ask her, “Is this job the next stepping-stone toward your ulti-
mate goal?”
Following is a shorthand version of the analysis I went through
with her, to get you thinking about your career more strategically
and proactively.