Page 113 - Free Yourself From

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

wanted to let you know that I am not entirely satisfied with what
I am doing and where it is taking me. My goal is to be a chief
financial officer. Here are some areas I would like to work in that
would help me to further develop and prepare for that role. I
would welcome your ideas and perceptions, and I hope we can
come up with a plan for my career here. If that’s not possible, I
may need to consider options outside of the organization.

The discussion you are setting up with this summation should
bring more objectivity and focus to your strategizing and planning.
And it should help you to have a constructive conversation with peo-
ple who can help you to shape and develop your career. It helps you
to pursue a conversation that will be less emotional and more busi-
nesslike. The response you receive might not be what you are hop-
ing for or what you expect, and you need to be prepared for that.
But, for better or for worse, it will clarify the should-I-stay-or-should-
I-go discussion going on in your head and take the anguish out of
your decision.

The Next Job . . . and the Next One

If you’ve decided it’s time to move to a new job in your company or
to a new company, then you need a good framework for sizing up the
opportunities you seek and create for yourself. To that end, you ought
to think about what you want your next two jobs to be. Figure out
how to get the first one, then the second one.
Here’s a realistic timeframe: In year one, you are learning the
job. In year two, you are doing it well and producing results and
making meaningful connections with people in your new circle. In
year three, you’ll want to start looking at what else you can do in
that job to build toward your overall plan. It’s also time to start dis-
cussing opportunities for job number two with your new boss and