Unprepared for advancement

I spent the day with three separate people yesterday, but in some way, the theme was the same. Opportunity. One in particular stood out though, a guy who I haven't been training very long, wanting to advance in his organization and has even applied to a position that he wants. He is unlikely to get it though, as unlike some of my other clients, he is not what you would call proactive.

Even though technically capable, the position he has aimed for is one that requires a deep understanding of people, the ability to work with a diverse mix of talent and field, and a strong willingness to continually build relationships. His current role, he prefers to do via email as it is 'unnecessary' for him to do it face to face.

What he doesn't realise though is that I work with the people he emails a lot also and in my dealings, it is imperative that he gets in front of them more often than the few times a year he does. Not for him, for them. And this is the issue he has failed to realise, even though he has technical skills, he has failed with the interpersonal, the skills required to not only do the job, but to also get the job.

Many fail to realise how important relationships and the ability to build them matter. Yes, for the most part, technical capabilities are vital but, they are generally expected prerequisites. It is what is left off the paper and CV that separates the average from the good and everyone seems to believe that what they currently possess is adequate, even though they have never actually actively learned, observed or even thought about them before.

We are all blind to ourselves in many ways and often do not realise we are deficient in some areas that may hinder us from getting to where we want to be. For my client, he is likely to be disappointed with the results this time however, it gives us some focal points to work upon in the future and maybe at some point, he will get another opportunity at it. The difference being, he will be much better prepared to take it.

Taraz
[ an original ]

The photos in this set are from the streets and canals of Amsterdam.