There are phases in careers. ("Four Stages of Professional Careers," Dalton, Thompson and Price) You can find the original article on Google Scholar.
When one first joins an organization out of school, one is in the Apprentice phase in which one relies on others to show them how things work technically and organizationally.
At some point, with no apparent recognition, one knows what to do and how to do it. At this point one has become a self-reliant functioning professional. In terms of the Career Concepts model (see my website for a free opportunity to take the self-assessment tool) one is then a “technical expert.” See "Career Concepts" half way down this page: https://faculty.darden.virginia.edu/clawsonj/index.htm
Thereafter, one may or may not be promoted into management wherein one supervises other people. This requires a jump in skill set from doing to skills in getting other people to do. Many experts are inappropriately promoted into management just because they do a good job. Everyone I’ve ever met has seen a good doer ruined by promotion into management. Doers accept that promotion for more money without knowing themselves and unless they can let go of doing and pick up managing its a formula for failure.
Some managers are then promoted into “sponsor” phase in which they become responsible for the health of the organization vis a vis the outside. Whereas management is internally focused, sponsors must understand and manage strategic issues that ensure the organization’s survival. This is yet another and different set of skills.
There are no set time lines for these steps. Indeed many if not most experts actually prefer to spend their careers doing rather than managing. Also, the timelines for movement through these phases, assuming one a) wants to and b) can acquire the new skills required vary from company to company.
Finally, I note there is a fine line between respecting historical success and going through the constructive destruction required in innovation. The pace of change is critical and varies widely from industry to industry.
When one first joins an organization out of school, one is in the Apprentice phase in which one relies on others to show them how things work technically and organizationally.
At some point, with no apparent recognition, one knows what to do and how to do it. At this point one has become a self-reliant functioning professional. In terms of the Career Concepts model (see my website for a free opportunity to take the self-assessment tool) one is then a “technical expert.” See "Career Concepts" half way down this page: https://faculty.darden.virginia.edu/clawsonj/index.htm
Thereafter, one may or may not be promoted into management wherein one supervises other people. This requires a jump in skill set from doing to skills in getting other people to do. Many experts are inappropriately promoted into management just because they do a good job. Everyone I’ve ever met has seen a good doer ruined by promotion into management. Doers accept that promotion for more money without knowing themselves and unless they can let go of doing and pick up managing its a formula for failure.
Some managers are then promoted into “sponsor” phase in which they become responsible for the health of the organization vis a vis the outside. Whereas management is internally focused, sponsors must understand and manage strategic issues that ensure the organization’s survival. This is yet another and different set of skills.
There are no set time lines for these steps. Indeed many if not most experts actually prefer to spend their careers doing rather than managing. Also, the timelines for movement through these phases, assuming one a) wants to and b) can acquire the new skills required vary from company to company.
Finally, I note there is a fine line between respecting historical success and going through the constructive destruction required in innovation. The pace of change is critical and varies widely from industry to industry.
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