Your Potential
Managers love to talk about the team member who thinks they’re Steve Jobs. But I want to talk instead about all of you who have vast troves…
Managers love to talk about the team member who thinks they’re Steve Jobs. But I want to talk instead about all of you who have vast troves of untapped potential.
I’ve been talking with a lot of you, and many of you have this in common: You haven’t yet achieved in your career or business the success you’re capable of. You don’t have the title or role that reflects your value, and you’re not getting paid what you’re worth.
Many have a hard time processing the disconnect between what they’ve achieved and what they know they’re capable of. We might know what we want, but maybe lack the confidence, the sense of safety, or the feeling of empowerment that seems to carry others swiftly and surely into swirling faster waters.
I understand this is especially relevant for women, people of color, and other communities who have historically been marginalized and underrepresented in our workplace. That sucks.
I used to be very stupid about this, and I’m still learning. I’m more aware today of how privileged and unhelpful for someone like me to say “stand up for what you’re worth” or “be your own advocate” when I enjoy more safety doing that than you might. I was a dumbass about this for a long time, and I’m sorry.
Lately I am trying to focus my energy more on influencing other leaders: Let’s work harder to make sure we’re not perpetuating bias by relying on outdated ideas about how people are supposed to advocate for themselves.
Earlier I wrote about the idea that people should execute in a higher-level role for a while before they can be promoted to it. This and other ideas about what makes an employee eligible for promotion that are dripping with bias and stereotypes that favor the status quo.
One example is the use of the world “charisma” to describe an important skill for product managers, or “gravitas” in just about any job description. (All of the worst people I know are loaded down with charisma and gravitas. Many of the people I really want to work have next to none.)
In my opinion, it’s the role of the manager to ensure the successful career development of all of your team members. Each has strengths and weaknesses and deserves my help in maximizing the former and overcoming the latter.
Each may be impacted by bias or discrimination. This could be ongoing, or it could be in the past. Probably both. Part of my duty of care as a manager is to ensure that no team member is harmed by bias on my watch.
Managers can help to level the playing field by assessing their own role in the career development of their team. Be scrupulous in eliminating sources of unconscious bias in your performance assessments. Tell your team that you assume responsibility for understanding their goals for advancement, and be an active partner in helping to achieve them.
When I look back on my career, the successes I’m most proud of happened when I helped my colleagues level up in their careers. It’s an amazing feeling, and I hope you to feel it too.