Whose ladder to success is it?

Let’s drag out the old cliché one more time – If you only have a hammer, everything looks like a nail. If you think you only have one choice for a solution, then you use that one for every challenge.

Sounds stupid doesn’t it?

Well, that is what organization leaders do when they assume that there is only one option for rewarding success and for motivating people to develop and improve their performance.

That one option for professional growth … climb the organization ladder … become a good performer … become a supervisor, then a manager, then a director, then a vice president and then you are successful. As one CEO asked us recently, “We only have thirty people in our organization and there are only four top positions. How do we motivate and promote people in this situation?”

The answer is simple: (1) Recognize that there are more options than the pyramid climbing career path and (2) Actually see the person before you and discover what success means to them and then together set a path for success that makes sense to what is important to them and to the success of your organization.

More Options:

Only a few people are actually motivated to climb to the top of a company’s organization chart. Many only do it because that is the only way their company provides more pay, more juicy assignments and more development as a professional.

There are at least four major patterns for success progression that organizations can utilize. Note: This model came from the research of Will McWhinney at the Fielding Institute. (Thanks, Will!)

1.    The Expert or Craftsman

Many people, such as surgeons, artists and scientists, are motivated to become better and better at their craft. This also holds true for many designers, engineers, or any person who identifies more with that profession than with a position or even company. They like more and more complex and juicy projects that allow them to hone their skills and improve their status as a top professional.

2.    The Episodic

Often sales people, venture capitalists or serial entrepreneurs are motivated by the thrill of the hunt. They love the next challenge and chance to add to their “pinball game score.” Give them new territory to explore and new challenges where they can score big.

3.    The Life-Long Developer

They may look at times like pyramid climbers because they often move up in positions, but they are really on a pathway of self-development. For example, one top insurance executive started out as a company lawyer and soon became in charge of the whole law department. Then he decided to take a lateral step to the line operation side of the business and soon became the top leader in one of the divisions. Later he became interested in organizational change and headed up a major change process for the whole company (this is where we met him). His pathway was not a straight line up the pyramid, He moved laterally, back and forward and upward across the organization. His motivation wasn’t titles, it was personal and professional growth that satisfied his diverse interests and his need to learn and explore his abilities.

4.    The Pyramid Climber

This is what most organizational charts and reward systems are designed to honor and reward. It is all about gaining more responsibility, bigger titles, higher pay and greater control of the performance of the organization.

Leaders will better serve their people and their entire enterprise performance if they begin to implement these major four pathways to success. Giving people more options for recognition, rewards and development will give the organization more options for successfully growing and innovating.

How many ladders does your organization have?   

—Dan Beam