What about someone who DOESN’T want to advance?

Staying Put

What do you say when someone wants to stay in their role for the foreseeable future? They just don’t want to advance and take on more responsibility. Here are a few thoughts on this common situation.

Leaders are usually in their positions because they have a record of seeking more responsibility, and wanting to advance. It can seem unusual to a leader if someone else doesn’t want that.  It’s essential to remember that this is each person’s preference, and someone may have lots of good reasons behind what they want or don’t want.

If a person is wanting to “stay where they are” and is meeting expectations in both WHAT they do (results), as well as HOW they do it (behaviors & communications), then Congratulations! That person is consistently getting the job done.

Lifelong Learning

In conversations around a team member wanting future work to “be the same”, it will be essential to include the requirement of evolving with the role…the job description, tools, processes, and players that define a job today will certainly change. Make it clear that part of every job is to grow with and continue to meet new requirements, So, an essential workplace skill is lifelong learning for team members to incorporate new tools or processes.

It’s critical to say these things out loud, so team members know that things “won’t be the same forever”, and to set the expectation that learning and adapting is part of every role, now and tomorrow.