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If you are a manager and you are constantly frustrated with the lack of progress your career path is taking, then perhaps it is time you forgot the tips and advice you’ve been using.

If you are looking to manage your career put those tips aside and stop blaming yourself.

In truth, there are many factors affecting career development, some of which are out of your control. The reason that managers, like you, are not progressing up the corporate ladder as they wished is because some career advice simply doesn’t fit them as individuals.

Even worse, when you fail to follow this ill-fitting advice, you don’t blame it, instead you blame yourself.

So, what do you do then? Some managers look for more advice and this leads to a vicious cycle where your inability to progress results in failure after failure.

Get the Right Mindset

What you need is a mindset that will help you manage your career like a business. Take a look at the trends that are shaping your industry and niche. Pay attention to what the experts are saying about these trends, and future trends too.

You also need to be honest with yourself and identify your strengths, and decide whether these are marketable. Take a step back and look at the company you are working for. What skills do you have to acquire to become more valuable to yourself and your future employers? Go out and get those skills and make learning a part of your day.

The next step is to map the path to where you want to go in your career out on a large sheet of paper or create a flow diagram on your computer. Create smaller goals within these larger ones. Smaller goals are much more achievable and as you attain them celebrate your success. This will give you a renewed energy to work hard and achieve your long term goals.

Make Sure You Are Seen

Maintaining visibility is key to being noticed and subsequently promoted. Make sure your good work and successes are noticed. You don’t need to blow your own trumpet each day; that is only going to get you tagged as a braggart. Instead, build a solid team around you and make sure your work is so good that your team, and your work itself speaks for you.

Always Have a Plan B

Having a fallback plan or a “Plan B” is crucial to your success. Why? If you are too focused on Plan A – your dream goal, and it doesn’t happen quite like you would have hoped, then you will be disappointed and may give up.

We can’t control anything or everything around us. Things happen that can disrupt our plans which are unforeseen and random. It just makes sense to have a Plan B which is well thought out and planned in detail.

Without a fallback plan you may find when things go wrong the shock, stress and anger may push you into making choices which are not good for your long-term career.

A Plan B is a practical safety net that provides you with viable options and gives you clarity and direction when things go awry.

And always remember:

Great managers are made. Not born.

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