Moving Up The Corporate Ladder and Avoiding Common Pitfalls for the Fresh at Work

Moving up the corporate ladder will eventually come into your mind regardless of how new you are at the workplace. It is never too early to think about it. A conscious awareness of this goal can put you into motion of adopting some good habits. It will also make you aware of some bad habits to avoid at work.

Moving up the corporate ladder takes tenacity and energy. You must be able to have a dogged attitude and determined action. Having one without the other is formula for wasted effort.

I have observed through the years how some newbies at work seem to have wasted their effort and wondered what went wrong when they do not seem to move up the corporate ladder.

What are some common pitfalls you should avoid? To be sure, your guiding principle should be to have a dogged attitude and determined action.

What does this mean? While moving up the corporate ladder, remember you need to concentrate. Never lose focus on what the goals of the corporation or unit and how you can contribute towards these. Act upon these goals with a constant reflective mind. Which means think carefully about your plans and execute them.

Once you understand these, here are the common pitfalls to avoid:

1. Procrastination
I know, this sounds so cliché. You probably expected something that is ‘sexier’, something you probably do not hear often. But let me assure you, the reason this is cliché is precisely because it is a common pitfall for a lot of young executives. In fact, it is even common in managers.

I have a manager that I am very impressed with however her biggest flaw is procrastination. She never fails to come up with wonderful ideas and plans. When it comes to executing them she fails to follow through. Even when I have approved and backed the very plans she presented. Needless to say moving up the corporate ladder for her is delayed because of this pitfall. A dogged attitude and determined action is what will help you move up the corporate ladder. Mere ideas that are not executed is not enough.

2. Half Hearted Execution
The next common problem that I see is half hearted execution amongst newbies at work on projects assigned to them. Remember, you are going to be eventually evaluated based on your execution also. You need flawless execution to show you have the skills to follow through.

Having all the plans and knowing the plans is one thing. Possessing the determined action to make sure there is flawless execution is equally important if you plan on moving up the corporate ladder.

Many executives start they projects with fervor. However, halfway through when they meet with challenges they tend to give up or pretend that the problem does not exist. They proceed with half their heart in it. Soon the project risks being derailed, as there is no determined action to follow through on the plans. Obviously, if this sounds familiar to what you have been doing, it is time to start reflecting on your actions. Before long, it may hurt your plans on moving up the corporate ladder.

3. Sidetracked and Preoccupied
One of my pet peeve when it comes to projects being executed is by people who are easily sidetracked and always seem preoccupied with other things than the work at hand. These executives seem to always fight fire. They always have the energy to attend to multitudes of small crisis that needs their attention. They have all sorts of excuses except for the reason to attend to the project at hand. These people lack concentration.

In moving up the corporate ladder, you need to realize that having boundless energy is not enough. You need to concentrate on the unit’s (or on a bigger scale – the company’s) priorities. Otherwise, you lose focus and you get sidetracked. If this happens often to you, then your moving up the corporate ladder plan will surely be knocked off tracked.

Consider these pitfalls to avoid when planning and executing the company or your unit’s plan. When you are able to concentrate consistently and have thorough follow through, you are almost assured of success in your moving up the corporate ladder plan.