Applying Career Development Principles In The Year 2010

Historically, career development within the organization amounted to the human resources department offering career counseling and some support services to employees.  This was more a way for the best in their class to rise to the top.  There was little linkage to the overall organization goals, just help them get some training.  Managers did not see a clear link to their goals and so were suspicious of all the “feel good” stuff.  Career plans were more budget document than they were ever used to support the organization’s strategies and business goals.

Today there is a better understanding of career development being a necessary component to help organizations compete and develop during up and down swings and market trends.  Smart management realizes a “bridge between business strategy and individual development” is necessary to compete and survive.  Career goals can no longer be expressed as job aspirations, but about identifying and developing needed organizational competencies.  Jobs and positions have shown to quickly become obsolete with the evolution of technology and the birth of new knowledge.  Career development has moved away from the career ladder approach and is more in sync with the career lattice approach. 

While the career ladder has been a reliable and motivational model from which individual development has sprung, today individuals have to consider lateral moves and even taking a step down within an organization before moving on to learn new skills and competencies.  Several assumptions in the past have proven archaic: one, is that individuals are responsible for their own career development, and the other is that it is about career paths and job acquisition.  The business environment of the 21^st Century requires a collaborative effort and focus on developing and leveraging talent to support organizational goals and strategies.  It is no longer about the right person for the right job, but rather more about lifelong learning and continual reassessment of the business environment to the competencies needed for organizational survival.

References:

Career Intelligence: The 12 New Rules For Work & Life Success (B. Moses)

Reinventing Career Development for the 21^st Century (S. Forrer & H. D. Lea)

A Study of Career Development Programs in Wisconsin Municipal Police Agencies (G. Everts)

The Role of Career Development In Improving Organizational Effectiveness and Employee Development (R. Merchant Jr.)

Building A Career Development Program:  Nine Steps For Effective Implementation (R Knowdell)

Career Development and The Blueprint For Life/Work Designs