I’m not saying that your shouldn’t find success in your career, just that you shouldn’t necessarily focus on the concept of a ‘corporate ladder.’ There’s absolutely another way. It’s not a ladder - it’s a lattice.
So what is a lattice, how is it different than a ladder, what's the real difference, and which is for you?
Both lattices and ladders exist within companies themselves and within your own career as a larger whole. At its core, a lattice is a new-ish way to design your career these days. It allows for lateral, upward , diagonal and sometimes even (good) downward moves - a lot like the lattice out back holding up your aunt Amelia's roses.
It's not just a modernization of the traditional corporate ladder career path. It was born out of younger managers and newer companies desires for “flat” organizations (meaning they are much more collaborative and much less hierarchical).
While a ladder is the traditional straight up-or-down path whereas a lattice allows ideas, skills, and titles to flow in different directions within companies and careers. The lattice concept is changing perceptions of both “productivity” and “progress”.
Employees and organizations are encouraged to allow the pursuit of interesting roles, assignments, initiatives, and projects that are a good fit for both the employee and the organization.
The ladder concept was invented during the Industrial Revolution. The thought was that by increasing the knowledge, responsibilities, and skills of employees there was a better chance of success for the organization as a whole. It was (and is) however, a strictly upward promotional path that focuses solely on additional responsibilities and higher pay for certain employees.
You are expected to start at one rung and you end at the top but only if you work “hard enough” and do exactly as prescribed. The problem with that is that Ladders tend to ignore employees’ individual goals and needs.
The traditional climbing of the corporate ladder isn't dead yet - you can still take a vertical approach to your career - it does however now make the most sense when you are on a specialist track and have a clear idea of the role expected of you, especially within particularly designed functions such as finance, legal, medical or scientific.
With a ladder, you gain subject matter expertise which deepens and grows as you become an expert in your field. You have clear job expectations and progress path while you become familiar and comfortable within rolls, organizations, and colleagues.
That comfort though comes with limited career advancement opportunities, especially within smaller companies as well as limited mobility and flexibility in terms of your personal interests.
When engaging in a lattice framework your ability to acquire your desired job within your current company or career as a whole can depend on a number of factors including policies and mindsets around employee career paths and your own desire/willingness to not follow the traditional latter approach.
A lattice approach to career development can apply to most job functions and does allow you to become a cross-functional generalist with a varied set of skills. It's a good approach for anyone considering a career change, attempting to create life/work balance, returning to the workforce, or anyone seeking to broaden their general experience.
A lattice means that you can move laterally, vertically, downward, or diagonally all with a focus on building your capabilities - not just reaching the next ladder rung.
You can move across an organization or organizations, not just up within a department or field. You'll be presented with opportunities to meet and work with different sets of people and engaging different skills. By taking on a new role in a different functionality, you broaden your perspective of the overall business and challenge yourself to learn more faster. This allows you to respond reflexively making you nimble, agile, and flexible.
There are some things to consider when deciding to go the lattice route, however. Sometimes lateral moves or moving down can be perceived negatively if hiring managers don't understand why you made those decisions and if they don't see them as decisions you actively made.
Also, some career moves will be accompanied by a smaller paycheck so you will need to be comfortable financially (and emotionally) enough to be comfortable swapping less cash, title, or status for the experience that you are aiming to gain. For many people moving within a company or taking on a completely new and different role at a different company can be more challenging than moving up of clearly prescribed ladder. On the flip side, many people thrive in this changeable, new experience focused environment.
So how do you get from where you are today to where you ultimately want to be within a lattice or a ladder?
No matter which path you select you to need to be your own best advocate. You will need to be the one making sure that your goals are being met and that you’re making room for the possibility that plans can and will most likely change. As your career evolves, your life and circumstances will change over time, you will need to create a career plan that fits your goals and your life.
Yours in career goodness-
EBS
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EB Sanders
Career Coach for Creative Types
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Helping you figure out what you want to do and how to do it your way!
