If a team member does not see that he/she has opportunity for career development due to the company’s background and internal human issues, should one give up and leave the team? If not, how should he/she deal with this unfair situation?
The Team Doc Says…
This is a tough situation. It doesn’t feel very good to most people when they feel like they are not a part of building a team. And in this day and age, although career development is the responsibility of each team member, it’s important to have the support of leadership to make that happen. The place most team members should start to solve this problem is with themselves by identifying what is most important for their future.
- Take some time to identify your key values and what you think are the values of the organization. Is there a match? If not, how big is the mismatch? Small enough to get past? Too big to overcome?
- Define your key skills and talents. Is there a better fit for you somewhere else in the organization? What would it take for you to move there? Training, mentoring, additional education or something else? Is there an internal career path defined that you could begin working toward?
- Sit down with your team leader and share the discoveries you’ve made about yourself. Ask for some help in making those things happen.
It sounds like there may be some additional conflict issues involved in your situation. The bottom line is only you can decide if staying with a team and building the future together is the right thing. Taking some time to delve into your values, skills and talents match with the organization can help you clarify your direction.
