Sadly this is all too common.  When I was working in Finance Departments in a range of organisations I had the opportunity to work with people who have since gone on to very senior level roles.  However, there were far more who quite simply got stuck at a very junior or middle management level.

So why do professional people who are clearly bright and capable find it a struggle to progress their careers?

1. They don’t work on the wider skill set that is essential at the more senior levels.  The reality is that at the more senior levels everyone being interviewed can do the technical part of the job.  It is the ability to be part of a team and contribute outside of your area of expertise that makes the difference.
2. They don’t have a plan that sets out what they want to achieve and the skills, experience and attributes that are necessary to achieve what they want.
3. They don’t evaluate opportunities as effectively as they could so end up taking jobs that offer short term benefits like salary.
4. They don’t invest sufficiently in their CPD even though the professional bodies of which they are members offer a range of CPD events most of which are low or no cost.
5. They fail to understand the fundamental differences about leading.  I once heard someone say that leadership is all about influence, impact and human interaction which in my book describes it in a nutshell.

So if you want to progress your career in 2010, take some time to stand back and get clear on what you want to achieve and put some plans in place to move forward.  You might also want to check out my Career Accelerator Workbook

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to become highly effective leaders and managers so that they realise their real professional potential.

While this survey was specifically aimed at accountants and finance professionals, chances are that it the results would be very similar if aimed at a wider group of professionals.

At times like this, professionals without doubt come under scrutiny and questions are asked about the cost of these functions.  Yet in reality, it is at times like this that professional staff have the opportunity to really demonstrate the range of expertise that they have.  For example:

• Accountants play a vital role in the area of cash management and working capital which is likely to be one of the top, if not the top challenge facing businesses
• Purchasing professionals can look to re-negotiate key contracts to get the best deal possible for the organisation
• Internal audit professionals can ensure that there are robust risk management processes in place
• Legal professionals can play a vital role in ensuring that employers go through all of the necessary steps where it is deemed necessary to reduce staff numbers.

Bottom Line – Professionals who are ready and willing to step up to the plate and demonstrate leadership really can make a huge contribution to the long term prosperity of the organisations they work for.  The question is are they ready to grab this opportunity?