Break Out of a Career Rut With These 4 Communication Strategies

Do you consider yourself an ambitious leader but currently find that you’re stuck in a career rut, spinning your wheels without making progress?

Whether you’re dealing with career stagnancy or challenges negotiating a promotion, you may need some targeted, communications-based tactics to break free from your rut and achieve greater professional growth and fulfillment. The right communication can reinvigorate your career trajectory and put you on the right path.

Ready to leap forward and redefine your career in the year ahead? Here are four common career ruts senior leaders experience and the communication strategies you need to overcome them.

Career Rut 1: Career Stagnancy

Do you feel like you’ve been performing the same role or function for years? That you’ve made little to no progress or seen minimal growth for quite a while — even as the organization and teams around you have grown and evolved?

You may be experiencing career stagnancy. Career stagnancy is a common issue within the modern workplace, according to Forbes. A study found that while more than 60% of employers say they offer internal mobility opportunities, only about a third of employees agree. Likewise, 90% of employers say they provide career development opportunities, while under 70% of employees agree. Additionally, many workers say their job doesn’t provide mentorship or career path guidelines at all.

This can be frustrating, particularly for leaders who thrive on continual growth. This stagnancy may not be your fault and may not necessarily exist because future growth within your current role is impossible. Instead, it could be the result of a lack of dialogue.

To overcome this, initiate strategic, proactive dialogue with your mentors, peers, and supervisors, actively exploring and pursuing new challenges and opportunities. Don’t wait for someone to hand these opportunities to you. Look for them, identify them, and pursue them.

Consider scheduling regular check-ins with someone within your organization to discuss potential projects and opportunities that align with your career goals and how you can take these projects on, leading to greater growth.

Career Rut 2: Negotiating a Promotion or Pay Raise

Have you had multiple conversations with your supervisor about career advancement and salary increases that have led nowhere? Or maybe you haven’t been able to initiate the conversation at all.

If a promotion or pay raise is vital for your professional fulfillment, you need to have this conversation sooner rather than later. You can ensure it goes your way by creating and presenting a solid value proposition.

What achievements and accomplishments have you realized since stepping into your current role? What’s the value you bring to the organization? What potential contribution could you make if you were to have this new role, promotion, or pay raise? In other words, how will your organization benefit by giving you what you want?

In a well-organized presentation, provide specific examples of accomplishments, potential future accomplishments, and how you’ve positively impacted the organization thus far. Then, use this presentation to support your case during any discussions related to promotions and raises.

Career Rut 3: Navigating Organizational Change

If your organization has recently restructured, you may find you’re no longer sure where you stand. If you’re feeling uncertainty and reluctance within your role, it can become challenging to thrive and live up to your professional potential. Not only can this be a difficulty that you’re facing as a leader, but there’s also likely a trickle-down effect occurring, too, with your uncertainty impacting your teams and leading to reluctance and a lack of engagement on their part.

In these cases, it’s time for some transparent conversations, both between you and other senior leaders and between you and your teams. Everyone should clarify roles, expectations, and opportunities across the entire chain of command. Seek clarity from your leaders and then provide clarity to your teams.

Career Rut 4: Managing Team Conflicts

Lastly, maybe your career is stalled and going nowhere because your teams simply aren’t performing as they ought to — and it’s all because of inter-team conflicts. These conflicts can stall progress significantly and contribute to professional dissatisfaction for everyone, including you.

As a leader, if you’re seeing an above-average amount of conflict among your teams, take charge and facilitate constructive dialogue. Lead by example in resolving conflicts, emphasizing collaboration, and understanding differing perspectives. Encourage open dialogue and stress the importance of communication skills such as active listening. Mediate between your teams and guide discussions toward resolutions aligning with collective goals, thereby improving team dynamics and leadership effectiveness.

If you feel your executive presence and current communication strategies aren’t ideal for helping your teams manage their conflicts, it may be time to invest in leadership development training. Doing so can result in better overall communication and provide you with a range of confidence-building skills, including conflict management skills, greater resiliency, time management, and decision-making skills.

The Bottom Line

Whatever the root cause is, breaking out of a career rut requires deliberate action and strategic communication. By embracing these approaches, you can redefine your professional path and unlock new opportunities for growth and success.

Assess your current career challenges and apply strategies like these, reinvigorating your career. Register for our “Executive Dialogue: Mastering Strategic Communication” event on 12/11 to discover how to leverage communication as a strategic advantage in driving organizational performance.