Career Path Management

The members of work teams often self-select into functional areas that align with their personal profile – i.e. the tasks to be undertaken, the methodologies used, and the culture of the work team are generally congruent with their personal profile. Under these circumstances, their personal performance is likely to reflect positive attitudes, and performance at the top end of their capability. When the team are similarly matched, and the systems and structures are supportive, the performance of the group is likely to be superior.

People do take jobs that do not align with their personal profile for financial or other reasons, and depending on the degree of misalignment, this can result in the person feeling stressed and de-energised. Their performance is likely to reflect this.

Career paths of managers often do not allow the luxury of this self-selective process, and the new managers may have a personal profile that is not congruent with the cultural needs of the work place they manage. Inevitably the manager will reinforce his or her own preferred Drives, reward behaviours that align with those Drives, and discourage different Drives. The effect on the team members will be to change from the positive, proactive behaviours of their Drives, to negative, reactive behaviours associated with their Drives. The performance of the work place will suffer, and the manager will be seen to be a failure.

This is an unfair outcome for both the work team and the manager. A potentially excellent managerial career may be curtailed by an inappropriate assignment. Management Drives enables sophisticated understanding of appropriate career paths for individuals that promotes workplace performance and enables Managers to shine.