Overcoming Your Career Plateau: How to Move Forward and Reach New Heights

A career plateau can minimise your career opportunities and, if left to fester too long, can damage your reputation and leave you feeling miserable about your work. Although it can sneak up on us, it doesn’t happen overnight and can take us unawares. For a time, feeling fulfilled, we can hum along, having an impact and making a difference. Your career plateau is representative of your comfort zone, and the comfort zone is nothing but exactly that—comfortable. You will have to step outside your comfort zone, where it can keep us trapped in a false sense of security, if you want to move past your current plateau. When tackling a difficult conversation, there is no other way past that, which might involve taking on a new project, raising your profile, or stepping into a completely new role.

To get to the next level, what got you to this point in your career is not what it will take. The saying goes, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten.” So, in your thinking, actions, attitude, and behaviours, a little up-levelling will be required. The things you tell yourself about your career that are important to you and your underlying beliefs about what you are capable of are also important. With what we “say” we want, progress is near impossible when our internal dialogue is out of alignment with or even in conflict. Then you’re absolutely going to run into recurring resistance to growth. For example, to lead a bigger team and manage a bigger budget if you’re thinking you’d like but your ongoing self-talk is “who am I to think I could do that” or “I’m not worthy”.

Is it conceivable that you have reached a career plateau because you are apprehensive about both failing and succeeding? To accept a little risk and face your fears, moving past this plateau will absolutely require you. If you were to stay exactly where you are for another 12 months and consider for a moment the risks to you, your health, your sanity, and your professional reputation—let’s face it, our fears are almost always unfounded in our favour!

Know what inspires you to take action and what your strengths are. Know where you add the most value and what you love to do. Know what drains it away and gives you the energy that drives commitment, passion, and fulfilment. A question to yourself is important, so ask yourself, “Am I tapping into the best of me in my current work?” It’s effortless to become complacent when we’re not motivated enough. But the question is, do you consider yourself someone who is willing to settle for less than they deserve?