Several years ago, some colleagues and I were discussing whether to promote a certain employee when someone mentioned how well this candidate had climbed “the corporate ladder.” It’s a term that often crops up in such discussions. So far, so routine. But then a co-worker said something that has stuck with me ever since: “Careers at this company are jungle gyms, not ladders. One day you’re on the monkey bars, next day you’re on the swings.”
Jungle gyms, not ladders. Now that resonated with me.
Beyond the Promotion
In the 10+ years I’ve been working at Amazon, I’ve often been asked how I’ve grown my career here. I’ve been promoted several times, moving into a more impactful and complex role with each upward move. Which is why my colleague’s “jungle gym” analogy spoke to me as it did. Career development is about much more than just promotions.
When talking to coworkers about their own careers, I try to steer them away from that subject and have them focus on their skills instead — those they have already, and ones they’d like to develop. It helps all of us to take a close, hard look at our capabilities. In my case, I’m great at coding and systems thinking — I can see something, lay it out quickly, and figure out how one output gets to the next one. But give me a blank slate to create a brand new idea and I’ll struggle to do so as effortlessly.
The Right Questions
A leadership book I really admire is Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility by Patty McCord, the former Chief Talent Officer at Netflix. Her career conversations sometimes start with questions such as: “What are your strengths, what excites you, where’s the opportunity to go do them?”
She’ll offer suggestions of how an employee might build a new skill set within their current job, rather than just waiting for a promotion. She might even suggest that they take a course or two over the next months to see if there’s an opportunity to move into a larger role. It’s a novel approach, and one I favor too. It can expand people’s horizons about their own career development.
By thinking in terms of a jungle gym, and not a corporate ladder, you realize how many skills there are to gain and obstacles to master. Climbing every which way can take you to that next level of growth, the one you’ve been aspiring to.
Questions Worth Asking
I’d like to leave you with a few questions as we head into the end of the year and, most likely, discussions with our managers.
If you look ahead to the next 12–18 months, what skill would you like to grow or acquire that you don’t have today?
Ask yourself the same questions that Patty McCord asks: “What are your strengths, what excites you? And where is there an opportunity to do that?” This might be on your team or maybe elsewhere in the company.
Is being promoted the goal that’s most important to you now? If so, what would you do differently if you were promoted tomorrow? And is that something you could start doing today, even before your actual promotion?
Titles are simple. Jobs are complex. The jungle gym is waiting.
