• (54%) Senior leadership doesn't spend enough time on talent management strategies.  One respondent stated "Senior managers aren't managing their time well or don't see the point of managing people and getting the best out of them."
• (50%) Line managers fail to categorize their people as top, average or underperforming
• (45%) Line managers fail to deal with chronic underperformance by employees.
• (51%) Managers focus on the interests of one part of the organization rather than the whole. One interviewee said "People will choose to resign and reapply for another division rather than signal to their manager that they are not committed.  Without sponsorship, you're nothing here.  You're basically seen as a traitor to your division."
• (39%) Managers have a lack of understanding about the organization's most critical jobs and succession planning.  One HR manager stated "We do succession planning to an unbelievable degree, but once we do it, we don't ever use it.  Never have we reviewed a senior vacancy and looked at the succession plan.  It's almost done as just another tick in the HR box."

These results indicate that managers aren't really looking at you.  Why aren't you recognized?  Nobody is looking.  Even if they can create a plan they can work to, they won't.  As with the policies that get handed down to employees, if it's not easy it won't get done.  Therefore, your best strategy is to do the work for them.  Let them know where you should be, how you are getting there and when you'll be done. 

The Blitz Approach will overcome these barriers. 

First, the use of your Blitz team can easily aid senior managers in deciding where to put you.  The team will simply define and make visible the path you seek. 

Second, the Blitz team will help make you a top performer and ensure that's exactly what everyone can see. 

Third, your team will network across the organization to open doors wherever they are.  No part of the company becomes unreachable.  The team helps build the strategy and then helps you get there. 

Lastly, the Blitz Approach helps you design a succession plan for the manager you want to replace by ensuring you possess the skills and demonstrate mastery. 

You can make great strides in improving your career mobility by first realizing that your success is not on everyone's mind.  It's only on yours.  This may be exactly what managers are doing as well.  Improve your opportunities by helping managers define and create them.   


* Guthridge, M., Komm, A. and E. Lawson, " The people problem in talent managment." The McKinsey Quarterly, 2006, Number 2.