Kick-starting stalled careers

By DR MARIE WILSON*

Q: I am a mid-level manager and a mother of three children aged two, four and eight. I have made the conscious decision to put my career on hold until my kids are all settled at school, but I can see that I will need additional qualifications or experience - or something - to get my career going again.

I am basically feeling in a rut in my job and am a bit concerned that my decision to have children will leave me stalled in my career. How can I plan to keep my career moving while also honouring my commitment to my kids?

A: The effects of child-rearing on women's careers is well-documented, and a holding pattern of 5 to 10 years is common.

This is a good time to get moving again, with your youngest about three years from school. Your idea about additional qualifications is probably a good one.

There are a number of programmes at diploma and masters level that are developed and delivered for professionals with many years of experience.

You could opt to deepen your current knowledge base, or add new complementary skills to your development, depending on how you would like your career to progress.

Most of these programmes are held one or two nights a week and can be studied part-time over two to three years.

In addition to upgrading your skills and qualifications, these also start redeveloping the business networks that women often let lapse while their children are young.

After you are engaged in these activities, and closer to the time that your youngest enters school, you might start taking on additional projects at your current position that will re-engage you in the career structures there, and build the achievements section of your CV.

Six months to a year before you are ready to give your career a boost, you will want to begin getting your CV, interviewing and presentation skills up to date.

If you have been involved in a degree or diploma programme, the institution where you have been studying may offer assistance and training in these areas.

Then you will be ready to let your networks (inside and outside your current organisation) know that you are ready for a move - and start looking for one.

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Q: My manager continually picks on a colleague. She will shout at him for not doing a job, but won't have given him enough information to ensure he can get the job done.

She doesn't keep my colleague informed about issues such as IT problems on the network - even "forgets" to tell him about meetings some times.

He is now getting really stressed and is losing self-esteem because he feels he isn't doing his job properly. He doesn't want to complain because he thinks he should be able to deal with her.

A: Your colleague has to speak up, both to his manager and further up the organisation if he doesn't get results. If he doesn't feel he can speak up, then he may want to ask for help from the union, if he belongs to one, or from the company if they have a mediator or other assistance programme.

He may also be able to receive assistance through the Employment Relations Service.

Basically, he cannot be expected to perform well if his work is frustrated by poor management. The job of the manager is to enable the performance of others, not prevent it.

The behaviour you are reporting may constitute harassment and, at worst, could breach some legal expectations of employment.

You may also wish to speak to your HR manager or your manager's boss, as this does represent a risk to the company, both in diminished morale and performance in your area of the organisation, as well as potential financial loss to the organisation through turnover (which is very expensive) or through a personal grievance (which is also potentially very expensive).

* Dr Marie Wilson is associate professor of management at the University of Auckland, research director of the ICEHOUSE business accelerator and a veteran of 20 years in corporate management and small business.

* Email your questions for Dr Marie Wilson to answer.