This article resonates so much with me. As a dancer in my spare time, we often talk about "flow". We say of a person that they have a good "flow" when they move well, that it's fluid, not jerky... Reading this article, I realize that this expression can be applied so much in our career path. Find your "flow", make it flow naturally.... When everything is aligned. I hope this article will also speak to other people as it spoke to me.
Please note that I am not saying that climbing is not the right path (I am a climber myself :-)) and I think that there is no right or wrong way to approach your career and to see it evolve. The main thing is that whatever path you take, this one suits you and is the perfect path for you.
I like the way Bridget explains how collaboration works better than competition. I feel exactly the same than her, working with others is central to what I do and what I care about. My career is richer for having others contribute their expertise and not weaker.
She gives some good tips to start your own journey on a career river model rather than career ladder like: finding your ocean, embracing variety, navigating obstacles & finding strengh in collaboration.
Wishing you good reading !
Charlotte
This also helps with career changes. On a career ladder, you might "lose" a rung or have to start climbing again at a new organization. It feels like a step back. A river's curves and changes in direction are all part of the journey. What came before informs what flows after. This takes some of the pressure off job-hunting decisions, too. While a career ladder has only one direction, a career river can create a delta of many different paths, all equally valid to pursue. Not only is it ok to shift directions, it's expected. We need to give ourselves the freedom to explore what matters to us instead of locking ourselves to one inflexible path.