One Strategy to Solve All Career Problems

You have a problem in your career right now (if you look close enough).

It could be anything.

Not getting promoted. Not leading projects. Not learning. Not feeling fulfilled.

And the worst of all, not growing.

How do we fix these problems if we don't know what to do?

Strategy: Ask questions to solve your problems

This is basic advice, but it's the easiest way to fix your problems.

How often you do ask questions that will generate answers that help you solve your problems? Probably not often, considering the fact that you have a problem right now. If you were using this strategy, you wouldn't have these problems.

So if we are going to use this strategy, what questions do we ask?

First, lets outline questions you shouldn't ask.

Types of questions to NOT ask

Before know what you ask, you need to know what not to ask.

Rule number one: Don't ask yes/no questions.

Do you think I'm ready for a promotion?
Can I lead the next project?
Am I on the right growth trajectory?

These questions make it to easy for the other person (usually your manager) to say yes or no without any additional context. A yes/no answer doesn't give you any valuable information you can use to change your behavior and solve your problem. It also creates a conversation that feels awkward. It's awkward because you want the conversation to continue while the other person is expecting it to end.

Ditch the yes/no questions and switch to a better strategy.

Types of questions to ask

Ask open-ended questions.

Open-ended questions are the opposite of yes/no questions. They force the responder to think about their answer and respond with substance. The responder (sometimes you) will be more likely to give you nuggets of information you can action on that will help you solve your problems.

If you're not getting promoted:

What are your expectations of someone performing at the next level?
What is the one area I'm lacking that is holding back my growth?
How can I change my behavior to make more impact?

If you're not leading projects:

What projects can I own to help me improve?
What small projects can I take off your plate to make your life easier?
How can I manage projects better?

If you're not learning:

What can I learn that will make me better at my job?
What project or task roadblocks do I always encounter because of a lack of knowledge or skill?
How do I go about learning a new skill?

If you're not fulfilled:

What would make me enjoy my job?
What makes me dislike my job? And how can I change it?

Sometimes you ask these questions to other people, and sometimes you ask them to yourself.

The most important thing is that you ask them.

Then continue your path to growth.