Why Smart Companies Still Struggle With Productivity and Engagement

Two puzzles show up again and again inside large organisations. First, despite decades of technological progress — computing, telecom, the internet — productivity gains have been disappointing. Second, despite endless engagement initiatives, team-building events, and leadership training, employees remain disengaged, sometimes even working against their own company's interests.

If you want to be promoted and take up a leadership position spend some time just thinking about your future. Write down what you would like to experience in your career, sketching out each stage and think about the route you might take towards that ultimate destination. This is the first stage in visualising your career goals. I’ll cover this in more detail in a later chapter. Your early career is when colleagues form opinions about your abilities, skills and reputation. If your colleagues and bosses form positive opinions about you, then you are ready to consider the next move.