Supervising the plateaued worker. (includes a related article on assessing training needs)

Supervising the Plateaued Worker

One change in today's business world that will probably affect the supervisor as much, if not more, than any other is the increase in plateaued workers. The career plateau can be described how effective the worker is, there is simply no room in the organization for advancement. Because the number of highly qualified people in the workforce is increasing at a much faster rate than is the number of senior-level jobs, today's supervisor must understand how to spot the plateau problem and deal with it effectively before the worker sees no alternative but quitting the organization. The career plateau is the result of many current economic and social factors: . The baby boomers are now occupying most of the positions of responsibility. Because they are younger, they will be holding these positions longer, thereby blocking rapid promotion for those below them. . The many mergers and takeovers have caused layoffs of whole strata of managers and professionals, resulting in not only fewer available positions but more competion for them. . Foreign competition has taken jobs and management positions away from the American workforce as it has increased its share of the American market. . Women and minority personnel are now effectively competing for positions that were traditionally reserved for white males.

Four aspects

There are four aspects of the career plateau that are essential for the supervisor to understand:

1. The …