Overcoming Being Held Back

Some may be planning to earn packet switched technology certifications or an online degree as a strategy to move into a more secure position at CenturyLink. It's a given that those who are planning to do this are the higher motivated top performers in their departments.

For those making such plans, you should be aware that one of the impediments to your plans may be your supervisor or managers if you are a top performer who makes them and your department look good. This is a problem that has always existed industry-wide in local telecom companies for as long as there has been local telecom companies. Not all supervisors and lower level managers will attempt to hold you in your current position to continue making themselves look good, but many will.

It's not a problem that most upper level managers are aware of, or care about. Upper management lives in an upper management bubble, and they could care less if your supervisor would do everything possible to keep their top performers in their department.

Therefore you are mostly on your own when planning how to solve this problem. Certainly the most effective resolution to this problem may be to simply leave CenturyLInk altogether, but before you do that, I would recommend that you contact management levels who may be able to help you achieve your professional goal. If you suspect that your manager is the type who will hold you back for their own self interest, making your plans known to higher levels of management, and the managers in the departments you are interested in working within could help. Also, letting your supervisor know that you will not tolerate such reprehensible conduct may help.

CenturyLink needs motivated, skilled technicians and engineers just as much as any other telecom company to stay competitive, and it is in everyone's best interest that the most motivated and skilled technicians and engineers advance into the jobs where they are needed. Therefore, if you are planning to commit your money and time into advancing within CenturyLink, now would be a good time to think about how you will solve this problem should it arise.

I would recommend talking to a career planner in HR if they have not all been terminated, and see what assistance they can provide in achieving your goals within CenturyLink.

You labor is a product. Develop it and sell it to employers wisely.

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I am the original poster for this thread. When I wrote it, I thought about including a paragraph about the Five Monkeys and a Ladder syndrome that inevitably will occur any time the more motivated among us attempt to move up the ladder into higher paying, or more secure positions in any company. I thought it would have more impact to wait for the inevitable Five Monkey post like the one below to be posted before discussing it.

Here is a link to a short YouTube video that explains the Five Monkeys and a Ladder experiments.
https://youtu.be/KIzVe5s8OHQ

In short, some of our own peers in a work group will typically attempt to hold others back if they feel that they have been held back or punished by the company in some way. It's a behavior common to both primates and hominids.

Understand that there will always be impediments to achieving your goals no matter where you are, or where you want to go. Just don't allow this or anything else stand in the way of achieving your goals. Once again i will say: Your labor is a product. Develop it and sell it to employers wisely. There is no arguing the fact that telecom is moving very rapidly toward packet switched network designs, therefore, you should be moving toward becoming proficient with packet switched networks as your develop your skills as a product.

Just be aware that there will be some supervisors and monkeys who will attempt to keep you from climbing the ladder to success, and don't allow them to do it. An example can be found in the post below. Again, don't allow this, or any other obstacle to stop you from achieving your goals.

Your advice is from15 years ago and why help this company better yourself go somewhere new.

So the OP is saying go above their SRO's head and talk to directors and VP's about their SRO being someone who uses his leverage to black ball you from promotions and keeps you in place. That should work out well.

They interview you for internal positions and guess who they talk to a many times, your SRO if you are craft.

One thing that changes frequently is your SRO's and upper management, they keep them moving a lot, like many that said they were targeted buy using the integrity line if you go above the SRO and don't know the 2nd level well and they are attached at the hip to the SRO you have written off your career. Also going to a VP many times jumping the 2nd level brings a lot of attention to the 2nd level and SRO they don't want, that can play out in a lot of negative ways that are allowed under the CBA and company policies.

Some SRO's and management like to see their subordinates succeed however, when you get one that is interested in seeing you accel jump on it if your ready they can clear obstacles and open doors and set you in a position to succeed in your endeavors.

Thread regarding CenturyLink layoffs

Overcoming Being Held Back

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