No, it’s not the well-known F*** curse, which will simply stop your career short. These words, although not as blatant, will prevent you from moving up:

• Fear = Not Productive/ Face challenges instead of fearing them.
• Fail = No Risk Therefore No Success = Stagnation/ If you never fail, it means you don’t take enough risks.  Somehow, the lessons you learn from failing will lay the foundation for future success.
• Fine = Average/ You don’t want to be an “ok” worker.  You want to be a “great” team player.

For a more detailed discussion of the above, please go to: The ‘F’ Words That Hold You Back in Your Career

Margaret Heffernan discusses 10 habits of incompetent managers:

1. Bias Against Action. There will always be reasons not to act, but a good manager has to be decisive and actually has to display a bias for action.
2. Secrecy. Secrecy leads to a very political environment and shows people below you that they cannot be trusted.
3. Over-Sensitivity. If you’re always worried to hurt your staff, you probably won’t have the courage to fix what’s wrong. If you see a problem, it is your duty as a manager to address it.
4. Love of Procedure. Procedures are there for a purpose, to help expedite things so the business can run more smoothly. If procedures become the problem, they have lost their purpose.
5. Preference for Weak Candidates. If you feel threatened by qualified candidates when comes the time to hire or to recognize the contributions of people below you, you may not have what it takes to hold your position as a manager.
6. Focus on Small Tasks. As you go up, you need to delegate and focus on your core responsibilities. If you focus on the wrong things, it leads people to wonder whether you have a sense of direction.
7. Allergy to Deadlines. Deadlines are commitments you make to yourself and to others. Failure to follow them shows a lack of commitment and achievement.
8. Inability to Hire Former Employees. If you’re a good manager, you probably had people working for you and that respect you. If you fail to attract any employees to follow you in your new position, it leads to wonder what your subordinates think about you. That’s definitely not a sign of a good manager.
9. Addiction to Consultants. A good way to put off taking decisions or putting the load of the decision-making process on someone else’s shoulders.
10. Long Hours. Good management means the ability to pace yourself and have a long-term sense of direction. Working very long hours is one of the biggest signs of incompetence actually.

10 Habits of Incompetent Managers, OttawaCitizen.com

BostonHerald.com has 4 tips to make your resolutions become reality.  They are simple, but most of the time, simple things do tend to work:

1. Be clear about your intentions.
2. Make a plan with specific steps.
3. Measure your results.
4. Stay focused.

The above tips all come down to “knowing what you want” and “how much do you want it”.

Four Ways to Make Job Resolutions Work, BostonHerald.com

Hanah Cho discusses the situation of being passed over for a promotion. First word of advice is to think before making any moves. You don’t want to be impulsive as whatever decision you make will have a strong impact on the rest of your career. There are basically two options open to you:

• you either develop the skills required to get a promotion next time one opens up; or
• you start looking elsewhere.

It can be awkward to go talk to your boss as to why you didn’t get promoted and even if you do, you might not be told the truth. That’s a personal decision whether or not you want to have a constructive discussion with your superior, but it all depends on your relationship with him or her. Another possibility is to go elsewhere. Another employer might be seeking the expertise that you offer and you may be able to start from scratch. The thing is, when you’ve been at the same place for too long, the people there might take you for granted and might already have a perception of you and what you can offer. It can be difficult to change that perception. Moving elsewhere, you can start fresh.

There may be many reasons why someone is not promoted and it’s not just about that person’s qualifications. Sometimes, if you’re too qualified, there’s nobody else to replace you and that’s why you’re stuck where you are. Sometimes, you’re good at what you do, but you don’t possess the “political” acumen that comes with going up the ladder. Sometimes, you’re a strong candidate, but someone else is stronger or has the backing of an executive higher up. Dwell on why you were passed over in a constructive manner in terms of figuring out the why and remedying it. Don’t think about it with resentment, it won’t lead you anywhere.

Taking Stock of Your Career After Missed Promotion, BaltimoreSun.com

The Wall Street Journal has an article on how some executives moved backward in order to acquire new skills as part of a longer career plan that would eventually lead them higher up. Moving back is risky, but sometimes, it’s worth the challenge. It’s a matter of conviction and knowing what you want. Following are some tips:

• Know and understand what skill gap you are trying to fill.
• Go towards something positive as opposed to running away from something negative.
• Embrace the intrinsic rewards of the move, which is not the money or the status, but the skills set.
• Have a safety net in case things don’t go according to plans.
• Don’t base your decision on emotions.
• It’s never too late to move.

How to Get Ahead by Going Backward, The Wall Street Journal