The jungle gym of jobs
5 minute read
I’ve never been a fan of ladders. I don’t like going up them, I’m terrified I’m going to fall off them, and I hate heights (see blog post one!) I don’t like holding them for someone else, also terrified that they might fall off. Unlucky to walk under them, they’re annoying to walk around, and I’m permanently scarred by the time I got stuck in one.
I was 6 years old and my cousin had a new trendy cabin bed, and I thought it would be fun to climb half way up the ladder to see the world from a new perspective. It was all quite glorious until I realised I couldn’t get out, my shiny 90s shellsuit (aka windbreaker in America) making me extra slippery, and I was slowly falling through the rungs. Despite my cousin's practical advice that I could pull myself out and climb back down, I was wailing like a banshee, insisting she get my dad to rescue me.
So why are we still referring to a model that hasn’t changed over 100s of years? Because it serves the patriarchy of course.
And as I’m writing this, the compatible links between physical ladders and career ladders are shouting out at me, reminding me why I truly detest the career ladder model. Have I ever felt scared of going up the next step of the career ladder? Hell yes. Have I ever felt scared I might fall off? Definitely. Have I ever been stuck and needed rescuing? Very much so. Have I ever worried about people I’m trying to support on their ladders? Of course.
The ladder metaphor/simile plays out in so many ways. Christine Micheal Carter talks in Forbes magazine how women are surpassing the ‘broken rung’ in the ladder – the broken step that prevents working moms from moving up in management. The three women she interviews have had varied experiences, and all share some excellent pearls of wisdom - interestingly all place importance on allies and relationships, something to explore in a later blog post!
However, for me it's not enough. I don’t want to be on a broken creaky old ladder thank you very much. I’ve read about some companies using a ‘lattice’ framework, which makes me think of waffle fries, and then I’m hungry, so that’s out.
When researching for this post I tried to find out who created the career ladder model but with limited results. It appears that no one ‘invented’ it , but its roots lie in the industrial era of the 19th and 20th centuries. I can just imagine some trumped up stout Victorian guzzler, top hat and monocle (I realised I’ve described the monopoly man) jumping on that ladder quicker than his little legs could carry him.
So why are we still referring to a model that hasn’t changed over 100s of years? Because it serves the patriarchy of course.
Ladders are all the same.
They are inflexible.
You go up.
You go down.
You get stuck.
They are limited.
Because they limit us.
Maybe you take a glance at other people's ladders, looking at how high they’ve reached compared to you. And that feels deflating, because comparison is truly the thief of joy.
Now is the time to throw that ladder out, remove it from your brain, put it on the floor, and stamp on it. Goodbye patriarchal 19th century nonsense! Embrace the jungle gym, expressive and flexible, and completely unique, just like you.
It's important to say that as a Brit, we don’t actually use the term ‘jungle gym’ over here in Blighty. We call them ‘climbing frames’. Which frankly makes them sound like ladders, which as you already know, I detest. So I shall continue to use the term jungle gym, because just like the jungle, our personal landscapes are packed full of diversity. Bursting with our likes, dislikes, our motivations, our history. They don’t go straight up and down, there are multiple directions. The only way isn’t up. We are women who can swing from bar to bar flexing, resting, hanging upside down, and creating new pathways. Sometimes we get stuck, but we find a different route, an unexplored territory, a new part of the jungle to explore.
If we can apply this to other areas of our lives, (and to be honest there are some people who do think the only way is up, but I doubt they are reading this), it's time to apply it to our careers too.
So how do we do it?
We spend time thinking about what we want – Not what we think we want. But what we as individuals want, from our careers, our lives, from ourselves.
We need to spend time deep down within – The place that is unequivocally us, back to our Cor (see blog post 1!). It's not easy, I certainly find it difficult to hear myself think sometimes, the distractions are so overwhelming.
I challenged myself at the start of the year to spend at least 5 minutes a day thinking about what I want in life. When I was sitting on a beach in Thailand eight months ago it was slightly more zen-like than the crusty Bristol bus where I now do my thinking time. However, despite the location, the time is always valuable.
Of course my brain can get way off track, often lost down a rabbit hole of 90s nostalgia,....
By spending this time thinking about your wants and needs, you will begin to visualise your own jungle gym, it will slowly start growing and building before your very eyes. You will see that maybe the path ahead isn't straight forward but it is a lot more fun.
Remember too that your jungle gym is safe, and that even if you fall off there’s a soft landing awaiting you. Your safety net, the people who love you, and the self love you are learning to give yourself.
Susie xxxx
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Kat here… So we started talking about this post because of what I read in Sheryl Sandberg’s book, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead. Even though some of her thoughts or paths might be controversial now – this part of the book has always stuck with me. I find myself quoting it all the time. So here it is, from me, by Sheryl, to you:
“The most common metaphor for careers is a ladder, but this concept no longer applies to most workers. As of 2010, the average American had eleven jobs from the ages of eighteen to forty-six alone. This means that the days of joining an organization or corporation and staying there to climb that one ladder are long gone. Lori often quotes Pattie Sellers, who conceived a much better metaphor: “Careers are a jungle gym, not a ladder.” As Lori describes it, ladders are limiting—people can move up or down, on or off. Jungle gyms offer more creative exploration. There’s only one way to get to the top of a ladder, but there are many ways to get to the top of a jungle gym. The jungle gym model benefits everyone, but especially women who might be starting careers, switching careers, getting blocked by external barriers, or reentering the workforce after taking time off.”