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While many factors hinder career growth, mid-career derailment, can be touted as one of the biggest. Here are elements that can cause your career to ‘derail' and finds out ways to curb them.

Mid-career derailment can happen any time, but in times like today, there is no room for complacency. The people who have been studying derailment for many years estimate that between 20 to 50 per cent of high-potential managers will get derailed along the way. Hence, you need to either do something to reduce the risk of mid-career derailment or if it has already occurred, you need to get back on track. But, how does one actually define mid-career derailment and why and when does it occur?

Sharad Sharma, director & chief of HR, Vertex Customer Services India Private Limited explains, "It is a unique phase in an employee's career (or in-between a career) when the employee experiences a decline in his/her performance and struggles in meeting the organisation's expectations. It is different from plateauing. For a talented professional, mid-career derailment happens due to over-confidence, reluctance to adapt to the nature of the business, arrogance, or a feeling of being inferior/superior to others."

Vivek Tripathi, chief human resource officer, LAVA International Ltd points out that mid-career derailment happens when an employee, after some years on a high growth trajectory, sees his/her career stalling. "This may be due to a loss of motivation and passion (burnout); or getting into a role not aligned to the person's intrinsic strengths. Sometimes, a hardening of attitude with time, and a lack of flexibility and learnability may lead to derailment," he reasons. Dominic Jose, head –staffing and recruitment, Handiman Services Ltd believes that a mid-career derailment can occur when there is a huge mismatch of the skills a person possesses with the skills required to complete the tasks in an assignment, which would probably make him/her stop or move out from the comfort zone of their career.

So, how can one reduce the risk of mid-career derailment? "Derailment is a process. It doesn't happen overnight, and it can be prevented, interrupted, or reversed in many cases," feels Sharma.

According to Tripathi, "One must get into roles, which are aligned to one's strengths and interests. Also, one must maintain a flexible and learning orientation, and should be able to relax and maintain emotional equanimity." But what if the derailment has already hit? How does one get back on track? According to Jose, "The professional who is hit should be highly committed towards making the necessary changes to get back on track. Derailed professionals should use setbacks or failures as a learning experience."

Tripathi suggests that the first step is an honest analysis to get to the root cause. "It is important to think deeply on what really interests the individual and what his/her strengths are, and whether the current role utilises them. Having a supportive coach/mentor may be very helpful in doing this analysis and instilling confidence in the individual. Then, one should make a plan to get back on track. This may mean a lateral move within the organisation or moving to another role outside the current company. In both cases, the individual should take care to see that the role requirements are aligned to one's strengths and interests," he advises.

Hence, if you carry the right attitude and passion towards work and are open to learning, you will never be on the road to derailment; rather, road to success!

- Yasmin Taj

The writer can be reached at yasmin.taj@timesgroup.com