Career Crossroads: Exploring Development Pathways for Individual Contributors vs. Managers

 

This insightful panel discussion at the Singapore FinTech Festival delved into the evolving career paths for individual contributors and managers. Industry leaders addressed common misconceptions, shared actionable advice for career transitions, and explored how organisations can create fulfilling growth opportunities for both tracks.

 

Key Highlights

1. Unique skillsets for each path

  • Individual contributors focus on expertise and delivering results.
  • Managers excel in coaching, strategic thinking, and achieving organisational goals through others.
  • Overlapping skills like problem-solving can bridge the two roles.

 

2. Growth in a traditional career pathway

  • Starting in individual contributor roles is typical, but some enter as junior managers.
  • The first few years focus on domain expertise before leadership opportunities arise.
  • Transitioning requires shifting from hands-on problem-solving to team enablement.

 

3. Alternatives to traditional growth

  • Careers today resemble a "jungle gym," with non-linear pathways and self-driven growth.
  • Skills-based career paths offer flexible progression, focusing on expanding expertise rather than hierarchical promotions.

 

4. Rethinking promotions

  • Organisations should avoid promoting based solely on performance in current roles.
  • Instead, they could offer opportunities for potential managers to "test-run" managerial experiences to assess fit.
  • Organisations should also develop and formalize expert pathways for contributors.

 

5. The future of work with GenAI

  • GenAI will blur the lines between contributors and managers, increasing individual productivity.
  • Individual contributors should develop people-management skills, while managers will benefit from gaining domain expertise.

 

Conclusion

This panel emphasized that success is not confined to managerial roles. Organisations can foster meaningful growth by offering robust pathways for both contributors and managers while challenging traditional notions of career progression.

 

Watch Full Session

 

Speakers:

  • Dean Tong, Managing Director & Head of Group Human Resources, United Overseas Bank
  • Hannah Hall-Turner, Regional Head of People & Culture APAC, Zuhlke Group
  • Karen Yao, Managing Director, Human Capital Management Department Asia Pacific, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC)
  • Ong Chin Yin, Chief People Officer, Grab

 

Moderator:
  • Anna Breimer, Managing Director, The Breimer Group
 
 
 

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