1. The Corporate Lattice - An Evolution Of The Corporate Ladder

For years, the symbol of corporate success was the ladder—a straight, narrow path upward. But in today's interconnected and fast-changing business world, that ladder is looking more and more like an antique. Upwards is not the only way forwards! Welcome to the Corporate Lattice, a more dynamic, flexible, and realistic model for building a powerful career inside a modern organisation. 

Overview: From Ladder to Lattice 🌐

The Corporate Lattice framework suggests that growth is not just vertical. Real career momentum is built by moving in all directions: up, sideways, and diagonally. Instead of focusing solely on the next promotion, the lattice thinker focuses on collecting valuable experiences, building a broad skill set, and creating a robust internal network. It's about becoming more valuable to the organisation as a whole, not just to your specific department.

A Deeper Look: Why the Lattice Works

The traditional ladder has a fundamental problem: there is only one way to the top. This creates bottlenecks, fierce competition, and long waits for promotion. The lattice, however, is full of opportunities. Think of it this way: In any given year, you might have one chance at a promotion. But you could have dozens of opportunities to join a cross-functional project, switch to a new team to learn a different skill (a lateral move), or take on a special assignment. Each of these moves adds a new thread to your professional tapestry. Someone with a lattice career might have experience in sales, marketing, and operations, making them far more qualified for a future leadership role than someone who has only ever climbed the sales ladder. This approach builds career resilience; if one part of the business is restructured, your broad experience makes you adaptable and valuable elsewhere.

How You Can Implement It

Building a lattice career requires a proactive and strategic mindset. Here’s how you can start.

1. Become an Explorer: Don't just know your job; know your company. Take time to understand what other departments do. Have coffee with people from finance, tech, or HR. Your goal is to map the organization and see how the different pieces fit together.

2. Identify Your Future-State Skills: Think about a role you'd love to have in 5-10 years. What are the core competencies of that role? Now, look at your own resume. Where are the gaps? This isn't about what you lack; it's a treasure map showing you where to explore next.

3. Advocate for Experience: In your next performance review, don't just talk about a promotion. Talk about experience. Frame your request for a lateral move or a project role as a strategic investment. Say, "To become a more effective leader here in the long run, I believe it's crucial for me to gain experience in [X department]. Is there a project I could contribute to?"

4. Network Horizontally: We're often told to network "up," but lattice thinkers network "sideways." Build genuine relationships with your peers across the company. They are your future collaborators and your best source of information about new opportunities.

Personality Profile Resonance (MBTI & DISC)

• MBTI: This framework often resonates with Thinking (T) and Judging (J) types like ENTJ ("The Commander") and ESTJ ("The Executive"). These types are natural strategic planners who excel at understanding systems and maneuvering within them to achieve long-term goals. The logical, goal-oriented nature of building a lattice fits their desire for structure and control.

• DISC: The Corporate Lattice appeals strongly to individuals with high Dominance (D) and Conscientiousness (C). The 'D' profile is driven by results and sees the lattice as a faster, more effective way to the top. The 'C' profile appreciates the quality, expertise, and strategic planning required to successfully navigate a lattice path.

Final Thoughts

The Corporate Lattice isn't about abandoning ambition; it's about redefining it. It’s for the strategic thinker who sees the bigger picture and understands that in the modern workplace, the most interesting and powerful paths are rarely straight lines.

• Who It's For: The ambitious employee in a large organisation who feels stuck or sees a bottleneck on the traditional ladder. It's for the strategist who wants to build a durable, resilient career by collecting experiences, not just titles.

• Further Reading: The Corporate Lattice: A Strategic Alternative to the Corporate Ladder by Cathy Benko and Molly Anderson.