Q: What’s wrong? I have a well-thought-out career plan but I am not advancing.
A: Are you asking and answering the following questions:
- Have you shared your plan with your manager? Your mentor?
- Are you able to adjust the plan to different “audiences”?
- Are you aligned with changing organizational dynamics?
- Are you at a pivot point in your career?
- Have you incorporated previous performance feedback?
Your manager and your mentor can give you a reality check on your career plan and help you take steps to advance it, but only if they are on board. They can also help you keep your plan in alignment with the changing dynamics of your organization, perhaps even 
allowing you to move ahead of the change. When you pivot, you change direction, keeping one foot on the floor. What would a pivot point in your career look like now?
Act now: What additional questions will you ask to ensure that you are moving toward your professional goal? Who do you need to inform and involve? Remember that plans move from idea to action when you communicate them.
Recall the “C-Suite Advice” offered by former Ford Motor Company President Jim Padilla: Plan your work and work your plan. Your career will not move ahead until you do.
You gain momentum when you enlist the right circle of supporters. Stop spinning your wheels in thinking.