Good observations and advice. The replacing of the corporate ladder with a climbing wall (or your choice of analogy) leaves many individuals paralyzed on career decisions. You could try to move UP, make a LATERAL move or even move DOWN in order to develop yourself and progress your career now. Unlike a climbing wall, career paths don't always have "hand and foot holds" to indicate the best path. Your suggestions (sharing goals, painting the big picture, encouraging collaboration) are a good way that organizations can provide some of those indicators.

It will be interesting to see how these changes affect competency modeling as well as training &amp; development methods. The workplace has become more agile and iterative, so our tools and processes have to evolve as well.