The 3Ds That Can Derail Your Career
- David Ramcharan
- Sep 24
- 2 min read
As you grow in your career, watch out for these 3 subtle traps: Delay, Distract, and Discredit. Left unchecked, they can quietly stall your progress and limit your impact.
1. Delay Delays doesn’t always look like procrastination. It can sound polite or even helpful: “Let me get back to you” or “How about you get feedback from Director X; she may be able to provide support?” Weeks pass, momentum fades, and suddenly you’re stuck in a holding pattern. Delays keeps you waiting instead of moving forward.
2. Distract Distraction often comes disguised as opportunity. You’ll hear things like: “Have you thought about adding this feature?” or “Check out what that other team is doing.” Unlike delays, distractions pull you off course—sending you on side journeys that dilute your focus and slow your results.
3. Discredit Discredit is the most damaging. Some people highlight your weaknesses or spread doubt before you’ve even had the chance to prove yourself. Unfortunately, if you’ve already been delayed or distracted, you’ve unintentionally given them more material to use against you.
Intentional or not, these 3Ds can derail your career
How to Counter the 3Ds
Stay focused on forward progress. Explore new ideas, but never at the expense of momentum. If a change is big enough to cause delay, make it visible, time-box it, and keep moving.
Clarify priorities with your leaders. Vet distractions with your boss or sponsors so you know whether they’re truly important or just noise. Also, use an iterative approach— deliver Phase 1 while parking new ideas for later.
Own your narrative. Keep your leaders updated on progress, risks, and pending decisions. Document and share roadblocks and next steps so no one else controls the story of your work.
Progress—not perfection—is what builds trust, credibility, and long-term success.
Whether these tactics are used against you intentionally or not, the outcome is the same: they threaten your forward progress. As a young professional, part of your responsibility is to manage your career and reputation. To do this effectively:
recognize the 3Ds early and manage them
stay focused on your commitments and forward progress
and most importantly, own your story.
Which of the 3Ds—Delay, Distract, or Discredit—have you seen most often in your career journey? How did you handle it?
David R. | Executive Coach | Fractional CIO | Speaker | Helping leaders move from powerless to power-filled
Comments