In a world where the sky is the limit, most professional seek to rise to the top of their career ladder...but where does that ladder end and when is it time to say "enough is enough" and embrace our strengths rather than continually pile on the stress until that coronary is waiting to happen?

A hierarchical organisation will lay the world before your feet and the competitive and ambitious among us will constantly strive for higher and higher but that drive and determination to make it to the top could be our downfall if we push ourselves beyond our capabilities and get out of our depth.

Whilst the excitement of that promotion is still buzzing in our ears, the pangs of joy can soon start to fade away when we are left struggling, frustrated and unhappy trying to fulfil a role which is proving too demanding. As a result, productivity will nosedive, morale will reach an all time low and the desire to succeed will dwindle...the company will start losing money and you will start to become deflated and lose the enthusiasm which once pushed you forward.

Upwards is not the only way: While we all want to improve ourselves, the will to earn those big bucks and that better job title may not be worth the soul that you will have to sacrifice in return. A professional career is something which should bring satisfaction along with a good monthly salary. It should bring its own rewards without any major sacrifices in return. However, managers need to recognise those employees who currently excel in their current roles and have reached the top rung of their own personal ladders. We have all been brainwashed to believe that the only way is 'up' within the business world but we fail to recognise that there are also other directions which lead sideways and downward.

Side by side: One way of boosting the morale and extending the knowledge base of an employee is to offer a lateral move. This allows the employee to remain in a position which is within his/her constraints but also has the advantage of extending those skills and offering more productivity within that skill set. Nowadays, lateral moves are becoming more and more popular as they create an opportunity to extend knowledge. They also allow the individual to explore other areas of the company which may further complement their abilities thus inviting fresh and unique input into a department without the expense of hiring someone new.

We're going down: No-one likes the sound of demotion as the word has been programmed to mean failure. However, if viewed in a positive light rather than laden with negative connotations, it is easy to see why demotion has many advantages.

Some employees are happy in their present role and may never have considered a more senior position. However, when promotion has been offered, it is difficult to turn such an offer down as we are constantly hot-wired to rise upwards. When a position is offered in such circumstances, the employee is often better off listening to his instincts and staying put but the constant pressure from family and friends to "rise to dizzy heights" often pushes us beyond our means. On the other hand, those who are wise enough to listen to their inner voice often find themselves trying to justify their decision to co-workers who are puzzled as to why that promotion did not go ahead or why you declined that management role or why it was offered to Sheila from accounts instead of you?

Some managers become so keen for qualified employees to take the next rung of the ladder that they repeatedly continue to offer promotions when they become available. If you are wise enough to know your capabilities then you should rest on your laurels...if you are on a mission to rocket to the moon at whatever the cost, the pull for power could catapult you back to reality.

Life at the top may not be so rosy: Whenever an individual excels at his work, there is scope for promotion. The person is seen as smart, confident and productive and for many that advancement may be the icing on the cake.

When the teething period has lapsed and new skills have been mastered, that wider view from the top could bring even greater satisfaction and further propel that person onwards and upwards. It is when a new found promotion has sounded better to the ear than it was to the mind that the problems start to surface. The job title sounded great but the duties turn out to be way beyond the capabilities of the individual.

As a result, things start to spiral out of control as negative feedback begins filtering its way through and crashes down the walls of professionalism which were once so strong. This takes a battering on the confidence and causes incorrect decisions to be made, procrastination creeps in and urges the need for extra training. This in turn, costs the company added expenditure which defeats the object of promotion. Whilst there may be some areas which can be completed successfully, there are other important factors which are severely neglected and the workload will start to pile up and hinder the performance and development of other staff members.

Take a look inside: In such a scenario, it is difficult to see any possible good for both employer and employee. However, the answer is an easy one and involves the individual taking a step down the ladder and back to their previous position which flowed with such ease and expertise. Demoting someone is a difficult task for any manager to do as it requires a great deal of tact and diplomacy which many are not trained for and most lack the desire to carry through. Whilst it will be evident that an employee will not want to accept demotion, it is the way that the demotion is approached which will make the option one which is easier to accept.

The aim is to maintain the ego so as a resignation notice does not end up on your desk or the employee does not walk out of the office under a veil of shame and embarrassment. As a result, it is important for a manager to stress that such a decision has been made because the company's productivity plummeted as a result of the person leaving a position in which he excelled. By appealing to that person to return to his previous post, the company can continue to grow and the individual will be able to add more creative input along the way. To save face, it is also recommended that the employee is transferred to a new department and given time to think about the incentives.

No cut in salary: A further incentive to massage that bruised ego would be to recommend that the employee remains at the elevated pay scale he is used to until the pay scale for his lower role meets the salary which accompanied the promotion. When an employer is content to return to a job that he can comfortably complete and is allowed greater input and still receives the salary from his promoted role, there is little reason why a demotion should not provide the perfect answer to everyone's prayers. In comparison to a demoted employee walking out, the small cost of maintaining a higher salary means that the company is saved the expense and time consuming task of advertising for a new employee along with hiring and training which could cost far more than paying a valued employee a little extra per hour.

A way to please everyone: A smart manager will see the benefits of demoting inversely rather than terminating a contract or accepting a resignation. This is a great way to keep productivity high and maintain a well oiled machine where all of its component parts work in perfect unison as a team. It also saves money, leaves the barriers down for more suitable employees to rise to promotion and removes those obstacles which hamper a company and stop it from competing at its highest level.