The Lead Your Career Podcast

The Company You Keep

The company you keep has taken on a second meaning in recent years. It's no longer just about your circle of friends and their effect on your personality. It's also the place you chose to work. What they stand for is also a representation of what you stand for. Their reputation is your reputation, and yes a handful of bad apples will very much ruin the bunch.

 

This podcast is not about the effects of Gen Z in the workplace, cancel culture and its negative effects on open dialogue, nor is it a plea to return to the "good old days". No. This article is targeted more at employees who feel their company does not line up one-for-one with their values, principles or vision for society. The employees who see the companies mission statement, pillars, or foundational principles mounted on the walls of their company as empty promises of a bygone era. The employees who see what the company could be at its best, but feel the journey is daunting. The employees who are concidering moving on. You, my friends, are the audience for this week's podcast.

Helping Hands vs. Handouts

Helping Hands and Handouts are differentiated by who's doing what percentage of the work, as well as the desired outcome of the interaction. Most high achievers I know are looking for a helping hand. They have the mentality that you can point them in the right direction and they'll make the most of their resources. They enjoy the drive to learn and earn all they receive. Most people looking for handouts are looking for the easy way. They usually want to know what corners can I cut to get to the same outcome. It can be disguised as looking more efficient, "why reinvent the wheel, you've already done the work", or disguised as noble, "I would like this handout on behalf of other people". In short, handouts are quick answers, while helping hands are long term solutions.

Playing Up

What made you successful in your past or current jobs, may not be the skills required to succeed at the next level. The only way to really know what it takes, is to do the job. And there my friends lies the catch 22. Is it the job (the chicken) or the skills to succeed at the job (the egg) that comes first. Imposter syndrome is real, and can be very detrimental to leading your career. Most of you have probably felt this at some point in your career since it's estimated that 70% of people share in the experience. One cause is people feeling they do not have the skills needed for the job they took on.  So how do you attempt avoid this? How do you try to side step the fear that comes with not being ready for a promotion? By playing up.

Girl Dad: 1 Year in The Making

This past year really changed the relationship I have with my kids as I'm sure it did with most parents. We were around each other much more than in previous years. Due to the birth of my daughter last April, I had an extra opportunity to be home with my family. Over the past year I've taken about 14 weeks off of work between FMLA leave and PTO to be with my family. The relationship I believe this effected most, was the one with my now 1 year old daughter. I've had more one-on-one time with her during her first year of life than probably all three of her older brothers combined. Maybe it's because we're more experienced parents, battle tested by her three older brothers, or maybe she's just a really easy baby, but whatever it is a I'm very grateful of the relationship we've formed.

 

As I write this article I struggle to not seem as preachy as I typically do in my articles in the Lead Your Career collection. Mostly because I have much more confience and proven ability to navigate a career than I do parenthood. Careers, job performance, advancement opportunities offer much more predictability than children. Home situations, belief systems, children's individuality differ so greatly from family to family that I can't, nor would I want to offer general parenting advice. This article was spurred by how I've responded to being a dad since the birth of my daughter one year ago, as well as a personal bar I'm setting for myself. I can't fix the world for her, I would probably do more harm to her trying to protect her from the reality of it. All I can really do is my best to be the dad she deserves. So here's to hoping. Thanks for the lessons in life Oakley.

Tactfully Positioning Your Career

Navigating Corporate America is like playing a game of chess. It takes intention with your positioning. Not everyone contributes the same abilities to the cause as you navigate and prepare for the end game. Which is a good thing. You will need a variety of skills to get to where you're headed. Unfortunately many people come into Corporate America thinking they're playing checkers and don't understand when things don't work out for them. They may look down on you for playing by a separate set of rules. Even go as far as to say you're cheating, or brown nosing, and never stop to ask you for advice on how to improve. They don't understand the rules of whatever game you're playing, or see how knowing them allows you to gain the advantage of tactful positioning. It's not cheating. It's not a dirty word. Tactful career positioning will set you up for your desired end game. Don't be fooled into thinking you should be playing checkers, when you know full well it's a game of chess, and you're good at it.

The Grass Isn‘t Always Greener [6 Foundational Layers of Career Happiness]

There's blood in the water, and head hunters are circling. As companies struggle to figure out how to balance working from the office safely, their modified working from home policy and how all of it impacts the bottom line, head hunters are trying to capitalize on that vulnerability. Some of you may have already been reached out to via a flattering LinkedIn message on how perfect of a fit you are for their great opportunity. They usually try to expedite the hiring timeline, needing to do the interview very soon, or they may even disguise it as a simple discussion with "formality" to follow. The offer follows soon after, and much of their tactic is about quickness. How quick can they get from engaging you to hiring you. They know the more time you have to think about it, the more time you have to talk to mentors and coaches, the more time you have to realize the grass may be a shade greener, but how small is the yard, how often is it maintained, who maintains it, and why you and why right now?

 

I understand that sometimes compensation is king. You have mouths to feed and bills to pay, and career satisfaction is a luxury you can't afford right now. I do have respect for those willing to do what needs to be done to make ends meet at the end of the day. I was raised by a great woman you made those same choices. But I urge you, if you can, make career decisions based on more than compensation and location. Career happiness is a tapestry woven strand by strand with intent, encouragement and enablement. Don't let a hungry head hunter try to diminish the tapestry you and your team have created for yourself. Ask those deeper questions, allow yourself time to process, assess and speak with mentors, and make certain your decisions are intentional and you lead your career to happiness.

The First Rule of Hiring

One of the worst things you can do as a company is make a bad hire. The investment it takes to get them up to speed as a highly functional member of the team goes down the drain, the amount of time you'll need to micromanage performance issues, the toxicity they bring to their team and the culture, and depending on how well or poorly you handle this individual will directly impact the way your top performers view you or their desire to stay at a company that is willing to bring on and tolerate those types of employees. This is why I try very hard to follow the first rule of hiring, there is no settling in hiring.

Old School Tactics, In the New School Workplace

Many of us feel too old for new school and too new for old school. Just that happy medium of being equally disconnected from the latest trend and the most time tested practices. In the workplace, companies reward efficiency. The push for innovation has everyone racking their brain about how to be first and the best at whatever is next. Trimming the fat until you're as lean as you can get. Unfortunately, some of that fat we've trimmed was some great old school tactics that built relationships and drove culture.

WFH: A Year in Review

Well, it's been a year. Literally it's a been a year since we all went home to wait out the virus. Schools were closed, businesses became restricted, DoorDash became a lifeline, and the term "essential worker" took on a new and sometimes contentious meaning. When I first heard the term social distancing I thought they were referring to giving up Facebook or Instagram for lent. It has been some year. I do believe that how we respond to this past year, how well we recover personally and emotionally, is going to say a lot about what the future has in store for us. Don't just chalk the past year up as a loss and bury it with aspirations that you can 'forget about it' because things will get better. If you do that, you'll never find your way out of the waiting game. And 2021 has already shown us signs that may be the case. Learn from your experiences. Be as prepared as you can to handle the cards you're dealt. Once you're dealt them try not to trade away what you truly value. And know my friend, that you are not alone.

The Status Quo Enemy of Progress

The status quo. It's where we are today. It's a snapshot of how far we've made it. It's a culmination of so many people's  ideas, hard fought battles, and when the dust settles it's what you got. It's not always better than it used to be, and nowhere near where it could be. I believe the status quo is to be understood, respected and than built upon. Social norms are established by people, laws by people, situations and facts change, circumstances change and people make mistakes. So though you should respect the rules of the game, you should  always be considering, "did the game change".