The Lead Your Career Podcast: Recent Episodes
#LeadYourCareer
The Lead Your Career Podcast are short, bite sized articles on what you can be doing to take the lead on your career! This is the kindling you need to get your fire going, a reminder of where you want to be and what you need to do to get there, a call to action for you take hold of your career and lead it to where you want to be, and information you may already know, but it feels good to hear someone else say it :).
Note: All of the opinions expressed in this podcast are my own, and are not a reflection of the viewpoint of my employer.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. 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".
I often hear feedback that elicits a negative response called "constructive feedback". That's a hopeful name. We hope that we'll be constructive with this feedback and not just be negative about it. But even the most well trained feedback receiver still feels that initial burst of negative feelings to the feedback. It's ok. It's not self hate. I mean it could be for some, but often it's a smaller negative feeling. Maybe you feel you let someone down, maybe you're hearing a known strength is letting you down, or maybe it's something you thought you overcame. In her 2015 TedTalk, Sheila Heen recommends treating feedback as a skill, and the majority of this article ties back to her core beliefs on the topic. Treating feedback as a skill allows you to be less dependent on the giver of feedback and puts the onus of transitioning from "negative" to "constructive" feedback then "constructive" to "actionable" feedback on you, the listener.
Managers can easily get stuck between a rock and a hard place when they need to enforce boundaries with their team, making people accountable for not meeting expectations but to do so in way that shows emotional responsiveness to their situation. Accountability … paired with empathy… How we approach situations, or deal with conflict on our teams or even in our personal life must incorporate both dimensions. In this week's article "What's our managing philosophy" I dive into the risk of engaging your team without incorporating both of those dimensions, while giving some examples of how to get yourself back on track!
I feel like I can't see a rut coming on and I'm not sure what triggers them. When I realize it, it's similar to jumping in on the third season of a Netflix series. I know something is going on, I just don't know what. I used to think it was linked to complacency and that somehow my comfort level evolved into apathy. I'm still not convinced I have it pegged, and I'll continue to wrap my brain around a cause for the foreseeable future. In the mean time, my "rut game" is pretty on point as I usually don't stay down for too long. I'm not impervious to the effects of the lull in motivation, but I feel I manage them well. This episode digs into a few approaches to get yourself out of that rut you're in!
Everyone loves a fresh start. A fresh start forgets about all of your unkept promises, your well intentioned to-do list, and offers hope that this time can be different. This time you will make the most out of the opportunity before you. For few, that is exactly what a fresh start is. For most, me included, it often serves as a temporary reset. Too often, our suppressed character flaws, bad habits and ungratefulness resurface even after our most well intentioned attempt to embrace the reset. I believe this has more to say about our approach to our current opportunities and our commitment to the TODAY version of ourselves, than it does about the "available" roles, responsibilities and opportunities that are out there.
There are a few things that bind teams beyond dictated structure or the pursuit of a common goal. Two of the most powerful binding agents I've been part of are shared experiences and simply getting to know your team beyond the day to day grind of work.
You can ask anyone who has been fortunate enough to have a great mentoring relationship, "why was it great?", and you'll find common themes. "They listened and cared", "they gave advice", "they were honest", "they were dependable", and "they were respectful". Often the protégé doesn't speak on behalf of the time and effort they themselves put in to make it work. It could be because they were fortunate enough to have a Mindful Mentor leading the relationship, or they're just too humble to take credit for the success of the relationship. The problem is, this is deceiving to the outside viewer who craves the benefits of a strong mentor. It can lead them to believe that "luck" instead of intentional effort is what breeds a strong mentoring relationship, and that couldn’t be further from the truth. Coming from a "lead your career" mindset which assumes you have untapped and unfettered potential to shape and influence your own career, we'll examine how to create a successful mentoring relationship.
Whether it's a new year's resolution, a work goal, or a personal mission, the new year often brings with it, hope and a chance to do something better or new. So why are we so damn bad at the follow through? Studies show that less than 1 in 10 people actually complete their new year's resolution. As a mater of fact only 1 in 4 are still going strong after only 30 days past the new year. Why are we all so miserable at achieving what we want to achieve? We're the ones setting the vision and defining success and so many of us still come up short. This episode addresses some tricks and tips on how to accomplish those goals!
As a country we're currently undergoing a changing of the guard in our nations highest office. The eyes of the world are on the United States as we transition leaders. There is plenty on the line, so I understand the attention it warrants. There is far less fan fare when our leadership in the workplace changes, however the effects on your day to day life are arguably more impacted by those leaders, and the way we approach supporting them has even more of an impact.
For many of us, it's holiday time! The time of the year you get around your cousins and you're the same little kids that were mixing pop like you were a bunch of little Brian Flanigan's (80's reference…but a solid one) and sneaking treats to go with. It doesn't matter what college you ended up going to, how many promotions you have or haven't received, or if you're waiting tables at the local restaurant. Family is that equalizer. The much needed and perfect dose of humility via that imperfectly cut slice of humble pie.
Are you feeling stagnant in your career? Are the "next level" opportunities looking more and more out of reach each day? Are you unsure what you can even do to position yourself for an opportunity if and when it arises? Here's a crash course in what's need to progress your career:
- Be sure to do your current job SUPER well and work to build your reputation as such.
- Train someone else on how to do your current job better than you.
- Learn the knowledge, skills and abilities to succeed at the next level. Maybe become someone else's number 2.
- Work to create a need for those knowledge, skills and abilities at the next level and fill the gap in the minds of leadership long before any "official posting/opening" goes out.
All four of these things need to happen to advance your career. Miss one, and you're hard pressed on moving on. Today, I’m focusing on the second one: the importance of having a number 2 and how NOT having a number 2 is detrimental to your career growth.
You may have heard the old adage that, "the best ability is availability". Well, in terms of Leading Your Career, that is absolutely the truth. Opportunities rarely walk up to someone neck deep in work or who are already being pulled in a thousand directions. Instead, the opportunities usually present themselves to the people whose eyes are up and anticipating the next challenge. Don't get me wrong, many managers have their "go-to" people they consistently think to reach out to first, and in those cases your goal is to be considered one of those go-to people! The only way to get there is to find, and convey, availability within your already busy world.
Change is the intentional evolution of our status quo. It's growth. It's putting yourself in uncomfortable situations. Ultimately, it's 100% dependent upon your wiliness to grab it by the horns and to inspire those around you to do the same! This episode talks about the three P's of anit-change, and how you can ensure you're NOT a barrier to change! :)
You've been promoted! Congratulations! You have so many opportunities and plans in your new role, but first, you need to help transition to your current role. This isn't only trigged with a vertical move, it's anytime you leave a role or responsibilities on the team to move on to something else, and another person must fill your void. Once the person backfilling your position is selected, you should be ready to empower them to succeed as they look for new ways to solve problems and push that project, team, or group further than you could. You will often see the changes they're making, initiatives you led being mothballed for other ideas, and the culture around the group or team start to shift. They've moved on just fine without you. This is when it's time to double down on your empowerment and support, instead of falling into the childish trap of "that's not how you do that." Because the truth Is that IS how THEY do that, it's just no how YOU did that!
Delegating is a challenging task for me. Not only because I have a skewed perception of my quality of work, but also because do not want to miss out on completing the responsibilities of my job that I love to do. That seems like a reasonable excuse, right? Right, except the way that surfaces in my team is I "can't let things go", "don't trust them to do the work", "hover", and "am not actively helping to build them up". None of those are the way I want to be perceived by my team, but actions speak louder than words. I believe that we could really benefit by treating delegation as a more intentional act. I also believe if we look at it as the greatest tool in our "building up the people around us tool box", we may actually get pretty good at it!
It's a strange feeling. You know what you should be doing, or should be saying but the feeling makes you hesitate and question yourself. Going any further would result in some level of vulnerability that you believe you're not mentally prepared for. In these moments many choose to not act, not speak up, and will remain in their comfort zone. As a result an opportunity is missed. It's in these moments I believe you should "Embrace The Awkward", because on the other side of awkward is a better, more honest reality.
In the first "Lead Your Career" article I identified one act that makes me happy and that's "making other people successful". At its core, that's my purpose for writing these articles; Sharing with others actionable ways to make a positive difference in their life, the lives of others, and give them the tools needed to lead their career. But the concept can be tricky. First off, success is defined differently for everyone. Success might be every additional day of sobriety, getting elected to local office, or for many working parents of school aged children right now, just making it to bedtime. Secondly, not everyone is actively trying to master something. Not everyone wants to "be all they can be", plenty of people are happy being who they are right now. Lastly, you may not feel you have anything worth offering even if people were interested in improving themselves. So a lot of assumption goes into the idea of "making other people successful". This article is targeting that last barrier, aimed for the ones who feel they don't have much to offer, when in fact they do.
How many of you feel like the inevitable next step in your career is a Master’s Degree? Many times when someone on my team brings me that topic for discussion, it seems it’s framed in the same manner: Minimal context, no vision and questionable motives. Most often, they’re the highly-motivated employees who love a challenge and are looking for the next hurdle. Some people, though, see that many leaders in their career path may have a Master’s Degree and have been told "it's just good to have”. In either case, I always ask a follow-up question: "Do you want the piece of paper or are you after the knowledge?"
The Bounce Back is applicable to any situation where the outcome is not how you envisioned and you're left in the wake with a strong emotional reaction. It can be your performance review, your relationships or even the result of a big test. The severity of the situation that caused the emotion is relative to everyone but regardless, the situation is not as important as your reaction to it. Focus on controlling the controllable and begin The Bounce Back.
"My door is always open" – we’ve all heard management use this phrase to mean that they’re approachable and willing to talk whenever you need. But who is the target audience for that open door? Is it really everyone or only those willing to walk through the door? What else can we do to ensure EVERYONE has a voice, because the "open door policy" doesn't work?
As a mentor in my workplace, I frequently bear witness to employees telling themselves “no”. No one phrases it that way, but that’s the reality. In a mentor or coaching session, we talk about goals, aspirations, opportunities and what they want to be doing. When I ask why they’re not doing those things already, it's some form of "I told myself no". Let's STOP telling ourselves no, and accomplish what we set out to do!
I approached the birth of my fourth child differently from the rest. For the first three I probably took a combined one month off of school or work to spend time with my family. With my fourth I decided to utilize FMLA and take 2.5 months off, and I STRONGLY encourage you to take the opportunity to PUT FAMILY FIRST!
I feel mentorship has had an underserved bad rap. Most people are told they need it and could benefit from it, but their only real experience with it is through formal "mentorship programs' that fee like poorly executed blind dates. I believe that in its best form, mentorship is not an assignment or a match making program, but an attitude and a behavior that you must approach from two perspectives: as a Mindful Mentor and a Proactive Protégé.
Chocolate and coffee. That's my love language. If you want to thank me, nothing beats dark chocolate, or an Ethiopian coffee bean. Financial incentives will get some traction, group recognition may get a smile, and most of my certificates are buried in drawers or boxes somewhere. Chocolate and coffee is where it's at…for me. Do you know how your team likes to be thanked?
It's the most wonderful time of the year. When we get praised for our hard work, called out for our flat spots and hopefully have your expectations laid out for the next year. This experience is different for everyone. No matter what, you want to make it count!
We are all where we are today in our careers and life because behind the scenes are people who believed in us, and made us know it! Take the time to let others know where their strengths are, where you feel they can step up and most importantly that you believe in them! :)
Going through your career is a lot like going through a workout. If you don't continually push yourself, you probably won’t get the results you really desire. I've seen many highly motivated people get to a "comfortable" spot in their career and then just slow down. This could be because life got busy, opportunities for advancement seem bleak, they don't know how to make progress, or they maybe just feel burned out. Whatever the reason is, I'm a firm believer that your inner fire is still smoldering and with a little kindling you can get it burning again!