You’re hired! Now what?
For many, the job search is the sum total of their career planning experience. In many cases, an employee simply becomes bogged down in the day-to-day work and loses sight of long-term objectives. For others, the job was the objective, and career planning from a long-term perspective has never crossed their mind.
The first group of career builders becomes focused on training and skills that help them maintain their current position. They become process-driven, ensuring that their skills meet the current and short-term demands. Although it is important to ensure that you have the skills to meet your current job requirements, if that becomes the total focus of your training and development program, you will find yourself stagnant in your career growth.
Opportunity, the kind that can greatly enhance careers, is developed when you not only meet your job responsibilities, but when you acquire the skills you need to enhance and grow your responsibilities. This increases your sphere of influence and separates you from the rank and file.
In this chapter, you will learn some of the skills you need to keep your career moving forward while on the job. This is a critical juncture in career development. Fight the tendency to rest on your laurels after you have landed a job or experienced small successes.
Although landing a new job can bring a sense of a high and often provides a financial boost that is greater than incremental on-the-job advancements, your time spent at a given company provides the greatest opportunity for advancing your career.
It is while you are on the job that you get the opportunity to provide incredible value and make a name for yourself. Although in these days of rapid career changes, it is in vogue to move up the ladder by changing jobs, when you do this too quickly, it can just as easily put the brakes on your career.
I will not try to give any hard-fast rule as to how long you should stay in a particular company, but consider changing employers carefully regardless of the time frame. Your current employer is where you are known and where you know the projects and people who make up the opportunities.
For many, the idea of maintaining and, in fact, building their network of professional career building contacts becomes lost in the day-to-day shuffle of work. Once again, this is largely because of a lack of long-term career objectives or, at a minimum, objectives being placed on the back burner while handling the tasks of the present.
However, for a career to thrive, you must maintain your professional contacts while on the job. In addition, this is the area where contacts should grow most quickly. This is true for several reasons. One of the most obvious is the sudden loss of employment because of downsizing, a company move, a purchase, or a merger.
Whatever the reason, you will be crippled in your subsequent job search if you have failed to maintain your network. Maintaining your network is critical if for no other reason than to provide you with a readily available list of professional contacts should your employment situation suddenly change.
However, following are some other equally compelling reasons:
Ease of networking—. Building your list while you’re on the job is much simpler than during the job search. Rather than having to go out of your way to seek out contacts to add to your list, your normal course of working can put you in front of dozens if not hundreds of people who extend your sphere of influence.
You’re a known commodity—. Those with whom you come in contact will have first-hand experience as to how you work or perform. They will become your most compelling referrals. This, of course, assumes that you have performed well.
While you’re on the job, you will work with many different people on various projects. Make it a point to introduce yourself to everyone. Grab a business card and write additional notes about that person on the card. Make sure you leave that person with a card, too.
I’ll say it again—careers seldom happen by accident. In fact, accidents are usually mistakes with painful consequences. Don’t build a career by accident. Take control of your career direction and its future success.
One way to help achieve more success is to identify projects that have a high probability of success. During the course of your work, you will be asked to perform your standard duties. However, additional projects always come up. The day-to-day tasks you perform are the expected elements of your career. Such tasks are why you are there. Although you might be recognized as effective at your given tasks, to dramatically accelerate your career, you need more.
It is critical that you take on some of the additional projects that are not being done. In doing this, you need to identify those projects that will garner respect, have a high profile, and require you to learn new skills.
I won’t lie. There are risks involved. When you take on such a project, you expose yourself to the possibility of failure. For me, that has always been an easy task. I’ve always believed I could take on projects and make them successful. I’m willing to chance the possibility of failure. Without it, the chance of great success is also limited.
As you work to identify which projects you should volunteer for, keep in mind the following:
Select areas of interest—. To maximize both the experience gained on the project and the chance of success, attempt to find projects that will stretch you in an area that you are willing to go. For example, if you would like to know more about scripting for automated desktop configuration, get involved with a project that utilizes some of those tools.
Your chances for success increase greatly when you are emotionally vested in the process. Not only do you stand to put a nice professional feather in your cap, but you also will be learning another skill for your toolkit. This has the effect of keeping you interested in more than just the completed project, but the learning process, too.
The makeup of the team—. Undertake projects in which the team members can be trusted to do their part. If you are involved in a project that involves several members, make sure you know the skills and interest of those members. Although you might be vested in the project and the process, it is possible that others were placed on the project against their will.
If team members are not truly career-minded, they will have little interest in the project’s success. This can be the kiss of death for a project.
The tools you need—. A project team must have the tools to put its project in place. If you see a project developing, but management has not truly bought into the idea, beware. You need to make sure that management has the same vision and desire for the project to succeed. If specialized tools are needed for the project, make sure management has agreed to acquire them.
It is not out of line to put in writing your expectation of how the project will work. As part of this document, include the assumptions and predicated factors that impact the project. Although it is good to work at maximum capacity with and beyond your skill set and take on varied projects, you also must be up front with what you expect from management.
Attitude cannot be overrated. At times, though, it is. What I mean by this is that you often hear trite phrases about maintaining a positive mental attitude—“Attitude determines altitude,” and so on.
These phrases are only a hint at the truth. A great attitude should ideally be driven by an achievable objective or goal and the resources needed to achieve that plan. As mentioned in Chapter 6, “Attitude,” if attitude is manufactured without an achievable plan, it quickly fizzles.
During the course of your career, it is likely that you will have a number of bosses. Some of these bosses will be difficult—almost intolerable.
However, your ability to work for a difficult individual might prove to be one of the most valuable traits that you can bring to an organization. Doing so requires tact, a strong sense of self, and the ability to produce under personal pressure.
Most of us, if we are honest, will admit to shying away from painful experiences. This is normal behavior. Our human nature forces us to react to difficult people with an almost fight-or-flight mechanism. This reaction normally means that we will argue, have personality conflicts with this person, or avoid the person altogether. None of these reactions is helpful from the standpoint of your career.
First, understand that all people, including you and me, are difficult at times. We all have bad days, overreactions, biases, and prejudices that impact our objectivity. In same cases, you might be the difficult person.
Assuming, however, that you are typically easy to get along with, what can you do to help you work with a difficult boss? The sections that follow provide some suggestions for overcoming this unfortunate obstacle while maintaining your professionalism.
Before reacting to a difficult boss, client, coworker, and so on, determine whether the behavior or actions are personal or personality. There is a difference.
Some people are abrasive by nature. In fact, this trait might have helped them reach a level of authority. They might be naturally decisive and have high expectations. Both of these can be extremely desirable for a business.
You must determine if your difficult boss is difficult for everyone. If that’s the case, you can take solace in this fact. Your boss is not personally attacking you. It is simply the way this person relates.
Although it might be difficult to clearly classify each boss’s personality style, the following list is indicative of some you might meet. Also, any given boss could have multiple traits.
The Micromanager—. I’ll start with this trait first. It is the Dilbertized caricature of a boss who attempts to get involved in every decision or task you undertake. Usually highly egotistical, this type of boss wants to ensure his ideas are acted upon. For me, this is the most challenging type of boss. I am highly independent and entrepreneurial in nature. I want broad objectives and then to be left alone to achieve them. For employees who do not want to make any mistakes and are risk averse, micromanagers might work, but most employees have a hard time with them.
The Dictator—. Similar to the Micromanager, this person wants everything to be done his way. There is no room for independent thought or action. This person is extremely controlling in his approach and deals harshly with any deviation. In many cases, this person might have been highly skilled in what he did to achieve his position, so an overactive ego resulted. Success with this type of boss involves bringing him into your ideas early so that he views the ideas as something he helped create.
The Company Mouthpiece—. This boss might find it difficult to stick up for his employees. If resources are needed for a project’s success, and the company does not want to spend the money, this boss can spell doom for a project. Often, this boss has risen to his position through political maneuvering and is hesitant to take chances or take on even marginally risky projects. If you are like me and want to see dramatic career growth, you must avoid this type of manager.
The Screamer—. I’ve worked for a manager who literally banged on tables in anger and screamed. This type A personality can intimidate a staff. Usually, this type of boss is highly driven and is internally stressed about project success. He can become frustrated and agitated when others show similar stress.
It is important that you separate your activity from this manager’s behavior. I used to tell this manager that he stressed out for both of us—and then I would concentrate on the tasks at hand. Some people become highly productive when they are stressed, but in most cases, this behavior is detrimental to the work at hand.
Everyone’s Friend—. This manager can often be highly motivating. He places a lot of emphasis on team building and job satisfaction. That can be great, but if employees are not producing, this person is often the last one to make corrective action. If you recognize this characteristic in someone you report to, you must learn to frame your projects and ideas in terms of how they will clearly help the company and the team. Also, ask for permission to be the lead on those projects—particularly if difficult decisions are needed. You, in effect, remove this manager from having to make those decisions himself, which might be too difficult for him to do on his own.
These manager descriptions are a small sampling. Also, just as you might be classifying your managers and to some extent your peers, remember that you are being similarly classified. I’ve given some ideas on dealing with various types of managers, but in this book, I place a much greater emphasis on how you deal with yourself. Your reaction to situations and people is much more important than the situation.
Note
When my wife and I visited Manhattan for the first time, we were amazed. I love Manhattan and the energy it exudes. However, as we went out to eat, we discovered something. New Yorkers tend to be direct in asking for what they want. We would be sitting at dinner, waiting patiently in that laid-back Southern California style, for the waiter to bring our check. Many of the other patrons would raise their hands and yell out “Check!”
The waiter would calmly come by and drop off the check and go about his business. Initially, we perceived these customers as rude. In California, unless service is really poor, we wait patiently for our check to arrive. And even when we need the check, we usually try to get the attention of restaurant workers discreetly—as not to offend. But what we viewed as abrasive in Manhattan was, in fact, the way they conduct business. Their behavior was not meant to be rude and was not construed as such.
Following that realization, we could watch other diners and make educated guesses as to whether they were native New Yorkers or visitors.
If you work for someone who is difficult, it is important to know whether that person’s behavior is directed at you specifically, or whether it is simply his personality. This helps you remain objective.
This has become a pet statement of mine. Having run a service-based consulting company, I sometimes had to deal with difficult people. Occasionally, my consultants would get upset by the statements and attitudes of these clients.
I would remind them, “People are where they are.”
What I meant by this was simple. Often, we don’t know the situations surrounding that person’s workday or life. I’m not making excuses. If you have a rotten day, I still believe you should treat people with respect and kindness. However, my admonition to act professionally in all circumstances does not mean that all people will. In the overall scheme of building your career, curbing negative emotions just makes good sense—even when the other person is out of line.
When dealing with people, you need to understand that there is a difference between what is the case and what you want the case to be. You need to deal with people based on what is actually occurring.
When I say that people are “where they are,” I am advocating a view that puts responsibility entirely on you to act appropriately in all situations, not the other guy. If I were speaking to “the other guy,” I would be telling him the same thing. However, you are the one reading this, so you are receiving the ten-minute lecture.
When it comes to furthering your career, this is vital. When (not if) you find yourself working for or with difficult people, your ability to advance your career is dictated by how effectively you deal with them. Your desire that difficult people should act differently has little bearing.
A counselor told me once that we typically “die in our affliction.” What he meant is that people seldom change. That includes you. The only thing you can control is what you do and how you react. Understanding that some people are inherently difficult can help you maintain more objectivity during your day-to-day dealings with them.
Difficult people or abrasive personalities can often dilute the message they bring. I have found that regardless of their style of delivery, people generally have the ability to provide insight into our careers that we otherwise would not see. The problem is, of course, that when people present something as an attack, we react personally.
But what if the person “attacking” you is actually bringing up some valid points? You might not even “hear” the person because of his harsh approach.
A mentor of mine gave me some invaluable advice about handling criticism. I went through a period in which I felt I was being attacked by some of my peers. It was during this difficult time that I was offered the approach to handling criticism that is described in the sections that follow. I have found the approach useful ever since.
Regardless of the delivery, is what’s being said true? If it isn’t, disregard it. In most cases, you don’t have to defend yourself from wild and untrue statements.
However, if the statement is true, you need to take the next step.
Someone might “attack” you or make a derogatory comment about something that is not critical or does not actually require a change.
A few years ago, my wife dyed her hair a dark red. It looked great. However, a well-meaning friend commented that she felt my wife’s hair looked too “wild.” My wife’s first reaction was to second-guess her decision. She struggled for a while trying to decide if she should re-dye her hair back to its original color.
I assured her that she looked great, but that she needed to feel comfortable. She determined that “wild” was a subjective opinion and that most people loved the color. There was no need for her to argue with her critic or to make a justification.
The same is true when evaluating the input of a person with whom you work. Remember, people are where they are.
If, however, you determine that you should change something, do so. Put a plan in action to correct the problem.
Using this methodology provides a relatively unemotional method of dealing with criticism. Even if the criticism was in essence an attack, you can learn from it, make adjustments, and move on.
At some point, however, someone’s behavior might put work performance at jeopardy. If that is the case, the best you can do is talk to that person. If handled tactfully, you can do this with management, too.
We have been conditioned to believe that correction and input is a boss-down phenomenon. However, most good managers and employers want input from their employees. Most people who are abrasive are aware of their behavior. Some simply choose to remain the same regardless. Others have struggled to change. In fact, you might be surprised at how much better these people are now than they used to be!
However, asking for an appointment with this person and letting him know how his behavior affects you or the department can go a long way toward helping to diffuse the situation.
An attorney I was doing work for once asked for this type of input. He was a well-compensated and high-powered partner. I was doing a high-profile project involving a business transaction worth nearly one billion dollars. He was rightfully concerned about the project and interrupted me constantly.
“How is this coming along?” “Is this going to work right?” “Why are you doing it this way?”
The barrage of questions was constant. I eventually had to tell him that he needed to leave me alone for longer periods of time if he wanted me to make headway. Later, over lunch he said, “Tell me to get out of your face if I become a pest; otherwise, I’ll bother you constantly.”
As mentioned previously, many difficult people understand this about themselves. They often respect those who stand up to them. But make sure you do it tactfully.
One of the benefits of IT is the pride you can take in your work. The pride of production is a great fringe benefit. You can go home at the end of the day and know you have made an impact on the functional workings of a business. An overemphasis on pride, however, can make working with difficult people impossible.
I have heard many people, after leaving a company or walking out on a difficult boss, say, “I have too much pride; no one can treat me like that.”
I understand their view. I have a lot of pride and also believe people should treat you with respect. However, remember that I also believe that people are “where they are.” In a fantasy world, you can breeze through your career without ever having to deal with difficult people.
But I provide a different perspective on this. I believe that if you have confidence and a true sense of pride, you will not be emotionally impacted by those who say abrasive or inappropriate comments. Instead of thinking, “I have too much pride to put up with this,” you could say, “I have so much pride that I can put up with this.”
You will take what these people say, filter out the vitriol, leaving only the constructive suggestions. If none exist, no problem—you’ve filtered everything else out. This allows you to take advantage of the opportunity at hand. That’s what I mean by controlling your pride.
Ultimately, your on-the-job promotion is dictated by identifying areas to make a true contribution—above and beyond simply doing your job—and your ability to recognize and deal with the egos and personalities at work. Adopting a solution mindset and getting along go hand in hand.
If, however, you work at a company that is not innovative, growth oriented, or rewarding in some fashion, you would do well to find other employment.
This goes back to what I’ve said about dealing with things as they are, not as you want them to be. Many people continue to work for a company that is in decline or simply does not have the opportunities they desire to take their career forward. Don’t follow this pattern. Gainful employment means finding a company where your skills bring a value that is recognized and rewarded.
Discovering that you and the company where you work are not well matched is not something to cause concern. In fact, knowing this can go a long way in helping you identify those companies that are a better fit. It is better to identify this incompatibility early at a job rather than later. Knowledge allows you to take action, proactively building your ideal job, rather than waiting for some magical moment where your ideal job appears.
Identify additional projects that your department would benefit from. See if a quick-hit project can be done in a short period of time. Offer to take that project on.
Create professional relationships with those who are advancing at your company and those who show ambition and drive. Inevitably, these people become external contacts when either you or they move to a new company.