Career Survival Is Not Mandatory

"This doesn't make any sense. I thought we were heading in a different direction. Now that I see what is really going on here, I'm going to have to double my efforts to get things moving forward in the way I know they should be. I know what we need to do...I just need to get everyone else on board with me. I'm sure I can do it."

I felt this way once...and I convinced myself that I was the one who knew exactly what the organization's priorities should be. Except I forgot one thing...I was a piece of the organization, I wasn't the whole thing.

Respect Where You Are

What I failed miserably to do back then was take a long hard look at myself before pointing the finger at the organization for not doing things the "right" way. I was so full of confidence, or hubris perhaps, that I failed to put in the time necessary to affect change.

I thought things were so messed up that the whole company was in a state of impossible dysfunction. I assumed nothing could be fixed, ever; and that since it was so dire there was no reason for me to stay.

Maybe I was wrong.

Respect Yes, But Also Keep It Real
The counterpoint to my self-reflection is that the organization I described above was lacking considerably from a failure of leadership. Some of that was my own failing, and some was the responsibility of the other members of management team. Communication was poor, a commitment to service and accountability was nonexistent, and just about every satisfaction metric was embarrassingly low.

That's not healthy folks...in fact that patient was dying.

Start Bailing...or Bail Out?

At the time I felt I had only one clear option => get the heck out! So I did. I moved on to a different organization and felt that I was lucky to get out of there with my career still in tact.

What I may have missed however, was the opportunity to make very slow but steady improvements to an organization that had unlimited potential for improvement.

In my haste to bail out, I may have missed the chance to start bailing and save a sinking cultural ship.

How About You
When you realize that the company you've joined isn't what you expected, do you quickly call that recruiter back? Or, do you take a breath, acknowledge that sometimes we have to be really creative to make even a little bit of progress, and try hanging around a while longer? The answer is obviously a personal one. For me, it might have been a battle worth joining.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



photo credit

It Is Finished

I've surrounded myself with overachievers. My colleagues around the senior management table, the members of my team, and the ever-growing network of people I'm connected with are get-it-done folks...and I love it. Being competitive is part of my DNA, and that mindset can be seen in my personal and professional life every day.

Too Much of a Good Thing
Sometimes that relentless quest to be number one, or the most recognized, or promoted the fastest, or profitable, or you fill in the blank comes with a price. When do we ever finish anything? In sports if "you can't finish" you aren't going to last very long. But what about in business?

The Wall Street Journal published a great piece on Creativity recently that described how some of the most impressive breakthroughs have come because the person behind the idea could not let it go, even when the project was supposed to be complete. Is that healthy? Is the message that we should all maintain an obsession on our various responsibilities even when we're supposed to have wrapped up one issue and moved on to another? I'm not sure.

Live Life as a Finisher

There is an important distinction that must be made on this issue. The focus is on "it" being finished, not saying "I" am finished. We're never finished...ever. But our work, projects, and new ideas can not go on forever.

If they do, then we are simply destined to spend our professional lives on the hamster wheel chasing an unattainable end point that doesn't exist. I don't want to live that way, and I'm guessing you don't either.

How About You

When do you allow yourself to find real satisfaction in your work? Think about the time, energy, resources, and risks you take to move your organization forward. Are they worth it; or, is there always just one more thing that has to be done before you can rest? It's time to say..."It is finished."

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.


pic courtesy of visualphotos