Are We Viewing Success All Wrong?
This time of year brings one to reflection (often with a bit of sentimentality). There are things for which to be grateful and mistakes to reconsider.
2022 marked my 25th year of corporate experience. I’ve only had four jobs which makes me an outlier among my peers; young and old. The majority of my professional life has been spent selling technology-adjacent solutions here in the Silicon Valley (touching every part of the globe). I’ve learned a hundred solution sets, made a million calls, traveled a gazillion miles and logged 100’s of thousands of hours on Microsoft Teams (and the like). There’s been a whole lot of wins and a few tough losses along the way; each a lesson in humility…. for better or worse.
When you’ve done this stuff as long as I have, the tactical takes a back seat to the practical. I can help micro-analyze your path to success, but for the purpose of this post, I’d like to offer the lessons learned where life and work intersect.
Money Matters
Billy Beane made reference to his regret of making a career decision based on money swearing he would never do it again. I too believe this to be the essence of finding a meaningful career path. Money is a baseline qualifier, a check in the box, but it does not serve to motivate one to transcend their perceived personal limitations.
All that said, the first qualifier for accepting a job is to ensure the salary/bonus plan are in line with your personal finance goals.
If Your Boss Sucks, You’re Doomed
You’ve heard it a thousand times: people don’t leave companies, they leave bosses. There is nothing more damaging to employee retention than a boss who does not support development. I’ve had 10 bosses in my career: 4 of them were great, 3 of them were horrible and the rest were present enough to be more helpful than disengaging.
Traditionally, people accept a job offer from a boss they genuinely like. If ever that boss departs, their replacement does not always share their affection for people hired.
If you have a boss who dislikes you, failure is immanent.
Do You Have a Best Friend at Work?
Everyone hates this question from the dated Gallup archive. But, if you have great friends at work they can be an educated sounding board for anything that distracts you. I’d be willing to bet that some of your best friends in life were once (or still are) co-workers.
Culture is Not a Buzz Word!
Everyone speaks of joining a company that provides an environment that is fun and accepting. It can, however, be hard to understand what culture truly looks like without being present for a certain amount of time. Office perks and parties are nice, far more important is existing in a collaborative space that is thriving with new ideas and action toward progress.
The One System I Will Always Endorse
I’ve been in the rewards and incentives industry for 15 years. I have come to understand that companies who celebrate an “everybody wins” approach are always more successful than companies who believe internal competition drives results.
It’s nearly 2023, people simply will not be guilted into results any more. Disciplining does not motivate people to do better. Micro-Management is dead. If you want people to succeed, celebrate their wins and allow their strengths to drive future performance.
Here’s the worst advice I’ve ever received…….
Over the years, I’ve had bosses and senior advisors give me career advice. Here are some examples of the worst advice I’ve ever received.
What got you here, won’t keep you here
This advice from a boss who saw my past success as a threat to their influence. Essentially, it was their way or the highway…. I chose the highway.
Hope is not a strategy
There was a book based on the premise. I certainly agree that one cannot succeed if strategy, knowledge and determination are not contributing to the overall path. But, there is nothing more important in this world than HOPE!
In order to get promoted, you’ll need to do 3 things: hit your number, align yourself with another leader on the promotion path, and be willing to relocate.
I believe in the first part but also that one’s success should speak for itself. What you know is far more important than who you know…. at least it should be.
Here’s the best advice I ever received….
Don’t go getting insecure on me
I thoroughly researched our prospective customer and had preliminary meetings. My boss flew to town and we headed for the client meeting. After getting into the city and hassling to find parking, we were told by the concierge that our contact was not there…. meeting cancelled. We got back into the car and I launched into a self-deprecating explanation of my discontent for the prospect’s lack of professionalism. Without pause, my boss put his hand on my shoulder and said, “don’t go getting insecure on me”. The words and the faith behind them told me everything I needed to know.
I see people who are new to companies doing everything they can to get noticed…. don’t! Let your work speak for itself!
You won’t change them, you will become one of them
I sat with a Vice President whose mentorship I valued, articulating my goals for the management position I was seeking. While explaining everything that was wrong with the current operation, I offered how I would change the company… change the world. This person let me finish my diatribe and told me with great certainty, “you won’t change them, you will become one of them”. Some companies are built by bureaucracy that will never be disrupted. I chose to find another place to change the world and a different way to do it… it was the best career decision I ever made.
Every company has potential to be great. Good and bad bosses will come and go. There is a sentiment that no person on their death bed would ever regret not working more…. I will! I’ve enjoyed most every minute of my 25 years in the corporate world; I’ve celebrated the good stuff and learned from the hard stuff. I’ve grown substantially as a person from lessons I’ve learned in dusty cubicles.
…. and I made a thousand friends along the way!
The best advice I can give you:
- Do your fighting in the ring
- Just because people don’t say “thank you” doesn’t mean they’re not thankful
- Be humble in victory and accountable in defeat
Go Change The World!
- Dave
