Managing A Career podcast

6:31

More often that you realize, when a manager is asked to create a list of people to lay off, they are rarely given much time to think about it; they are just given a target number and a deadline. When they have to react quickly, there a few criteria that they instinctively use to determine who goes and who stays. What can you do to make sure that you aren't on that list? The first thing to realize is that there are no short term fixes. The steps to take to protect your job start TODAY. In Episode 068 ( https://www.managingacareer.com/68 ), I cover some techniques that can help you identify upcoming changes and use them to maximum benefit. Using these techniques, you can often predict an upcoming layoff, but even with that knowledge, by the time you recognize a pending layoff, it's already too late to do anything about it. When it comes to layoffs, there is very little that can ensure job safety. But, if you understand how managers decide who to put on the list and who to keep off, you can give yourself a fighting chance of staying off the list, so let's take a look at what usually factors into a manager's decision. Do people know who you are? If your manager were to be asked to name everyone on their team, are you one of the first names that they think of……or one of the last? While it's possible for your name to be front of mind for your manager just based on the work you do, more than likely that isn't enough. You need to ensure that you remain visible. Go back and review Episode 081 ( https://www.managingacareer.com/81 ) for more strategies for being visible within the organization. How easily can you be replaced? If you bring something unique to the team, it's a lot harder for your manager to let you go. Lean into that strength and find ways to amplify that message. If you are one of three or four different team members who can do the same work or if your work can be automated, how likely is it that your manager will look your direction to make the mandated cuts? Episode 076 ( https://www.managingacareer.com/76 ) Developing Skills would be a good place to start for building skills that make you unique. Does your manager trust you? I covered this very topic in Episode 31 ( https://www.managingacareer.com/31 ). Your manager is much more likely to keep you off the list if they view you as a solution to a problem and not someone that causes problems. If they trust you to do what is needed with very little guidance from them, you free them up to focus on other duties. When it comes to layoffs that's valuable to someone who is anticipating having to take on additional duties. How do you fit with the team? If you support the team in a way that brings up the energy or morale or productivity, that is something that will have even more importance when the team shrinks. If you don't engage with the team and are more aloof, the team may feel some level of sympathy for you, but overall, they won't necessarily miss you. And the last criteria that managers secretly use to evaluate the team is the potential for future contributions. Businesses continuously evolve. If you are viewed as someone who is ready for the next shift in technology, they will be more inclined to want to keep you. Staying abreast of the latest technology and ideas is the way forward. For example with AI being the current hot topic, in episode 078 ( https://www.managingacareer.com/78 ) Future Proof You I cover how you can leverage it in your job. None of these guarantee job safety. You may be visible, but that will just amplify any recent mistakes no matter how minor. You may be irreplaceable, but the function you perform is going to be eliminated. You may be trusted, but your second level manager mandated that you be on the list because he doesn't value the work you do. You may be the glue that holds the team together, but people question your dedication to the work. So, if, in spite of your standing, you find yourself on the list, go back and review Episode 053 ( https://www.managingacareer.com/53 ) for how to recover from being laid off. The good news is that these same criteria are the ones that leaders look for when it comes time to give out promotions. Promotions go to those that are visible, contribute unique skills, are trusted, lift up the team, and have future potential. So, putting together a plan to address them will serve a dual purpose. A career coach can help you build the skills you need in order to implement these strategies to keep your name off of the list and position you for a future promotion. If you need a career coach, reach out to me via the Contact Form at ManagingACareer.com ( https://www.managingacareer.com/contact/ ). I'll schedule an introductory session where we can talk about your career goals and determine if we would be a good fit for coaching. If we are, we can arrange regular sessions to help you put your career on the fast track to advancement.…

Managing A Career

1
Aligning With Fast-Track Projects - MAC089 6:37

10 days ago6:37

6:37

Last week, in Episode 088 ( https://www.managingacareer.com/88 ), I covered the four key project types that can fast-track your career advancement. This week, I'm going to cover some strategies for when your current project assignment is not on one of those fast-track type projects. So, to review, the four fast-track project types are strategic projects aligned to organizational goals, cross-functional projects that impact multiple teams, projects tied to revenue generation or expense reduction, and finally, projects that are in trouble. If you find yourself assigned to a project in any combination of those categories, success can be a springboard to the next level. So, what do you do when your work doesn't fall into any of those categories? The first thing I would do is to get an understanding of why the project even exists. It's rare for a project to be initiated without having some business value, so your goal should be to understand what that value is. If you are unsure, ask your leader how your assignment aligns with the bigger picture. It's possible that your assignment is a precursor to an upcoming effort. Use this link when you communicate status of your project and include statements about how your current work ENABLES the future project. This linkage can also be your ticket to being assigned to the strategic project in the future. Alternatively, can you reframe your project so that you create a link between your project and a fast-track project? If you can directly tie the goals of your project to those of a fast-track project, it's possible that your project could be absorbed by the larger project, providing a backdoor route to being assigned to the fast-track project. If your project is not directly related to a fast-track project, look for ways to elevate your project. Can you expand the scope of your project to include cross-functional aspects? Does your project facilitate revenue generation or expense reduction for other areas of the business? Can someone leverage the results of your project to bring a troubled project back on track? Projects have executive sponsors. Who are the sponsors of your project? Make sure that they are communicating the importance of your project to your leaders and their leaders. Use their position to tie your project back to corporate goals. Those strategies would allow you to align your current project with a fast-track project. As long as you deliver on your current project, you can use the connection to a bigger project to help set yourself up for a key assignment on your next project. The other strategy is to look for ways to be assigned to a fast-track project. If your team is responsible for or contributes to a fast-track project, the obvious first step would be to speak to your manager. You'll need to make a case for why you would be an asset to that project. Do you have specific knowledge or skills that you can bring to the project? Or maybe you have key relationships that will gain the support of other teams? If your manager turns you down for the current project, ask for specific feedback on what you should work on so that you are considered for the next fast-track project……and then put a plan in place to work on those things. If you can't get reassigned to a fast-track project, it can still be beneficial to keep up with the progress of projects you aren't assigned to. Pay attention to when those projects have a need for additional resources or skills that you can provide. Volunteer to provide the additional support the projects need and continue to deliver on your current project. In Episode 013 ( https://www.managingacareer.com/13 ), I cover how sometimes you have to make your own luck. If you work your network and pay attention to the goings on of your organization, you can often find a problem in need of a solution. Look for those opportunities that can lead to a fast-track project. If you are the one bringing the project forward, you will usually not only be assigned to the project, but also have an opportunity to lead that project. If you find yourself in a situation where you get neither aligned or assigned to a fast-track project, there's still a course of action you can take. Play the hand you're dealt. Deliver strong results and use them to build trust and reputation. Take advantage of being on a less stressful project and use the time to build the skills you will need in order to be ready for the assignment when it becomes available. Help me spread the word about the Managing A Career podcast ( https://managingacareer.com ). My goal for this podcast is to continue to grow the audience in order to help as many people as I can advance their careers. To reach this goal, I would appreciate it if you would share this episode with your friends and coworkers. Send them to ManagingACareer.com/follow ( https://www.managingacareer.com/follow ) which will give them links to everywhere that this podcast can be found.…

Managing A Career

1
Fast Track Projects - MAC088 4:51

17 days ago4:51

4:51

When it comes to career advancement, some projects have a bigger impact than others. How can you make sure that you're associated with the projects that give you the best chance at success? When you look at the types of projects that are undertaken within your organization, four key types will garner the most recognition and opportunities for advancement. This week, I'll take a look at what these project types are. Next week, I'll cover what you can do if your assignments don't fall into one of these four categories. The type of project that is going to have the biggest impact on your career is going to be those that are most closely aligned with the organizational strategy and goals. The bigger the goal, the bigger the impact; projects tied to team goals, won't have nearly as big of an impact as one tied to departmental or company goals. But, regardless of the level, when the project is tied to a goal, your leaders will have a vested interest in the success of the project. Another impactful project type is a cross-functional projects. These projects give you an opportunity to expand your network ( https://www.managingacareer.com/29 ) and expand your sphere of influence ( https://www.managingacareer.com/70 ). While the project may not be aligned with YOUR organization's goals, it very likely aligns with the goals of the other organization. Your leadership will usually be made aware when you make significant contributions to these cross-functional projects. Most companies are in business to make money. It is never a bad thing when your projects directly drive revenue or on the flip side when your project reduces expenses. People will take notice when you are responsible for the improving the bottom line. If you're looking for a project type that is high-risk / high-reward, look for projects that are in trouble. Joining a problem project and turning it into a success will allow you to gain a lot of trust and leeway. Just be careful because it can be difficult and stressful to try to live up to expectations that you can swoop in like Superman for every project in the future. The common thread in all four of these fast track project types is that they all provide an opportunity for you to be more visible to leadership. You can enhance this visibility by documenting the project outcomes and how your involvement lead to those outcomes. Review Episode 044 ( https://www.managingacareer.com/44 ) for how to communicate the VALUE you provided and not just the activities you performed. The other way to increase the impact that a fast-track project has on your career is to build your network of champions. Use the success on these high-impact projects to bring the project sponsors into your personal cheering section as covered in Episode 052 ( https://www.managingacareer.com/52 ). Not every project will fall into one of these fast-track categories. Next week, I'll cover what you can do when you find yourself in that situation. Is there a career development question that you would like for me to answer on an upcoming episode? If so, go to the ManagingACareer.com website and drop me a note via the Contact form ( https://www.managingacareer.com/contact/ ). If you would rather, you can leave me a voicemail through your computer by clicking the button on the right.…

Managing A Career

1
Language Matters - MAC087 7:03

24 days ago7:03

7:03

In Episode 085 ( https://www.managingacareer.com/85 ), I covered techniques to build confidence. This week I'd like to talk about how you can use the words you say to project that confidence to those around you. When you speak with others, in order to project confidence, you should pay attention to the negative qualifiers that you use when stating your ideas. Those negative qualifiers typically fall into five categories. They can undermine your ideas such as "I think". They can undermine your self such as "Sorry" or "I could be wrong, but…". They can undermine your audience such as finishing with "Does that make sense?" They can undermine your intelligence such as "I have a doubt" They can make you seem uncommitted such as "I'll try" When you use phrases such as "I think", you weaken your message. Instead, just drop the qualifier and state your idea clearly. You are a professional and paid to be an expert in your field; own your ideas. Consider these phrasing pairs: I think we should explore the new technology. OR… The new technology is the best course of action. The first option comes across as a suggestion looking for someone else to take the lead. The second option conveys the same message but gives little room for doubt that your idea is the one to follow. When you make statements that diminish your self, you leave room for others to be the dominant voice in the room. I'm not suggesting that you be loud or vocally bullying, but if your goal is to be seen as a confident leader, you should be one of the more dominant voices in the room. Consider these phrasing pairs: I could be wrong, but our customers are looking for us to deliver this feature. OR… My perspective is that the new feature will drive additional customer upgrades. The first option lacks certainty. The second option doesn't apologize for your thoughts and presents a better case for why the team should proceed in the direction you suggest. It can be very off-putting when someone questions your intelligence. Using phrases that undermine your audience will have them deciding to support ideas from others. In order to gain their support you should avoid phrases such as "Does that make sense?" and instead use something along the lines of "If anyone needs more detail on that, let me know." The first questions their ability to understand whereas the second offers clarification for those that request it. Phrases that undermine your intelligence will kill any credibility you have with your audience. It's fine not to know something, but instead of saying "I don't know" say "I'll find out". Don't try to misrepresent your knowledge, but show your willingness to learn and grow. When you don't understand something, instead of saying "I have a doubt" say "Can you explain that". Using "I" language places the burden of ignorance on you and using "you" language places the burden of explanation on them. The last qualifier is "I'll try". Using this type of phrase doesn't express your commitment to the results. If what is being asked is within your abilities, just be direct and say "I will". Or if you are unsure of your ability to deliver, be clear and confident in what you can do and explain what areas may be problematic. For example, instead of "I'll try to get sign-off by the end of the week" say something like "I will send an email request for approval today and if I haven't received sign-off by Thursday, I will follow up in person." While I've been referring to these statements in terms of speaking, but the same holds true for written communication. Since written communication gives you more time to review and compose what you are sending, it may be easier to start there. Go back through your recent emails and look for these types of phrases. How could you have reworded them to present as stronger and more confident? If you have access to AI bots that can transcribe your meetings, record your meetings and pay attention to who uses strong language and who uses weak language. Are those the same people that are viewed as thought leaders? How often are you using weaker language? Do you find yourself using stronger language with certain audiences or in certain meetings but weaker language with different audiences or meetings? As we've seen this week, what you say and how you say it can play a big part in how others perceive you. Using the right phrasing will have others viewing you as confident and competent. And as I covered in Episode 085, confidence builds confidence. So, as you speak more confidently, your confidence in yourself will also grow. In past episodes, I've brought up people that I follow on LinkedIn whose content I feel can set you up for career success. This week, I'd like to turn your attention to Nausheen Chen ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/nausheenichen/ ). Nausheen is a public speaking coach. Now some of you may think to yourself that you never intend to speak on a stage, but hear me out. Speaking on a stage is about learning to speak with confidence and many of the same tips for public speaking apply to your day to day life, too. She not only covers the type of content that I've shared today but many more tips that can help be a better and more confident speaker, both on and off the stage. Go and give her a follow.…

Managing A Career

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Leadership Portfolio - MAC086 5:26

4 weeks ago5:26

5:26

On this podcast, I cover topics that can help you advance your career. In simple terms, this means putting yourself in the best possible position to be considered for a promotion. But, sometimes the next transition is from an individual to management role. This week, I cover a technique where you can document your leadership skills as you prepare for that change. When it comes to capturing the results of your work as an individual, I've covered several different methods. In Episode 044 ( https://www.managingacareer.com/44 ), I cover how to report status to various audiences showing the value that you provide in the context of your current assignments. In Episode 039 ( https://www.managingacareer.com/39 ), I cover the Success section of your IDP; in that section, you capture the results of your Action Plan and how you have grown from those activities. But, these forms of documentation may not be adequate to showcase your abilities when the next role relies on completely different skills than your current role. Many of the skills that you will need to have as a people manager are soft skills. Using them is often not tied directly to project results but affect HOW those results are achieve. Just documenting the results is not sufficient, so it will require a different approach. This week, I'd like to introduce you to a Leadership Portfolio. So, what do you capture in your Leadership Portfolio? At the most basic level, it should document your use of soft skills and particularly how they have impacted those around you. This is not an exhaustive list, but you should look to include instances when you: coached and mentored others navigated complex office politics resolved a conflict within the team showed executive presence delegated work to a more junior team member A Leadership Portfolio isn't something that you will typically be asked to produce but just going through the process of tracking the use of soft skills will set you apart from your peers. Beyond that, though, the Leadership Portfolio becomes your evidence that you can present to your leader when you feel you are ready to move to management. When documenting your interactions with individuals, keep track of who you helped and your relationship to them. Include details about how they benefitted from your leadership such as learning a new skill or completing a project or even receiving a promotion. If you have any feedback from them such as quotes or thank-you notes, include that in your portfolio, too. When the entry is in relation to a project, capture the dates of the instance and which soft skills you leveraged to move the project forward. Document a summary of the event and what actions you took to address the situation. If you decide to track your Leadership Portfolio, schedule time on your calendar every week to reflect on which soft skills you used throughout the week. If you helped someone, be sure to follow up with them to get feedback on how the responded to that assistance. Review which soft skills you use and which you don't. In the coming weeks, look for opportunities to bolster those that you use least. This week, I've given you a technique that will be a differentiator when you approach your leader about opportunities to transition to a managerial position. It will take time…..and action….to fill your portfolio, so start your Leadership Portfolio today. I would love to hear some stories of how this podcast has helped you in your pursuit of career advancement. Go to the ManagingACareer.com website and leave a message via the Contact form ( https://www.managingacareer.com/contact/ ) or click the button to leave a voicemail via your computer. Tell me which episodes have had the biggest impact for you. If I get enough feedback, I'll start including them in upcoming episodes.…

Managing A Career

1
Confidence Builds Confidence - MAC085 6:23

5 weeks ago6:23

6:23

Back in Episode 083 ( https://www.managingacareer.com/83 ) I talked about how Imposter Syndrome and Fear of Failure can derail your plans for career advancement. This week, I'd like to take a deeper dive at Confidence. Confidence, at it's very basic, is the believe that you will succeed in the current situation. Confidence is not arrogance; but they can be two side of the same coin. The biggest difference between Confidence and Arrogance is how others react to you and how you treat those around you. When you are confident, you state your case assertively but with respect. If you are arrogant, you will come across as dominating and dismissive. When you are confident, your believe in success can encourage those around you and lead them to want to help. Being arrogant, though, can alienate others when you act superior to them. So, how does confidence help when it comes to your career? Being confident makes you a better speaker. When you believe in what you are saying, it comes across to those you are speaking to. Your confidence will help you make your point stronger. When you are confident, you are focused on the final success and will not be hampered by small challenges along the way. Continued confidence in everything you do will have others considering you to be a "winner". As I mentioned earlier, being confident can inspire those around you. This type of inspiration will have others viewing you as a leader because most people want to follow proven winners. You confidence will also bring you bigger opportunities. When you are able to work through any challenges you face and still drive to success, you will gain the trust of your leaders. This trust will lead to those coveted higher-level assignments that eventually lead to promotion. Some people have what seems to be a natural confidence. You may even think that they were born with that confidence. But, in reality, confidence is a lot like compound interest. When you have a small success, you gain some confidence, which helps you have more success, which leads to more confidence, which leads to more success, and so on and so forth. When someone seems to be naturally confident, it is just that you are seeing them so far past their initial, awkward phase. If you find yourself in a situation where you don't have confidence, as I said in the episode on Imposter Syndrome, set as small of a goal as you can; make success almost a guaranteed outcome. Your confidence will build and grow much like a snowball rolling down a hill. Beyond starting with small wins, another confidence building technique is to practice self-affirmation. A negative mindset can erode your confidence. When you find yourself doubting your ability to succeed, you need to act quickly to change your mindset. Make positive statements about yourself, out loud if possible. As you make these statements, take a "superhero pose". You'll be surprised how just holding a powerful pose for a few minutes can boost your confidence. Start by focusing on the things you KNOW you are capable of and focus on those positive aspects. Confidence builds on other confidence, so by going back to the basics, you are starting the seed of your confidence snowball. Next, look at the skills that you are building. Focus on how proud you are of the growth you've already made. Make positive, affirming statements about the continued growth you will experience. These statements should be along the lines of "I *will* successfully learn……" and then name the skill. Lastly, take the negative thoughts that you have and reframe them into statements of opportunity. Instead of saying "I _can't_" or "I'm not good at" say "Even though I do not currently have the ability, I can learn". Another way to build confidence is to reach out to your mentors and leaders to ask for constructive feedback. They can help you identify the things you are good at (the beginning of your confidence snowball) and how those strengths are positive for the team. This assessment can be a big confidence boost. They can also help you plan your next areas of growth. Competence builds confidence; the stronger you are in particular skill, the more confident you will be when using the skill. Never stop learning and refining your abilities. Where are you in your confidence journey? Are you just starting or have you already banked some successes? Regardless of where you are, a career coach can help you build your confidence. If you need a career coach, reach out to me via the Contact Form at ManagingACareer.com ( https://www.managingacareer.com/contact/ ). I'll schedule an introductory session where we can talk about your career goals and determine if we would be a good fit for coaching. If we are, we can arrange regular sessions to help you put your career on the fast track to advancement.…

Managing A Career

1
Own the Problem, Bring Solutions - MAC084 5:51

6 weeks ago5:51

5:51

The other day on LinkedIn, there was a post ( https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lenareinhard_many-bosses-like-to-say-something-along-the-activity-7305950821341380610--N5o?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAACwlk8B_aCb2SXpDbHHORaRrI9SsfHvBMs ) by Lena Reinhard, host of the Leadership Confidential podcast ( https://www.lenareinhard.com/leadership-confidential ), about the saying "don't bring me problems, bring me solutions". That post got me thinking. In her post, Lena ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/lenareinhard/ ) expresses that she is not a fan of that phrase because it make the target of the statement feel like they are left to do all of the work themselves. Her suggestion is clarification through communication. Does your boss really expect you to solve the problem on your own or how you can align the way you work and ask for help with the way that they work and offer help. An example of how your work styles are not in alignment could be that in your one on ones with your leader, you may spend a large portion of the session complaining about a specific problem you're facing. Your manager may view that as asking for help but you just needed someone to vent to while you worked through conflict with another team. As a natural problem solver, I often had a similar response with my wife. Sometimes, she just wanted to vent about things going on with her job and I would often offer suggestions on how to proceed. Because our styles were in conflict, this would lead to frustration on both of our parts. Being able to communicate and align work styles with your boss (or spouse) can eliminate the frustration and turn things back to being a productive relationship. When everyone is on the same page when it comes to work style, what does your manager mean when they say "don't bring me problems, bring me solutions"? Your leader has a lot on their plate. They are responsible not just for keeping the members of their team productive and growing, but they also must take on tasks for THEIR leader. This often means that they are not able to spend a large portion of their day solving every problem on their team. They are looking for people to step up and own problems so that they don't have to. Unless they are a micromanager, they often only need to know about a problem under three specific conditions. Sometimes, when you have a solution to a problem, you need either approval or authority to proceed with the solution; you may have considered the alternatives and formulated a solid plan, but you need your boss to sign off on the final decision or to champion it to other teams. This is the perfect time to engage your boss; just be prepared to demonstrate the alternative solutions you considered and why this is the best path forward. If this solution impacts other teams, you may even need to refine your presentation as you communicate your solution beyond just your manager. The next situation is when you have narrowed down the options but need your manager to make the final decision. This case is a good opportunity to make yourself stand out. Instead of asking your leader to make the decision, ask for clarification on the criteria that they would use to decide. This will help you solve the current problem but also set you up for future success when you face a similar problem in the future. When your manager believes that you will make the same choice that they would make, you grain trust which leads to more autonomy as well as more strategic assignments. The final condition when you would bring a problem to your manager is when you have explored options but don't know how to proceed. When you find yourself without a clear path forward, you would do well to ask your manager, not for the answer, but for some strategies on how to proceed. Show them that you are interested in learning and growing and that you have a desire to solve problems on your own. If you are highly demanding of your manager's time because they have to solve every problem for you, they will come to dread every interaction they have with you. When you face a problem, instead of immediately taking it to your manager, use the problem as an opportunity to build trust and gain standing by showing independence. Work to think like your manager so that your solutions align with theirs. When you do this, you're bringing your manager solutions and not problems. I would love to hear some stories of how this podcast has helped you in your pursuit of career advancement. Go to the ManagingACareer.com website and leave a message via the Contact form ( https://www.managingacareer.com/contact/ ) or click the button to leave a voicemail via your computer. Tell me which episodes have had the biggest impact for you. If I get enough feedback, I'll start including them in upcoming episodes.…

Managing A Career

1
Faking It - MAC083 4:52

7 weeks ago4:52

4:52

There's been a lot of talk recently about "Imposter Syndrome". The term was coined by psychologists - Dr. Pauline Clance and Dr. Suzanne Imes in the late 1970s, but seems to be mentioned in so many different places the past few years. Having imposter syndrome is a very common experience in that most people experience some form of imposter syndrome at least once in their career. Imposter Syndrome is most prevalent when you take a new role. Self-doubt starts creeping in as you compare yourself to those around you. You may feel like you need to work extra hard to justify yourself to your new peers. You may even be dismissive of the accomplishments you DO have. As you work through the feelings of imposter syndrome, it's important to realize that someone believed in you in order for you to get to the position that you're in. Instead of thinking that you don't belong, focus on how you earned the right to the position. No one knows everything and with time and growth, you will be as much of an expert as anyone else. Another way to combat imposter syndrome is to keep track of your accomplishments and review them. If you have an Individual Development Plan using my template, you can also review the Successes section as covered in Episode 039 ( https://www.managingacareer.com/39 ). You can reflect on how much you have learned and grown and realize what you are truly capable of. If all else fails, reach out to a trusted peer or a mentor or your leader and talk through your feelings. Often, they can talk about when they experienced imposter syndrome and how they worked through it. Closely related to imposter syndrome is the fear of failure and a lack of confidence. If you feel like an imposter, you may think that any tiny failure will reveal to the world that you don't belong. This type of thinking will quickly erode any confidence you have, just reinforcing the imposter syndrome. One of the best way to beat failure or the fear of it is to have a few wins. This is where I like to use the snowball effect. Set small, short-term goals that involve small risks that are easily achieved. When you have achieved the goal, set new goals that are slightly bigger. Each goal will build your confidence like a snowball……small at first but larger and larger as you layer each success on top of it. Gaining competence - through learning and successes - will also build confidence. When it comes to imposter syndrome, look at which areas make you feel the most uncertain. Are there trainings you can take or assignments that you can take on that will help you become more competent and eventually more confident? Competence and confidence go a long way in eliminating those feelings of imposter syndrome. Feelings of inadequacy can stall or kill any career advancement you may be seeking. It's important to recognize those feelings early and work to eliminate them and eliminate them quickly. If you find yourself struggling, one person who can help you overcome them is a career coach. If you need a career coach, reach out to me via the Contact Form at ManagingACareer.com ( https://www.managingacareer.com/contact/ ). I'll schedule an introductory session where we can talk about your career goals and determine if we would be a good fit for coaching. If we are, we can arrange regular sessions to help you put your career on the fast track to advancement.…

Managing A Career

1
Quiet Firing - MAC082 6:41

8 weeks ago6:41

6:41

Recently, companies have been in cost cutting mode. The most obvious result of this cost cutting, at least when it comes to your career, is that companies have been laying off large numbers of workers across all industries. But these very same companies are starting to balk at the negative press associated with "yet another layoff". This week, I take a look at the subtle ways that companies continue to reduce their headcount in a less public manner. Return to Office Mandates During COVID, social distancing and stay at home orders lead many to resort to remote work. During that time, many companies experienced record revenue and added staff to support future projections. These activities showed that remote work could be successful and many workers enjoyed the freedom offered by these new policies. Now that the height of the pandemic has passed, companies transitioned to a hybrid model where some days were worked remotely and some were worked in the office. I won't argue that there are benefits to being in the office with your co-workers, but now companies are changing their policy to switch from a hybrid schedule to one requiring workers to be in the office five days per week. The freedom that workers once had has been quickly eliminated. In some instances, this policy shift may make sense, but in most cases, this change leads to a situation where people voluntarily leave to find an opportunity that still offers the flexibility that they had become accustomed to. Reduction in Promotions and Frozen Salaries Beyond return to office mandates, employees are finding fewer opportunities for advancement and smaller salary increases. When a company is in the process of laying off employees, this often includes cancelling most of the open positions. For the positions that remain open, you will face additional competition from those on the reduction list as well as everyone else looking for a promotion. In addition to limited opportunities, many are finding that salary increases are small or non-existent and bonuses are reduced or eliminated all under the banner of controlling costs. Those expecting some sort of increase to their bank account will face dissatisfaction and demotivation. And for the company, this could be a way to reduce staff without the stigma of another round of layoffs. Overworked and Burnt Out One would hope that layoffs are targeted to areas where shifting business needs have lead to reduced workloads, but they often hit areas that were already understaffed. Those that remain are often asked to do "more with less". Goals are set more aggressively in order to recover some level of profitability. With the constant fear of being "next", people will just accept the additional workload and strive to do everything asked of them, even if it means working longer hours and opting not to take all of their allotted time off. This is an unsustainable position that will only lead to burnout. Singled Out The other factors are things that apply generally to everyone in the company. But you could also find yourself targeted by your company to encourage you to leave. You may find that your responsibilities are changing, often in a manner that doesn't align with your career plan and skill set or potentially even having diminished responsibility levels. Performance reviews may not accurately reflect the level of contributions you have made. Feedback is not constructive or even offered. If it feels like your manager is pushing you out in this manner, you may have no choice but to look for alternatives. There may be opportunities to remain at the company but to transfer to another group. But, if that is not an option, take advantage of the situation as best you can. Use any training resources available to you and do your best to remain employed, but begin exploring your options elsewhere. Navigating Your Options If you find yourself in a situation where your company is looking for ways to drive people to leave, there may be some things you can do to ease some of the stress you find yourself facing. Policy may require you to be in the office five days per week, but there may be flexibility in the hours that you are in the office. Maybe you can negotiate having certain mornings or afternoon continue to be remote as long as you still meet the five day mandate. If promotions and salaries are not an option, it may be possible to receive other non-monetary benefits. A change in title doesn't cost the company any money but could add some needed prestige as you explore other jobs. Having expanded access to training resources can allow you to increase your skills opening up other opportunities previously unavailable to you. In Episode 053 ( https://www.managingacareer.com/53 ), I covered what you should do if you've been laid off, but many of those same strategies apply if you find yourself being quietly fired. A career coach can help you navigate these difficult times and set yourself up for future success. If you need a career coach, reach out to me via the Contact Form at ManagingACareer.com ( https://www.managingacareer.com/contact/ ). I'll schedule an introductory session where we can talk about your career goals and determine if we would be a good fit for coaching. If we are, we can arrange regular sessions to help you put your career on the fast track to advancement.…

Managing A Career

1
Visibility - MAC081 5:18

9 weeks ago5:18

5:18

The job market right now is a really scary place. Large companies are laying off employees. Even the government, usually one of the more stable places to work is reducing their headcount. There are no guarantees of job security unless you own the company, but if you want to provide at least a modicum of safety when the reductions come around, you have to find a way to become indispensable. There will be many who, when times are tough, will go into what I like to call "turtle" mode. They'll find ways to hide in their shell and hope that when the cuts come, they're overlooked. But if you want to be important, it starts with being seen. While this may feel uncomfortable and risky, if no one knows who you are and what you contribute to the company, how can you be viewed as an indispensable part of the company? The first step to becoming more visible is to be more vocal. In meetings, pay attention to what is being discussed and look for opportunities to ask insightful questions. A well crafted question at the right time can show the attendees that you have desire to learn more about the subject. You can also express your opinion on topics that you already have a level of understanding. When others make suggestions, you can also offer support for their ideas -- just be careful of coming across as a "yes man". The next step is to volunteer. When there are activities that involve highly visible or extremely challenging tasks, instead of shying away from them, step up and take ownership of those activities. By taking them on, you show ownership and leadership. Additionally, success on these assignments is amplified across the organization. Another way to more visible is to tell everyone. This isn't about bragging. But, if you think back to Episode 044 ( https://www.managingacareer.com/44 ), I cover Reporting Status. In that episode, I talk about how you can create a status report that expresses the value you have provided and how you might tailor those reports to different audiences. If you create a status report to be sent to your leader and their peers, you can increase you visibility without coming across as braggadocios. The last way to increase your visibility is to talk to more people. In Episode 029, Building a Network ( https://www.managingacareer.com/29 ) and Episode 070, Sphere of Influence ( https://www.managingacareer.com/70 ), I offer several ways that you can grow your network -- both within and outside of your company. Use your network to showcase your contributions, especially with key decision-makers. Become a hub of knowledge by sharing industry trends and articles about new ideas and technology. Being that hub will have others seeking YOU out to be a part of THEIR network. In last week's episode ( https://www.managingacareer.com/80 ) the focus is on turning your Action Plan into daily Habits. You can apply this same strategy to increasing your visibility. To be more vocal, make a point of asking one question in each project meeting that you are in. Take ownership by making sure that you leave each meeting with at least one action item. Showcase your wins by sending a weekly status report. Build your network by scheduling a weekly coffee break with different people within your department. Hiding in your shell and being quiet may feel comfortable, especially when the world feels chaotic, but that is not the path to job security or career advancement. When you are just starting out, use visibility to build credibility and showcase your leadership skills. When you are in the middle job grades, visibility can help you be assigned to the preferred projects. As you transition to positions of leadership, visibility will strengthen your position and ensure that you are leading a growing team. Visibility is a critical component of growth. Help me grow this podcast by going to your podcast platform of choice or the Managing A Career website ( https://www.managingacareer.com/reviews/new/ ) and leaving an honest review. More reviews will help others searching for career growth podcasts find and follow this podcast.…

Managing A Career

1
Action Plan to Habit - MAC080 6:17

10 weeks ago6:17

6:17

Last year, I covered the Individual Development Plan or IDP in a series of episodes. In Episode 036 ( https://www.managingacareer.com/36 ), I introduce the IDP and cover why it should be an important part of your career growth. In Episode 037 ( https://www.managingacareer.com/37 ) I describe the Vision and Roadmap sections of the IDP and how they represent the foundation for understanding where your career is headed. Episode 038 ( https://www.managingacareer.com/38 ) covers the Assessment and Next Role sections. These sections break down which skills you will need in order to advance and how you rank against them. Episode 039 ( https://www.managingacareer.com/39 ) shows you how to build an Action Plan for reaching your goals and to document your Successes as you build the skills you need. And I wrapped up the series in Episode 040 ( https://www.managingacareer.com/40 ) where I explained the process of how you can integrate your IDP into your career discussions with your leader. If you're like most people, the last time you thought about career goals was last year during your annual planning sessions. But the purpose of the IDP is to help you take a high level career vision and break it down systematically ultimately into an action plan that you can make measurable progress against. Career advancement isn't something that happens instantaneously, but instead is the culmination of a series of purposeful steps. This week, I'd like to talk about how, by turning your Action Plan into daily habits, your career growth becomes almost automatic. If you read books such as Atomic Habits by James Clear or The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, they break habits down into three main components. A cue or trigger - something that sets the habit in motion. An example might be the habit of brushing your teeth as part of your regular morning or nighttime routines -- the trigger being the time of day. A routine - this is the action that you want to become a habit. A reward - this is some sort of positive response that reinforces the routine action. Your Action Plan should follow some sort of Goal framework. Episode 047 ( https://www.managingacareer.com/47 ) lists several common frameworks such as OKR - Objectives and Key Results, Backwards Goals, and SMART goals. If you take the example from Episode 039 of "Improve my presentation skills" which I turned into a SMART goal of "give a 30-minute presentation in front of an audience of at least 30 people", you can turn this into a series of daily habits that help you build the skill and confidence to deliver the presentation. With a goal of giving a 30-minute presentation, you could form a daily habit of creating a summary of every article that you read. The cue or trigger would be reading an article. The routine would be to write the summary. The reward could be anything that encourages you to perform the routine. As you work to create these habits, there are some things that you can do to increase your likelihood of the behavior becoming a true habit. The first is that you can attach them to some of your existing habits. For example, as you drink your first cup of coffee, you could attach a habit of reading an article -- that you later summarize. If an existing habit is the trigger for the new habit, you are practicing "Habit Stacking". The next thing you can do to increase the likelihood of forming a habit is to use some sort of system for tracking progress. This could be as simple as the process made popular by Jerry Seinfeld. Every time you complete the habit, mark the date on the calendar. See how long you can build the chain of consecutive days performing the routine. If you aren't a fan of that one, there are several habit tracking programs you can find in your phone's app store. The third thing you can do to increase the chances of success is to keep the activity simple. If it takes more than just a few minutes to perform the routine, you're more likely to skip it when time is tight. Remove as many barriers as possible so that it's almost more convenient to perform the habit than it is to skip it. As you start the process of breaking your Action Plan into daily habits, start with one. It can be overwhelming to try to start multiple habits, so focus on one habit at a time. Take advantage of some sort of reminder, whether that is built in to a tracking tool or posting sticky notes around your house. And if possible, find an accountability partner who will check in on your habit-forming progress. The key is to find small, repeatable steps that build towards the defined goal in your Action Plan. By building these as daily habits you'll find that completing the goals gets easier. If you would like a copy of my free IDP template, reach out to me via the Contact Form ( https://www.managingacareer.com/contact/ ) on the ManagingACareer.com website and I will send you one.…

Managing A Career

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Building Someone Else's Network - MAC079 5:19

11 weeks ago5:19

5:19

Back in Episode 029 ( https://www.managingacareer.com/29 ), I talked about how to build your network. In that episode, I suggested that you can attend meet-ups and conferences to expand your network. And then, through the connections you have, you can find ways to get connected to others that can help you learn and grow. But networking isn't just about how other people can help you. It should be a reciprocal relationship. With the state of the job market right now and so many professionals finding themselves laid off from jobs they may have had for years, now is the perfect time for you to use the resources and connections you have to help others. Spend time going through your list of connections on LinkedIn and see who has the "Open To Work" banner enabled or who has recently posted about looking for a job. Do you remember how you're connected to them? Do you remember what they know about or what they do? Reach out to each of the people on your list. If it has been a while since you've connected, spend some time catching up. As you reconnect, provide them with emotional support. Remind them of the things that you liked about interacting with them. Play up their strengths. Losing a job is stressful and demoralizing. Being available to talk and boosting their confidence can go a long way to helping even if just to lift someone's spirits. If you have experience with the hiring and interview process, you might also offer to review their resume and LinkedIn profile or to provide interview practice for them. It can be difficult to know why you aren't getting jobs when you just hear the "no". By offering to give them constructive feedback, it can help them break past the screeners and possibly even land a job. If there are people in your connections that have the "Hiring" banner up or have recently posted openings at their company, offer to provide introductions to contacts that they do not know. By becoming a connector, you are reinforcing your value to both parties. Not only does this help them now, but it will help keep you in mind when they have other opportunities in the future. Not everyone you are connected to has an "Open To Work" or "Hiring" banner on their profile. When you see good or interesting job postings, share them on social media. If someone is unhappy with their job and is secretly looking, it will bring the jobs you post about into their focus. They may even reach out to you allowing you to be able to provide some of the other means of support. You can also share the profile of someone looking for work and highlight their strengths. The benefit of a network isn't always the direct connections. Sometimes it's the friend of a friend of a friend that winds up having the solution to the problem. So, to recap. If you want to strengthen your network, you should look for opportunities to help others and not just look at your network as something to use. Taking actions to help those in your network will have payback in the future when you really need it. With the current state of the job market, this is a great time to invest in your network by helping others find a job. Offer emotional support. Help them with the application and interview process. Be a connector. What you will find is that if you help someone find a new job, it can build some very strong connections. It can also lead to new connections for YOUR network. Networking is a two-way street. It's one of the reasons that I started this podcast. I invest my time in creating each weeks' episode because I want to share the things that I've learned throughout my career and offer content that helps you on your own personal journey. Word of mouth is one of the strongest methods for spreading the word because it builds on the trust that you already have created. If you found this episode -- or any other episode -- to be helpful, share it with your network. Help me grow my audience through your network.…

Managing A Career

1
Future Proof You - MAC078 8:21

12 weeks ago8:21

8:21

AI and automation have become game changers across every industry. No matter what you do for a career, you're going to need to figure out how to introduce their capabilities or find yourself falling behind those that can. This week, I'll take a look at some of the things you can do to integrate AI into your normal workflows. Before we look at the capabilities of AI, let's talk about data privacy. Unless the company you work for is paying for the enterprise version of whatever AI you are using, you should only submit information that is deemed public. If there is any question about whether you should submit the information to the AI tools, you should consult the appropriate departments at your company. There are many example instances where company secrets were leaked by someone unfamiliar with how these AI services worked. Don't let that be you. The other key thing that you need to be aware of when it comes to AI is the concept of hallucinations. In terms of AI, a hallucination is when the AI generates something that seems plausible but may not be factually correct. This stems from the basis of how these AIs work. When an AI generates an answer, it is just putting words together based on the likelihood that they would appear in that order. While this often leads to useful information, it can occasionally generate incorrect information. You should not implicitly trust the results of the AI without some level of verification. In spite of all of that, AIs are still a valuable tool across many different roles. Researching. One of the best uses of an AI chatbot is to be able to ask simple questions and receive in-dept responses. When using a traditional search engine, you likely have to look across multiple entries in the result to glean the information that is provided by a single chatbot query. And the real power comes when you ask deeper or clarifying questions about aspects of the response; it's this interactive chat capability that makes the AI really shine. Just be aware that if you do use a chatbot for research, you should also tell it to cite sources to make it easier to validate that the information comes from a credible source and reduce the chances of falling for hallucinations. Summarizing. If any part of your job involves reading lengthy websites or large online documents, there are AIs that can summarize those contents for you. Once the summary has been created, you can even ask follow-up questions about the document to dive deeper into specific aspects that most interest you. This doesn't replace the need to read them, but it can help you prioritize which portions to read in depth or which provides the information you might be looking for. Transcribing and Meeting Notes. There are specialized AIs that can extract information from a recording. They can create a transcript including identifying unique speakers. Additionally, they can summarize and provide meeting notes and summaries including calling out action items that were identified as part of the meeting. Some AIs even provide insights into how you sounded during the meeting; did you come across as confident or was the audience confused by what you said? This type of feedback can help your reformulate your ideas to be more compelling. Writing. One of the things that these AIs excel at is writing. Many of the modern AIs are what are considered LLMs - Large Language Models. These AIs have been trained on how language is constructed. You can easily turn bullet points and vague ideas into complete paragraphs. I don't recommend just copying and pasting the generated results, but it's much easier to edit a response than it is to start with a blank page. Even episodes of Managing A Career start with a brainstorming session with an AI. I use the results as inspiration, but every episode is my own creation. Images and Video. Much like writing, there are specialist AIs that can take a few sentences and generate graphical results such as images and video. And just like writing, I would not just take the results verbatim, but using the AI results as inspiration can kick-start the creative process. Specialty AIs. There are also many specialty AIs that have been trained on information specific to an industry. There are tools that focus on the medical field that can help with diagnosis or treatment or even in reading medical images. There are tools for the financial industry that can recommend investments based on a persons risk tolerance and investment goals. And one of the more popular areas for specialty AI is for the software development industry where AIs are able to write large portions of the code needed to run businesses. But, regardless of the industry, it's important to remember that these AI tools are still imperfect and you need to use your expertise and knowledge to vet any answer. Custom AIs. The final type of AI is one that is custom built for your needs. This requires more technical skill than the others, but it has the highest potential for benefit. This may require the assistance of I/T and clearance from legal, but when an AI is trained on your data, it opens up more specific questions that you can ask. You could ask the AI about buying patterns of your various customers. You could ask the AI about most common solutions to customers' problems. You could ask about potential design ideas and how customers would react to them. Automation. Once you have a custom AI built that understands your business processes and data, it opens up the possibility of automation using AI agents. These types of agents allow you to delegate tasks to a virtual assistant giving you more free time to work on more strategic activities. For instance, if you regularly respond to customer emails, you can have an AI agent author drafts for your final review before sending. Or if the AI understands how you onboard customers, you can let the AI agent begin the process while you just provide oversight to ensure accuracy and interject a human touch when needed. There is a lot of worry by the world at large that AIs are going to put people out of a job, but in reality, they are just a tool like any other. Tools like a powered saw allow you to cut wood more efficiently, but there are still people that cut the wood. Treat AI, like an assistant that you can delegate lower level tasks to freeing you up to concentrate on those higher level tasks that can help you advance your career. I would love to hear some stories of how this podcast has helped you in your pursuit of career advancement. Go to the ManagingACareer.com website and leave a message via the Contact form ( https://www.managingacareer.com/contact/ ) or click the button to leave a voicemail via your computer. Tell me which episodes have had the biggest impact for you. If I get enough feedback, I'll start including them in upcoming episodes. [episode artwork was generated by AI]…

Managing A Career

1
Loyalty - MAC077 6:56

13 weeks ago6:56

6:56

My dad worked at the same company from when he was in his early 20s until he retired -- with a pension. These days, that is a rare event. Companies are driven more by the demands of shareholders to deliver ever increasing profit margins rather than to have any level of loyalty to their employees. With more and more executive compensation tied to stock grants and stock options, they are actually incentivized to perpetuate this drive for profit, so don't expect company loyalty to change any time soon. In today's world, if you want the company to have any sort of loyalty towards you, it all comes down to the value that you provide to the company. It's a harsh reality, but it's the only thing that can provide you with any level of protection when companies are downsizing. But it's very much a "what have you done for me lately" situation. You may have saved the company millions of dollars three years ago, but if you aren't actively contributing more to the bottom line, there will be no loyalty. In spite of the lack of loyalty towards you, what of your loyalty to the company? Obviously, there are legal ramifications if you were to take trade secrets and share them with the company's biggest competitor, so I'm not advocating any such action. But, I will recommend that you focus on YOUR needs over those of the company. You may have a family that you support or you may be looking to drive your career a certain direction. Given the current climate, you might want to prioritize those things over working nights and weekends for months on end. Layoffs are going to happen……are happening…..across every industry right now. This week, I'd like to take a deeper look at what you can do to protect yourself whether you are on "the list" or not. Understand what makes your company unique and align yourself with work that supports it. If the primary business of the company is to sell "widgets" is the work you do directly involved in the creation or selling of those widgets? If your department is considered "overhead", you are not in alignment with the company's key differentiators. Being closer to these core business activities doesn't guarantee anything, but they are usually less impacted than other departments. Listen to what executives are saying. Even if you aren't "in the know" in terms of what areas will be impacted by a layoff, there are often signs. It is very rare for a layoff to happen out of the blue. Each quarter, when earnings are announced, consider how the company performed against their targets. The most important is Profit Margin. Your company may have had record revenue numbers, but if that is accompanied by higher than normal expenses, the company may have missed the expected profit margin targets. When the quarterly numbers are announced, pay attention to where the executives talk about tackling the problem. Are they expecting an increase in sales (leading to more revenue) or are they talking about managing expenses? Focus on YOU. As a listener of this podcast, you've already taken steps to improve yourself when it comes to career. You have an IDP. You've built a strong network. You've taken steps to ensure you have a good work / life balance. Beyond those long-term activities, you should also take some steps with a shorter term focus. Invest in your career. You should always be prepared to invest your own money in your career. Consider hiring a career coach to help you navigate the changing conditions at work. Pay for training when it will set you apart from everyone else because training budgets are usually one of the first cuts made by companies. Keep an eye on the market. You should always keep your resume updated and periodically look at what positions are open. If something comes open that matches what you are looking for, don't feel guilty about applying. Diversify your income. For most people, their income comes solely from their job. However, this leaves you open to a lot of risk when the company you work for decides that you or your team are no longer part of their future direction. When it comes to the stock market, a good strategy is to diversify your portfolio and the same adage hold true when it comes to your income. Consider starting some sort of side hustle or look for freelance opportunities. In my case, I have a day job, but I also have a side business, a podcast, and I do career coaching. Other people receive income from rental properties. If you're looking for takeaways from today's episode, I'm going to assign you some homework. Update your resume. Ideally several times per year. But do it now because you never know when you will need it. Review the most recent quarterly earnings report from your company's leaders. How does their message affect you personally. Brainstorm five different alternative sources of income that you could add. A career coach can help you navigate these trying times. If you need a career coach, reach out to me via the Contact Form at ManagingACareer.com ( https://www.managingacareer.com/contact/ ). I'll schedule an introductory session where we can talk about your career goals and determine if we would be a good fit for coaching. If we are, we can arrange regular sessions to help you put your career on the fast track to advancement.…

Managing A Career

1
Developing Skills - MAC076 6:11

27 weeks ago6:11