Life is no longer sweet in the executive suite and its impact on your career (Part 2 of 2)

Nido Qubein, who wrote my introduction to Customize Your Career, SAID:  “If you want to have success and significance—in business and in life—choose to be a person of value” . . . Nido equates value with personal power.

The first and most important thing to remember when it comes to being remarkable is that it is in reality a call to harnessing your personal power.

It is your brand, it is your signature, it is the mark you leave on the lives of those with whom you come into contact on a day-in-day-out basis.

The most amazing attribute about being remarkable is the fact that it is achieved through the everyday unremarkable things that you do which reflect who you are and what you stand for.  In essence, to be truly remarkable, you have to live your values through the sometimes small and seemingly innocuous actions that support and inspire those around you.

It’s A Wonderful Life!  We all remember this movie with great fondness.  In fact, it has become a timeless classic which airs every Christmas and has become an enduring example of how little things mean a great deal in terms of being remarkable.

Take George Bailey.  While he aspired to doing great things from traveling the world to building big cities, it was his daily contributions that made a difference in the lives of those who lived with him in Bedford Falls.

Sadly, and like most of us, George equated being remarkable with living big and living grand when, in reality, it is the things we do every day that really count.  He didn’t recognize what was remarkable about him, and as a result he counted himself a failure.  That is until those whose lives he touched came forward to help him in his time of need.

Of course real life isn’t the movies, and as such you cannot rely solely on others to herald your contributions.  The reality today is that we are all so caught up in our own agenda and the demands of the day that we become too preoccupied to look outside of our own world. It’s up to you to give yourself the credit for your perseverance, discipline and commitment it took to make something happen.  It’s up to you to celebrate your own successes and become your best PR (public relations) manager.

In this context of reality, you must realize that while you are being judged by the last experience someone had with you, you do have to take responsibility for being noticed.  In other words you must manage the perception of your brand.

HONOR CONSISTENCY

One of the most important ways to manage the perception of your brand is by being consistent.

As exemplified by George Bailey, what you saw is what you got!

I see executives who treat their colleagues one way, their direct reports another way and their senior leadership completely differently. Have you ever worked with someone like that?  People who do this are sometimes described as being good at “managing up” but it is rarely a compliment.  What they are really doing is damaging their brand.

When someone observes you treating someone else differently, the first seed of mistrust is sewn. They immediately start to wonder which one is the real you. You quickly become a brand they cannot trust. And you can’t build loyalty without trust.

LOOK AT THE COST OF DOING THE WORK YOU DO

Always honor your authentic brand, but you must manage the experiences others have of you. Being inclusive and recognizing the contributions of others go a long way toward building loyalty and trust.

Even though good old George Bailey may have at times lamented his responsibility for the Bailey Building and Loan Association, he was always mindful of its importance to the people of Bedford Falls.  Because of this he became an invaluable member of the community.

The best approach is to be your best with everyone, even on the days when you don’t feel like it. Anyone who has ever worked with an erratic boss or colleague knows that when someone is unpredictable, his or her brand is diluted. Their behavior on a bad day chips away at the brand they may have been building on their good days.

Treat everyone with respect. Manage up, sideways and down. You never know who will find themselves in a position to promote or defend your brand in the future.  Additionally, you never know who will be your next boss!  If you treat others better than they ever expected, your brand will be strengthened – like a good cup of coffee.

LEARN FROM THE FOUR SEASONS

In the last year, I have had the privilege to work with the Four Seasons Hotel. I always wondered what made this chain so successful. It didn’t take long to find out once I learned more about their leader, Isadore (Issie) Sharp. He launched his company, The Four Seasons, in 1961 with a 125-room motor hotel in Toronto. Today, there are 140 hotels in more than 40 countries. His chain is considered the most profitable as well as the highest rated luxury hotels in the world.

When asked the reason for the success of the Four Seasons, Issie Sharp was quoted as saying that his culture is simply based on the golden rule – “to treat others as you wish to be treated” He said, “A lot of companies talk about having a culture, but we knew we had to walk the talk if we expected it to thrive in our hotels.”

George Bailey also lived by this “golden rule,” as demonstrated by his ability to avert a disastrous run on the bank by putting up his own money to help others in need.  In the process he created an atmosphere of contagious cooperation and mutual consideration and respect.

IN THE END, KNOW YOUR VALUE AND HOW YOU ARE VALUED

While it took Clarence to help George to see just how important and therefore remarkable he was to his community of Bedford Falls, you don’t have to wait for your guardian angel to descend from above to show you.

Considering the above points, ask yourself in whose life have you made a difference today, and in the past weeks, and perhaps even the past years.

When you do this, you will discover your value and what makes you remarkable.

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Life is no longer sweet in the executive suite and its impact on your career (Part 1 of 2)

“At the other end of the spectrum is Fabrizio Freda, who runs Estee Lauder (NYSE: EL). The company set a record for both profits and revenue last year. Shares are up 100% in just two years. Still, nothing would keep the Lauder family from dismissing Freda — should they choose to — despite those successes.”

From the May 2^nd, 2012 7/24 Wall Street article “The Least Powerful CEOs in America”

With alarming frequency we are beginning to see that no one and I mean no one, is immune to the possibility of waking up one morning to find that they are out of a job.  This even goes for those who have inhabited the lofty heights of the executive suite.

Imagine, for example, that you are a senior director within a major corporation. Imagine that for the last three years, you have been groomed for a VP role with global client responsibilities when the position becomes available.   Imagine that you are now promoted, with cool perks like business class travel and a membership at a prestigious golf club to enjoy with customers.  (Or a designated limo at your disposal to whisk you off to meetings, corporate events, etc.)  Fast forward, three months into the position, your boss, who was your biggest champion and mentor, leaves unexpectedly.   Head-hunters are now scaling the world for his replacement.  NOW IMAGINE …what would happen to your role when the restructuring starts to happen?  How fireproofed are you?

Does this sound like an extraordinary perhaps even impossible turn of events?  Even though it seems unbelievable, it is indeed a true story!  Most recently, I had the opportunity to work for a client who was just celebrating her promotion and excited about her future opportunities in a new role.  To her dismay, her boss suddenly exits. Now what happens to what appeared to be a promising and bright future?

That’s why I am writing this blog, not in judgement but more with the intention to help others to never allow complacency to happen.  Memories provide lessons learned, even as I look back to a similar situation that I encountered when I worked for a prestigious organization.  Sadly, I was put into a position, after my boss departed, to prove why I was even worthy of keeping my job. Like many, I never realized the value of having a contingency plan.

What do you mean you don’t have a back-up plan?!

In today’s uncertain business climate where the cradle to grave security of holding a position with the same employer for your entire career is a distant memory, no one is untouchable!

Of course, the impact of a boss’ sudden departure extends well beyond his own position to affect everyone within his sphere of influence – that most likely will include you!

Under these uncertain conditions in which we are all to varying degrees reduced to being a spectator in our own careers, you have to step back and take inventory of your political positioning.  How do others view you?  What are your relationships like with the power brokers, colleagues, reports, customers, and senior leadership?  Now ask yourself:  Who will be next to rise to the top?  Who are the up and coming leaders? Who are potential or present critics who could possibly sabotage your job security?  Once you paint the landscape with realistic colors, you are now ready to take back control of your job and your future.

You have to step up and stand out by establishing your distinguishable brand in which your value is readily recognized.  No more hiding in the bushes of employee anonymity.

Unfortunately, most individuals have been taught that standing out from the crowd is a selfish act that alienates those with whom you work.  Maybe so – at least in certain circumstances, but now that the rules have changed so dramatically, so too must our past perceptions and attitudes.

In other words, we can no longer just be good enough.  We now have to be remarkable!

The question is “how do you become remarkable?”

In part 2 of this series I will touch on the things you need to do to stand out while still being able to fit in.

Why adopting a consultant’s mentality provides both job security and satisfaction

Its funny but sometimes the route between where we are now and what we were meant to do (or believe we were meant to do) is not always a direct or straight line.  In fact in many instances what we do today does not usually reflect our passion but our need to earn an income.  That being said, and adhering to the grow where you are planted axiom, we can however find total fulfilment in our present station when we adopt a consultant’s mentality.

What is a consultant’s mentality?

As outlined in the video below, it is through the prioritization of what you do with an eye towards identifying and achieving the results that correspond with your organization’s goals or objectives, that the greatest level of personal satisfaction and achievement can be attained.

Of course one may ask a question to which there is a seemingly obvious answer . . . why beyond keeping my job to pay the bills would I go that extra mile.  After all, this isn’t my dream job.

Well here is something that probably won’t surprise you, but according to a 2006 survey “more than four out of five U.S. workers do not have their dream jobs.”  What’s even more interesting is that relative to this finding it would seem that the definition of one’s dream job is not positionally or vocationally-based, but is instead determined by mindset or frame of mind, which includes work ethic.

In essence you can work your way into your dream job right now and right where you are, which brings us back full circle to the consultant’s mentality.

Through this new lens, take a few minutes to watch the above video a second time, and you will begin to better understand the consultant’s mentality but, you will also better understand how it applies specifically to you and your present position.

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