Some Thoughts About Career Advancement – January 1, 2024

LEARN A LITTLE:

Some Thoughts About Career Advancement

I recently got a call from a young person in his early 30’s, who wanted to know if he could come by and talk with me about his career. I had met him at a recent conference and spent some time getting acquainted.

He worked at a large organization in a line position as a first-tier manager. His concern was that over the last 18 months he had been passed over for a promotion on two separate occasions.

“What do I have to do to get ahead?” he asked. He was clearly talking about climbing the corporate ladder. He described the people who had been selected over him as “brown nosers” and said that he “wasn’t willing to go that route.”

We met three times in person and talked by phone on several occasions. While he may not have realized it, I spent our initial time together assessing his basic skills, knowledge and credentials to do the job. His knowledge, background and experience seemed fine.

After discussing the dangers of excessive and insufficient ambition, I asked him how he was “marketing” himself within the organization. Did others including those above him in the corporate hierarchy recognize his ambitions and achievements?

His first response was not uncommon, “I shouldn’t have to market myself.” He noted that he worked hard, was a team player and never called in sick. He asked me to give him some examples of what it meant to market himself.

Most of that list follows, but it must be recognized that all companies and organizations are not the same, including the promotion opportunities in small, medium and large organizations.

Inasmuch as this is a blog and not an article, the points that I make are not elaborated upon, but all deserve thought and the development of a “how to do that” implementation tactic or strategy.

These suggestions are shared as an ‘A’ list, top priorities, and a ‘B’ list, additional priorities.

A List

• Be a good supervisor/manager. Reinforce, recognize and appreciate your employees.
• Complement your colleagues, and lend assistance when you can.
• See meetings as opportunities to connect with others and share information.
• Volunteer for projects on committees.
• Have a positive mindset. Say “thanks” and share ideas along with other things at every opportunity.
• Circulate articles, readings, even relevant cartoons when you come across them.
• Work hard to develop better ways of doing tasks.
• Do your homework, and know all that you can.
• Be a good listener. Be present to your employees, and develop a great team.
• Develop and perfect your personal radar system, and remember to observe and check your own behavior.

B List

• Arrive at work early if you can.
• Dress appropriately.
• Keep a tidy office.
• Be a good steward of company resources.
• Continually work to improve your communication skills.

A Final Note

• Know your boss. Is she a listener or a reader? A “Filer or Piler”?
• Be aware of the boss’ available time.
• See the big picture. Help your boss solve or address their problems.
• Don’t be a whiner.

Your goal is to be perceived as the most capable candidate for promotion, not the most visible. Good luck.

LAUGH A LITTLE:

REFLECT A LITTLE:

READ A LITTLE:

Do Hard Things

Steve Magness
(HarperCollins, 2022)

Steve Magness, may be best known for his book Peak Performance, his reputation as an outstanding high school runner, and frequent writings on the subject of recovery. However, readers of this blog, who also enjoy running, will resonate well with Do Hard Things and its engaging stories.

This book is about toughness but not the type that causes you to think about Bobby Knight or other hard line “discipline first” coaches. In the introductory chapter, Magness explains the dangers and downsides of authoritarian ways, which he contends only foster hard work to avoid punishment. He shares a lot of relevant research that leads to the conclusion that real mental toughness “is experiencing discomfort or distress, leaning in, paying attention, and creating space to take thoughtful action.”

This new understanding of mental toughness takes us beyond sheer gut and determination to the ability to make wise decisions under uncomfortable circumstances or, in my mind, pain. The remainder of the book describes the four pillars of toughness briefly highlighted below.

First Pillar: Ditch the Façade, Embrace Reality

“Toughness is about embracing the reality of where we are and what we have to do,” states Magness. “The magic is in aligning actual and expected demands.”

An important point in this context that shouldn’t be overlooked is that “how we see the world shapes how we respond to it.”

Magness also stresses the importance of setting appropriate and authentic goals: “Successful people tend to have higher self-esteem not because they are striving for self-worth itself, but because it’s a by-product of overcoming challenges and making meaningful connections with others.”

This section concludes with a very good discussion of “self-determination theory,” learned helplessness and practical leadership applications.

Second Pillar: Listen to Your Body

This pillar begins with the statement that “emotions are messengers, not dictators” (Chapter 6). The idea is that if toughness is about working through discomfort, we need to pay attention to our feelings, inasmuch as they influence and guide us. In fact, he says that “ignoring what we feel is akin to destroying the indicators on our dashboard.” Further, it’s important to recognize the fact that our emotions are also subject to distortion.

The last section offers a fascinating discussion of self-talk and the phenomenon of “inner voices” as well as the importance of changing our inner voices.

Third Pillar: Respond Instead of React

This pillar begins with the admonition to “keep your mind steady” (Chapter 8). In other words, he advises readers to work to ensure that our perceptions match reality so that we respond appropriately.

Magness identifies four ways of facing unpleasant sensations and related negative mental self-talk.

1. Avoid or ignore
2. Fight
3. Accept
4. Reappraise

Mental toughness is all about 3 and 4, accepting and reappraising.

This section closes with a discussion and suggestions for coping with stress “when the snowball is rolling down that mountain, picking up steam, and barreling toward destruction.”

Fourth Pillar: Transcend Discomfort

This section unfolds some very helpful insights regarding leadership, factors that lead to high and low performance, and intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. For instance:

• “A recent analysis found that people who are motivated by their inner drive are three times more engaged than those motivated by the external…autonomous motivation.”
• “Being a decent, caring human being is a performance and life enhancer.”
• “Purpose is the fuel that allows you to be tough.”

The last chapter of the book, “Find Meaning in Discomfort” changed the pace of the book and Magness shares his struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder. It was a valuable and poignant chapter of a personal encounter with weakness and toughness.

“When we explore instead of avoid, we are able to integrate the experience into our story. We’re able to make meaning out of struggle, out of suffering. Meaning is the glue that holds our mind together, allowing us to both respond and recover.”

Until next time,

Art Dykstra

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