Managing your career and life

Over the last ten to fifteen years, have you worked for the same organization? If so, are you motivated by new accomplishments year after year? Do you still love your job and the people you work with? Do you exude optimism? Are you elated with your career prospects and your boss?

Or are you in a different chapter and unaware of it? Has your excitement been replaced with monotony? Is your life comprised of routine tasks and boredom? Do you remember what it was like to excavate the unknown within?

If any of the above rings true, you could be stale. Unfortunately, most people do not recognize this unnerving chapter in their lives--going through the motions without an ounce of passion or excitement. You no longer live in a world of possibility. Your enthusiasm has transformed into complacency. You have metamorphed from a passionate apprentice and achiever into a detached and aloof employee.

The truth is you are bored, burned out, or frustrated. You keep doing the same thing, whatever it is. It’s what you know. You are in your comfort zone. And you do whatever it is with your eyes closed. Life is simple.

You know what I’m talking about……..you have experienced those burned out teachers, or nurses, or doctors, or front desk clerks. Or better yet, the bitter postal clerks that make you want to scream. My personal favorite is the school administrator that tells a parent that they are parenting wrong instead of saying they can’t deal with a special needs kid.

Or the engineer that spent his cross country flight harassing an African American couple in the seat in front of him. Or the housewife that introduces herself by telling you what her husband does for a living, “Hi, how do you do, my husband is a doctor…” That’s the saddest statement of all. She defines who she is based on her husband’s occupation?

So what do you do? Do you do nothing because you hope the feeling will pass? Do you buy a sports car and trade-in your spouse for a new model thinking that it is just a mid-life crisis? Or do you change careers, look for a new job, or move to Africa and work as a missionary?

Consider managing your career and life as CEO of You, Inc. Your life is filled with chapters. In each chapter, the CEO explores new challenges, experiences new feelings, establishes different priorities, and stretches themselves beyond their own expectations.

Who is responsible for managing your career? Is your boss responsible? Is your company responsible? There is only one person responsible for managing your career----and that is you.

Frequently, people delude themselves into believing their boss is also their daddy. They obscure reality---mask their intentions and expectations. And often forget that it is business. No matter how much your employer cares about you, his primary responsibility is to his stockholders. He has a fiduciary obligation to them. Nothing more, nothing less.

A classic example of the “paternal myth” is Jim Smith who work for ABC Company for fourteen years. When another company bought ABC, Jim was extremely upset. He was angry, felt betrayed and was incredulous that his boss “would do this to him---how could he?” His anger and rage overwhelmed him—he had been loyal, he had done a great job and ABC was trying to destroy him. The treachery was beyond anything he ever imagined. The company did nothing to him; they simply made a business decision.

Another classic example of the veracity of corporate promises and business realities is the case of Bill, Chairman of the Board, of Smith, Inc. NCG pursued Bill and his team for a lift-out for one of our clients. Another firm bought Smith during our discussions with Bill. Irrelevant of what was said; Bill was convinced the take-over companies’ promises would be met. His people would receive equity, compensated handsomely, expand their services worldwide and no one would be laid off. Unless you get it in writing, it never happened

Within twenty-four months, every business decision we had predicted played-out throughout Smith worldwide. In other words, most of Bill’s staff was laid off, they never achieved worldwide expansion, no one received equity, and compensation was less than impressive.

So when an executive search consultant calls, talk to them. Keep your ears to the ground; know what is going on in your industry. Objectively evaluate your companies’ financial strength, market position, and never be so foolish enough to think that nothing can happen to your firm. Build relationships with search consultants and refer candidates to them. When opportunities present themselves, look at them for you have nothing to lose. Manage your own career; never surrender it to anyone else. And at the end of the day understand that business is business.

Thank you for being here. I am thrilled that you take time out of your schedule to come by.

Copyright 2007 Ev Nucci

ev-nucci

ev nucci

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