A Successful Career

06/02/2022

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS? What a novel concept! (NOT.)

Whether it's managing your own career, supervising people who report to you, leading a company or government department--or just trying to live a purposeful life that you can be proud of, the willingness to take responsibility should form a core element of what you do or don't do.

That isn't the case often enough these days, it seems. I think we can't and won't be the country we used to be (in many ways, at least)), until we remember or relearn this principle. It does nothing worth doing without that.
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From The Christian Science Monitor Daily)

If the recent mass shootings in the United States result in meaningful reforms, one reason may be a rather rare but important moment of contrition. After the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, Steven McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, admitted that the hesitation by police to confront the gunman “was the wrong decision, period.”

Then he added: “If I thought it would help, I’d apologize.”

Such an admission by public officials is a door opener to reform. And Mr. McCraw isn’t the only prominent figure expressing remorse these days. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told CNN on May 31, “I was wrong about the path inflation would take.”

At a time when public leaders seem more apt to evade and deflect when things go wrong, it is worth noting when someone takes responsibility. Meekness can shift a stalled debate from recrimination to joint problem-solving.

In Texas, Mr. McCraw’s comments, as much as they might evoke forgiveness, may do more than he imagined. They could move a shaken nation toward a shared inquiry of reforms that curb gun violence.

05/18/2022

TRUST IS AN ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT OF PROGRESS--FOR INDIVIDUALS, COMPANIES, AND LARGER ENTITIES. IT'S TAKING A BEATING, BUT HOPEFULLY NOT DEAD YET.
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Is trust in tatters? The pandemic, inflation, and climate change have shaken public confidence in the ability of governments to solve serious threats. Long stretches of social distancing and remote work have undermined trust between people – the recent trends following a longer decline. According to the United Nations, global faith in government peaked in 2006.

As the world emerges after the pandemic, however, a “trust recession” might possibly give way to a trust renaissance. That is because the common challenges of humanity are driving societies to rethink and reclaim the values around which they cohere. “Competence and integrity are the main ingredients for building trust,” wrote Ryan Wong, CEO of Canada-based Visier business consultancy, in a recent newsletter.

One place to look for trust-building is business. As Blackrock CEO Larry Fink noted, the pandemic “deepened the erosion of trust in traditional institutions and exacerbated polarization in many Western societies. ... Employees are increasingly looking to their employer as the most trusted, competent, and ethical source of information.”

Worldwide, a trust deficit will need businesses to lead the way in restoring public hope in institutions.

05/12/2022

WE KNOW COSTS ARE GOING UP EVERYWHERE, BUT IT HITS HOME FOR US WHEN WE BUY GROCERIES AND FILL UP OUR GAS TANK--THINGS WE HAVE TO DO MORE OFTEN THAN SOME OTHER ITEMS.

Don't even get me started on the process of buying a car. The last time I did it was 2009! I buy cars so seldom that I get sticker-shock every time. With the current supply chain and computer chip issues making a huge negative impact on parts availability and other key areas, the search has taken on new challenges. We finally found one that would fit our needs, but it's much more costly than it would have been a year or so ago, made worse by the 4-figure "market adjustment" fee the dealer is adding to its sales right now.

One concern many people have with the ballooning inflation we're seeing now is that their income isn't keeping pace with the rising costs. A lot of them really want government to "fix" the problem, which obviously is inflicting great economic harm, but it's a daunting challenge any way you look at it and NO political party has what looks like a viable plan to tackle it. Progress is essential, but there's currently no clear path to get there.

Not related solely to inflation but to government in general:

If we want less government interference in our lives--as many Americans say they do--we might need to consider how hypocritical it is to demand and put plans into action to increase government control in areas where we want a change made to reflect our political and/or religious convictions. This is a conundrum that I don't see an easy answer for.





https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/05/12/by-a-wide-margin-americans-view-inflation-as-the-top-problem-facing-the-country-today/

05/05/2022

WHAT ARE WE SAYING AND DOING TO BUILD A BETTER FUTURE FOR YOUNGER GENERATIONS, ESPECIALLY MINORITY WHAT ARE WHAT ARE WE SAYING AND DOING TO BUILD A BETTER FUTURE FOR YOUNGER GENERATIONS, ESPECIALLY MINORITY POPULATIONS? Unfortunately, not nearly as much as we can and should be doing. Instead, we continue to solidify our attitudes and actions along political, religious, and cultural hard lines that aggravate bad conditions and make them worse.

However, I do see at least glimmers of hope that might, if nourished properly, brighten that future somewhat. For example, this recent article (April 11, 2022, The Christian Science MonitorWeekly): "Putting Children First."

Here's a partial quote:..the pandemic did not cause many of the problems facing American children as much as it has revealed them....That is particularly true when it comes to racial disparities, such as those in Escambia County [Florida].

Indeed, Black Americans experienced a different pandemic than white Americans.

"It really shouldn't be a surprise that so many young people are struggling, because what children see in the United States these days is a pretty hopeless picture...." "You have a pandemic that seemingly had no end in sight....You have gun violence, housing insecurity and many other issues. And they also see adults, from policymakers in D.C. to school boards all around the country, arguing and finger-pointing and making little meaningful progress to help children."
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But Escambia County is trying to change that discouraging picture. In the 2020 election, although they voted overwhelmingly for Trump, they also swam against the tide by racking up a 61% vote to levy a new property tax to create and fund a Children's Trust, which they have since been working hard to define and put into action. It is sorely needed!

04/30/2022

DREAMS DO REQUIRE ACTION AT SOME POINT, BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE THEM, YOU'RE LESS LIKELY TO ACHIEVE THE CAREER SUCCESS YOU HOPE FOR.

What I believe historical figure Patrick Henry is telling you is that living in the past, dwelling on past successes and failures, doesn't hold promise in the success of a happy life in the long run. Focusing on where you want to go next and possible steps to get you there will prove much more productive in many, if not all, cases.

Believe in the possibilities--then ACT!

(Originally published on my LinkedIn company page, A Successful Career)

04/29/2022

IF YOU HAVE EVER WORKED IN A TOXIC ENVIRONMENT OR EVEN A SEMI-TOXIC ONE, YOU HAVE UNDOUBTEDLY ENCOUNTERED "MORAL INJURY" SITUATIONS. When you're put in an impossible situation and forced to make choices that are unpalatable for a variety of reasons, you face a dilemma that can be at least next-to-impossible to resolve favorably for you. Plus, how you decide to handle it can have long-range repercussions for your career and your personal life (mental and physical health, for example) . It's something to consider seriously--ideally before you find yourself in such a circumstance.
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"It’s important to note that many upsetting workplace situations do not rise to the level of moral injury. Morally injurious situations are high stakes and carry the potential of physical, psychological, social, or economic harm to others — for example, allowing workplace bullying to damage employee health, manipulating vulnerable customers into overspending that could leave them in financial peril, and denying lifesaving care to patients. Moreover, as with any stress reaction, moral events (such as being forced to lie) must be distinguished from moral reactions (such as the feeling of guilt).



https://hbr.org/2022/04/what-to-do-if-your-job-compromises-your-morals

04/22/2022

"BY THE WAY, WE TERMINATED YOUR EMPLOYMENT TODAY!"

Have you ever received what amounts to a punch in the face from your employer, especially when you've been with them for a few years and been doing good work? If so, you know the impact it has on you. It's one thing to see it coming or at least have a suspicion that it might be lurking in the shadows. It's quite another to have it land on you out of the blue.

I'm not by nature a vindictive person. Not only is it "not me," but also it's usually counterproductive. However, maybe "Ole Blue Eyes" had the right idea. If an employer has unceremoniously let you go, for whatever passes as justification in their convoluted corporate brain, think carefully about what you could do in your career going forward that would prove what a valuable prize they had lost.

Not only will your career success demonstrate the value your previous employer foolishly gave up, but also it will deliver potentially huge value to your new employer. It will prove to them and everyone else that they made a seriously smart executive decision. After all, they didn't hire you because you are a good person (even if you are); they saw some potential value in what you had to offer. So go out and prove them right--in spades!

(Originally published on my LinkedIn company page, A Successful Career.)

04/20/2022

THE DIVISIVE TREND OF POLITICAL POLARIZATION OFTEN DOMINATES THE NEWS AND DOESN'T BODE WELL FOR A BETTER FUTURE. That trend troubles me, as I know it does for many people. Is there anything I or any other single person can do about it? Maybe we can take a page out of this author's book. Try to find a better understanding of how people who don't think like we do reached the particular mindset or belief system they did.

I don't think our personal lives, our professional success, and many other aspects of our existence can find a healthier condition until we look for and find approaches that build and cross bridges to "others" instead of dropping "bombs" on them.

Mónica Guzmán, of Braver Angels, talks about her book, “I Never Thought of It That Way,” and shares her ideas on overcoming polarization.

04/07/2022

WELCOME TO THE "NEW NORMAL"?

"Two years after the coronavirus outbreak upended life in the United States, Americans find themselves in an environment that is at once greatly improved and frustratingly familiar.

"...The national unemployment rate has plummeted from nearly 15% in the tumultuous first weeks of the outbreak to around 4% today. A large majority of K-12 parents report that their kids are back to receiving in-person instruction, and other hallmarks of public life, including sporting events and concerts, are again drawing crowds.

"The landscape in other ways remains unsettled. The staggering death toll of the virus continues to rise, with nearly as many Americans lost in the pandemic’s second year as in the first, despite the widespread availability of vaccines. The economic recovery has been uneven, with wage gains for many workers offset by the highest inflation rate in four decades and the labor market roiled by the Great Resignation."

https://www.pewresearch.org/2022/03/03/two-years-into-the-pandemic-americans-inch-closer-to-a-new-normal/

Americans in 2022 find themselves in an environment that is at once greatly improved and frustratingly familiar.

04/06/2022

EXCITING, EVEN FASCINATING, IDEA! I'd love to follow this one and see where it goes from here. It seems so much better (more thoughtful and potentially beneficial) than what we've mostly been doing in the United States. It would be an uphill battle with our largely dysfunctional and heavily partisan Congress, but, boy, would I love to see it tried somewhere here!



https:/reasonstobecheerful.world/meet-the-future-generations-commissioner-of-wales/?utm_source=Reasons+to+be+Cheerful&utm_campaign=cf4c7f6da5-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2021_11_22_04_40_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_89fb038efe-cf4c7f6da5-372575949 #

Sophie Howe has one job: make sure her country's policies benefit citizens who haven't been born yet.

04/05/2022

IS TECHNOLOGY TAKING OVER THE WORLD? SOME PEOPLE FEEL LIKE IT ALREADY HAS!

While I'm admittedly not a diehard techie, I certainly appreciate many of the advantages it offers. For one thing, like many people, I couldn't operate my resume-writing business without it!

On the other hand, I have some qualms--even serious reservations--about the far-reaching potential technology represents at its highest levels. For one thing, I can't even quite get my head around the evolving "metaverse" concept. It feels to me a lot as if we're moving further and further away from direct human contact and connection--inserting more layers or levels of impersonal information-sharing into our lives.

The term "Luddite" comes to mind. For those of you too young to remember it, that refers to "a person opposed to new technology or ways of working." It originated in the early 19th century during the Industrial Revolution, a world event that changed people's lives in a similar fashion to the technological advances of this century.

I don't think I'm a Luddite, but I admit I can't help withing sometimes that technology weren't moving quite so fast and in such sometimes-daunting directions!





It promises to bring new levels of social connectedness, mobility, and collaboration to a world of virtual work.

04/03/2022

HOW WE CONDUCT OURSELVES IN THE FACE OF RANK INCIVILITY FROM THOSE WHO SHOULD KNOW HOW TO BEHAVE BETTER--It matters, and this article gives a prime example of grace under incredible pressure:

"Lead with love: My take on Judge Jackson’s confirmation hearings

"Leading with love is ancient wisdom, the basis for the best guidelines for human interactions I have ever found. Better known as the Beatitudes, these guidelines were not given to pacify the poor but restrain the privileged. When universally adhered to, they have great potential for ensuring justice and peace. They speak to humility, empathy, inner grit, and other virtues. They’re what love looks like when we treat others the way we’d like to be treated.

"Leading with love sets a very high bar. It requires a person to remain poised, patient, and respectful when, in the case of Judge Jackson, she’s relentlessly interrupted, her judicial decisions are whittled down into politically charged buzzwords, and the questions posed to her run the gamut from the sublime to the ridiculous."

If you face difficult challenges in your professional life, you could do worse than take Judge Jackson as inspiration for how to handle them. She came off looking a lot better than most of the senators questioning her. "Gracious" is certainly not a word we could use to describe their behavior!

(Originally published on my business page, A Successful Career)

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearings weren’t a picture of civility, but our contributor took lessons from the love she saw in action.