Ask any top executive about their career, and they are most always willing to share a few anecdotes about the good old days. I am certainly no veteran but I have had the privilege to learn from some great minds that have passed along bits and pieces of wisdom that I have carried with me throughout my career.
Regardless of title, rank or years of experience, I began to hear recurring themes from these great executive. They have been in the trenches, done all the back breaking work, and heard all the excuses. If it has worked for them it should work for me, right?
While coaching new staff or when asked to speak to University and College students I always refer to my “Theory of Three”. Three principles I have gleaned from watching, listening and learning from my mentors.
1) Take care of yourself
Sounds simple enough, yet one we tend to brush off.
As a manager we require staff to work at their peak performance level every day. However the moment a staff member phones in ‘sick’ (we’re heard every excuse in the book), it puts a strain on all the remaining staff who are required to fill the void. There are limits to everything but the more ‘sick’ days you take, the more apt you are to finding yourself taking an order at a drive-thru window. Take care of yourself. Drink lots of water, take vitamins, go to the gym, stop smoking, lay-off the all night parties - take care of your voice and take care of your body. Do not give your manager a reason to go looking for your replacement, because there are many fresh faces who want your job.
2) Never burn bridges
There are only a handful of companies in Canada.
OK,I know there are many more than three but think of all the people you know in your line of business. Now think about all the managers they know? In conversation with any Manager you will quickly find they know a lot of the same people you network with. They know two friends, and so on, and so on, and so on.
There are no secrets. We talk.
As a Manager who does reference checks when going through the hiring process I might phone one person on your resume. I will most likely check your Facebook page. Or in most cases, I will drop an email to another person who I know from that city, company or at your business. Like any Jerry Springer show, we will find the truth, without having to throw any chairs around. As I mentioned earlier, there are only a handful of companies in Canada. They should be your best friend. Network with other managers as much as you can. Make them your support team the next time you are looking for a new career change.
3) Always be accepting to change
This has happened to me, as it will happen to everyone several times in their career. Does this sound familiar? One day you are doing a dream job at a great company, the next day you are in the General Managers office being laid-off because of a company restructure or other major changes. It sucks. How could this be happening to YOU, the ‘star’?!
That is the nature of the business world. If you have followed the first two rules I listed then, in most cases you are not being fired because of something you have done. It is a decision out of your control perhaps made in a boardroom across the country, but you will survive. If you are lucky, you might find yourself transferring to a new position or to a new location because your talents are needed there. Be accepting to change. In today’s industry, most companies use words like centralization and shared resources. That boils down to fewer positions available in the work force. Which would you prefer; a paying job or that drive-thru window gig at the hamburger place on the corner of town.
Bottom line is: never give your manager a reason to fire you. There are many people who want your job. Do not get voted off the island.
I have offered three very basic principals that will affect you somewhere along the way just as they have for my journey.
We are all on a rollercoaster ride of a lifetime. Have fun and enjoy the ride.
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