Monthly Archives: October 2013

October 20, 2013 · 8:57 pm

If You’ve Been In Your Job 10 Years, Wake Up. Read This. In Fact, Read This Even If You Haven’t Been In Your Job 10 Years.

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You’re too expensive

If you’ve been in your job 10 years, you’re too expensive.  For the company.  I don’t mean that you personally aren’t worth the money you’re making.  I mean that you aren’t worth it to the company.  Think about it.  You were hired with (presumably) enough skills to do the job you’re doing.  You’ve gotten regular raises–again, presumably.  Your skills might have increased as well.  BUT YOU HAD ENOUGH SKILLS TO DO THE JOB WHEN YOU WERE HIRED.  So what is the added value for the company?  Whether they admit it or not (and it is mostly not), companies lay off employees who have been with the company for a long time in the same job.  Then they hire employees at entry level prices.  Companies may or may not hire younger people.  It really doesn’t matter.  They hire cheaper.

They put you out on the street. 

And what do you have to sell to your next employer?  That’s the key for both of these situations.  You need to figure out how to add value to the organization that is at least commensurate with your increased income, and you need to figure out how to add saleable skills to yourself so that when (and I don’t really believe it is ‘if ‘ for most of us) you are put out, you land on your feet in a better situation, and if you’re smart you see it coming and land first.

I’m a major believer in managing your own career and not relying on your company to do that for you.  You certainly may have a manager, or a series of managers, who really believe in developing people and creating situations that allow them to succeed in their career.  Count your self blessed, but year after year, your chances of keeping this kind of boss are slim.  YOU need to manage your career.  You need to put yourself into situations where you are continuing to grow and develop and move up the organization, so that when it comes time to put people out on the street it never occurs to anyone to come after you.

Think about it from the company’s perspective–what are you adding over and above what they hired you for that make you worth more to the company?

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Filed under Career Development, Career Goals, Personal Change

October 9, 2013 · 9:24 pm

Leaders Are Not Followers

I know.  I know.  There is a school of thought that leaders can/should be good followers.  I’m not saying that leaders can’t follow directions, or act appropriately within their hierarchy.  I don’t think leaders are followers.  I think leaders think for themselves.  Think. For. Themselves.

  • They challenge the status quo.
  • They think about what they would do if “it were my problem.”
  • They do not sit at the level in the organization and not speak up when something needs to be said.Leaders Aren't Followers
  • They step up.
  • They take responsibility.
  • They take risks.
  • They fail.
  • They pick themselves up and do it again.
  • And they teach their followers to do the same.

Leadership is about how you handle yourself. It is about how you think.  It is about how you act.  If you do these things, people will follow you–even if they are leaders too.

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Filed under Career Goals, Leadership, Success

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October 1, 2013 · 8:14 pm

Time Is Critical To Your Success

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I think about time a lot.  I’m fascinated by time.  My perspective on time is that it is unlimited.  I know that isn’t true.  In fact, I have lots of great reasons to know that that isn’t true.  I still have that perspective, though.  That means that I am comfortable procrastinating–there is always time.  I can do it next week, or next month, or even next year.  I know lots of people who are urgent about time.  Who MUST get stuff done–especially the stuff on their list–get it done now.  People who are impatient about time drive me nuts.  And I drive them nuts.  They are right.  And I am right.

If you live your life thinking you’ve got all the time in the world to accomplish what you want, then you will be unpleasantly surprised at some point to find out that you have run out of time.  If, on the other hand, you spend your life all uptight about time and fret about getting everything done NOW, then you will likely get lots done, but you will also waste an awful lot of time stressed out.  And you will miss some of the true joy in life.

I’ve made the point in a previous blog, You Have All the Time There Is.  We all have the same amount of time that all the “Greats” in our world have had–Galileo, Mozart, Jefferson, Einstein, etc.  It’s what you do with time that makes the difference.  I’m not an expert on these folks, but I don’t think ALL of them stressed out about time (although maybe some of them did).  They did use their time wisely and to our benefit, though.

So many people make a lot of money helping us manage our time.  There sure are a lot of us who apparently don’t manage time as well as we could.  Or at least who are willing to pay a lot of $$ to do it better.

Ask yourself:

  • Are you accomplishing what you want with your life?
  • Are you managing time to your satisfaction?
  • What do you want to have accomplished this month?  This year?
  • What one thing could you do differently to manage time better?
  • What commitment could you make to make that change?

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Filed under Time Management