2025-01-29 Wed - When You Need a "10th Man"

 

Today's meditation:
When you are planning a major high-risk business/technology initiative - you need a "10th man" (or, woman)

That also goes for every board, steering committee, leadership team...

To obtain the maximum benefit, you should engage an outsider.

Someone that is free from the political pressure of existing/operating within the framework of your organization.

Someone that is unencumbered by the potentially debilitating concerns of whether their honest feedback will jeopardize their status as an employee, or put them at risk of obtaining an unfavorable annual review, or that speaking truth to power might put their bonus in jeopardy.

When your very survival is at stake, when you require discretion, when depth and breadth of experience is critical - and integrity is essential...call me.

For anything less, call someone else.

 

[LinkedIn companioin post]

 

2025-01-08 Wed - Some Recent Aggregated Key Observations - Coaching and Mentoring

[image credit: Tama66 on pixabay.com]

 

 

Today's meditation:
Recently, I had an opportunity to offer several folks some much needed career coaching/mentoring.

Sometimes, those conversations require some pointed advice, and some harsh truths. Especially when the person is laboring under delusions that are actively harming their efforts.

As a generic summary of some aggregated key observations:

No, you are not being discriminated against.

Here's why companies and recruiters are not responding to your application submission:

Your resume is like a tragic construction project that was abandoned mid-build.

Your resume is a recitation of places you have worked - but doesn't reflect WHAT you CONTRIBUTED, the IMPACT you had, or the RESULTS you produced....and, more importantly, you have not QUANTIFIED those details.

As a metaphor, your competition (for any job in your field of specialization) have invested time & effort to build a career, experience, and credentials - that would best be characterized as "showing up in a Ferrari" - while you have been satisfied with building a career that might best be characterized as "showing up in a Yugo".

You have made ZERO effort to distinguish yourself.

You have made ZERO effort to demonstrate thought leadership.

You have demonstrated ZERO effort to show that you are curious - and have been continually learning.

You have made ZERO effort to build a professional network.

You have not even tried to leverage the very meager professional network you have haphazardly built by happenstance.

You have NOT done THE WORK - to prepare yourself to compete in this job market.

You are NOT owed a job.
You must EARN the right to a job.

You have simply SHOWED UP - and exigent supply-demand forces have allowed you to have a job, in the past.

You have apparently depended on LUCK and HOPE - and that is no longer a feasible job search strategy.

You have been COASTING.

You need to GET OUT OF NEUTRAL.

You need to LIGHT A FIRE in your belly.