Early Warnings That Might Be Threatening Your Career
Do you ignore Early Warnings?
Recently, I noticed ONE thing that many executives ignore and that is harming their careers. I would like YOU to take notice of this because it might be harming your career too. But, before we go further…. Take a moment to think….
Do you REALLY pay attention to Early Warning Signs that might be a threat to your career?
When you notice an Early Warning Sign, do you act on it? OR Do you ignore it?
Today, I would like to share with you 3 things that you need to watch out for — so that you do not get into a difficult situation — in your career.
Recently an executive booked a consulting session with me to discuss his career.
He said, “ Manoj, I just got fired from my job and I am planning to get to the next level. “
I said “ Tell me more about your job”
He said, “I am in this profession for 10 years now and I want to move to the C-Level. “
I became curious. I said, “ What happened in your previous job? “
He brushed it off saying — It was good. The economy went bad. So, I got fired.
I said, “ How was your relationship with your T1, T2, T3?” (You probably heard me talking about T1, T2, T3. Those are the three groups of folks you need to build strong relationships with. Team 1 — leaders at your peer level, Team 2 — your supervisors and their peers, and Team 3 — your direct reports. You can read more about T1, T2, T3 at the link below this video.
I asked him: “ How was your relationship with your T1, T2, T3?”
He said “ It was fantastic. They all like me. “
Seeing a disconnect, I asked. “ Who else got fired in your department? “
He said “ Only me “
I said, “ Are you saying that in your entire department, you were the first one to be fired and they all like you a lot?” He said “ Yes, they all know me and like me, I have been working with them for 10 years “
It became clearer that this person is not really aware of his blind spots. That’s not unusual. Most people are not aware of their blind spots until someone points them out to them. Or when they choose to seek feedback.
I suggested to him “ Can you please take a few minutes to reflect on the past years and check whether you received any feedback from anyone regarding your performance? “
I kept on digging deeper…
After some time he said, “ My performance reviews were good. “
Then he said, “ I have some issues in meeting my deadlines.”
I asked, “ Did anyone tell you that? “
He said “ Yes! “
I said, “ Tell me more… “
He said “ I have a lot of things to do. I am not well organized so I do not deliver many things on time. Sometimes I forget some tasks. The team used to chase me to get some things done. I did not have the time to do all my work. “
As you can probably see, it is pretty clear why he was picked up first to be fired.
As the session went on, I dived deeper and discovered that there were so many other early warning signs that he had not been paying attention to. While he was being liked, he was not being valued. He was not being respected. Can you relate to that? He was a people pleaser who thought playing nice will take him far. The sad part of the story is that he was grossly underpaid for years and he didn’t even notice. He was earning way less than what he could get with his expertise and experience. Neither did he make an attempt to move on earlier. With each passing year, he was leaving more money on the table.
Here are THREE things I would encourage you to act on — so that you will NEVER end up in a situation like that — and you can get what you are worth.
The best time to shape perceptions is the first 100 days. The next best time is the next 100 days.
(1) Fix perception issues early because Perception is YOUR reality. When you are working in a competitive environment, give higher priority to shape, detect, and rectify perceptions about you. The best time to shape perceptions is the first 100 days. The next best time is the next 100 days. If someone in authority gives you feedback, pass a comment about you OR write something about you during your Performance review — read between lines — dig deeper — find out more about what they said. Ask them for clarification:
a. Why do you say that?
b.What specific examples can you provide?
c. What are you expecting me to do?
d.Then wonder: — What corrective actions can you take early?
e. Are you staying ready for your next level role?
f. Fix perception issues early because Perception is YOUR reality.
g. Next point is super important, so listen up
(2) One of the best things I learned in school was Do not make promises you can’t keep. When you translate that to your work life, it means.
a. “Do not say YES, if you want to say NO.”
“Do not say YES, if you want to say NO.”
b.Do not take on work you can’t deliver with the best quality.
c. Have the courage to say NO to things you are not good at doing, say NO to things you can’t deliver, and say NO to things you do not want to do.
d.It is not easy for us. We often find it uncomfortable to say NO.
e. Here’s the thing. The more NO you can say, the more TIME you will have. The more NO you can say, the more TIME you will have — to do things that matter.
f. Push back on unreasonable requests that disrupt your schedule. Be crystal clear where your priorities should lie.
g.Use your influencing skills to get more budget, more resources, and more time so that you keep your promises. If you are taking on too much responsibility without adequate resources, it means you won’t be able to deliver quality results. If you mess up, people won’t say — Oh Poor Guy — he messed up because we didn’t provide him with enough resources. Many would rather say — he messed up because he is not ready for the role, he is incompetent and slow. He has no leadership skills. Whether you know it or not, there is a hidden cost for saying YES when you should be saying NO. If you keep saying YES Boss without managing upwards, that could get you in trouble down the line.
h. If you feel pressured to accept new tasks, you could tactically respond — Boss, If you want me to do this now what do you want me to drop or delay? By the way, you should also check on the following. Are you doing a job someone else in your team is supposed to do? Recently I spoke with at least four executive coaching clients who managed to push back their work and free up 20 to 30% of the time — each week that they focussed on new ideas, new projects, and new challenges.
i. Many people look at their JOB and think JOB = Just Obey Boss… Instead what you can strive to do is to Just Orchestrate the Boss using your 5 core skills. Rethink your JOB and know where it is taking you. Nurture professional relationships with your T1, T2, T3 better, push back better, delegate better and save more time — and deliver each task with the best possible quality within time, cost, and quality — and do not hesitate to put your stamp on your contribution. How can you find the time for these? You can find time to do all that if, you Do not make promises you can’t keep.
(3) Do a Periodic Redundancy Evaluation. Do a self-evaluation on the value you bring to the table. Do they really need you in that role? Are you being valued for your contribution or are you feeling ignored? If you have already read the early warning signs, Do not be a sitting duck. Have other options in hand. Do you know what’s the best time to look for a job? The best time to look for a job is when you have one. Start searching for a job long before you need it. Even if you a not looking for a better job, Benchmark yourself with others in your industry. What ideal Next Level role are you aspiring for? What income and benefits will you get in that role? The difference between your aspirational role and current role is what have been leaving on the table every year while sacrificing the most valuable resource you have — your time. — -
Tune in to the early warning signs because if you do, you know what’s coming and you can mitigate risks early
CALL TO ACTION: Here is a Challenge for you!
· Your challenge, if you choose to accept it, is this — Within the next 3 weeks, apply for a job that offers a much higher role and salary. See how good you are in pitching your true worth and getting an offer. It costs you nothing, but you can see for yourself how your experience and expertise is valued in the market — and where you need to make amends to stay relevant, to stay employable, and to stay promotable.
About the Author: Manoj Vasudevan is an internationally renowned Next Level Leadership Readiness expert, management consultant, and the World Champion of Public Speaking. He helps executives and entrepreneurs to break through to the Next Level in career, business, and life. Manoj is known for his expertise in simplifying complex topics into practical strategies. He is the CEO of Thought Expressions and holds an MBA from Imperial College, London. His books include the international bestseller Mastering Leadership The Mousetrap Way. and How to become the World Champion of Public Speaking. He speaks at international conferences, multinational companies, universities, and around the world. As a coach, Manoj has a proven track record in personal transformation and breakthroughs. CEOs, Senior Executives, UN Diplomats, Celebrities & Professionals from over 50 nationalities have benefited from Manoj’s coaching. To contact the author’s team, click here.
Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com/in/manojthecoach.
