Tag: Deon Duncan

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How to recognize an opportunity

Building a career is a tricky business. Gone are the days where once out of school you start working and remain in the same job for your entire career and then retire. It is still possible, but definitely not as common place as it used to be. This means that there is some level of mobility and flexibility required if you are truly going to maximize your potential and further your career. For this to happen you must be capable of recognizing an opportunity when you see one.

There are many factors that go into recognizing an opportunity, they are definitely contextual and dependent on your perspective. For example, if you are making $100 a week and you have been desiring a salary increase and you have an offer for a promotion, but for less or the same salary, your immediate response might be to reject that offer. On the other hand if you have a job offer for $1000 a week and working less hours you will probably jump at that opportunity immediately. You see, your deepest desire is not for a promotion, it is for a salary increase, so it is reasonable to ignore such and offer. And when one shows up that is exactly what you want then it is equally as reasonable to accept. However, your analysis should go deeper.

It is important to properly assess what an opportunity has to offer. It is far too easy to reach for the obvious while neglecting the long term implications on your career. As such to effectively determine whether something is for you, review the following two perspectives:

Where does this opportunity leads to?

Always consider where your career will be when considering an opportunity. Career advancement is extremely important and should be always in the foremost of your mind. If you are going to be exposed to new training and experiences that will make you more marketable and well rounded as a professional, then you cannot lose. This is irrespective of whether or not you make less money in the short term.

What is this opportunity rescuing me from?

OK, some opportunities are far from the ideal and we sometimes look at them void of context and overlook how important it can be in giving you a way out of your current situation. Have you ever come across someone who was unemployed, under-employed or totally hated their job? We all have at some point. In some cases they may overlook an excellent opportunity because it does not measure up to the ideal situation that they were looking for. In such cases it is important for them to consider the fact that any opportunity that is an improvement to the one that you currently have is one worth seriously considering. Sometimes to our dismay, we watch then spurn a chance for advancement in exchange to staying in the same old position, some even have the audacity to keep complaining. Do not let this be you!

Anything that smells like progress is an opportunity worth considering. Don't be enamored by only the big breaks in life. They don't always come when we want them and frankly they may never come the way we envision them. Grow your career steadily by making most of every opportunity that comes your way, regardless of how small or unexpected it may be. By doing so you will be in the right position to make the most of the big break when it does come.

Until next time remember, As long as you have life, you should live it to your fullest potential.

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Is it ok to tell my boss no?

Here is a very interesting question that I have been challenged to answer, is it ok to tell my boss no? The answer is not that straight forward and logically you may be thinking, what is the question being asked? The responses then must be contextual to the questions being asked.

Let us establish this point first and foremost, if you are reading this and you are in the armed forces, an officer of the law or any similar profession please read this with much caution. It is highly inadvisable to defy a direct order from a commanding officer, unless it is unlawful or immoral in nature. Other than that I don't have much to offer in that space.

For those of us in civilian positions the rest of today's post is for you. The advice mentioned above applies to you as well. It does not matter your level of experience, or how much money you make, you are by no means obligated to break any laws, rules or set of moral beliefs simply because your boss has requested. This should be an absolute with no gray area on the matter.

In other instances you may feel slighted or ill treated by your boss and a particular request may have gone too far in your eyes, you have every right to voice your concern. You are compelled to take into consideration that your boss is your boss and if you must raise any concerns it must be done in a respectful manner. You must also be prepared for things to remain the same. You are still obliged to speak up even though you are sure that nothing good will come out of it.

There are two general points that I would like to leave you with:

You cannot just say no because you feel like saying no. The right way is to ensure you have a valid reason or an alternative idea or recommendation to what is being requested. The assertion here is that it is possible that you have your own ideas to contribute and a good manager would be open to ideas that did not originate with him. It does not give you license to be combative and if you are in a position where you have to disagree with every request that comes in then you are probably working in the wrong place.

The second is that after reading this you can feel liberated in knowing that you don't have to say yes to every single request that comes in. It is OK for you to ask questions for clarification purposes and to speak up in disagreement if things are not clear or favorable.

Speaking up takes courage. If done effectively it should not be received as an act of defiance and hence the desired effect can be attained. Needless to say, working in an environment where the manager is not accustomed to individuals speaking up can lead to issues. There is no need to feel discouraged, this simply serves as a warning against being naive, because change does not come easy for every one.

So what is today's lesson? You have every right to speak up if needed. There is no law written or implied that states you are compelled in every situation to comply with your manager's request. If you find your self always in agreement and your manager's requests are legal, morally right and fall within the bounds of your company policies then you have nothing to be overly concerned about.

Until next time remember, As long as you have life, you should live it to your fullest potential.

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Should I feel bad about getting someone fired

Today we discuss a very serious topic: Should you as a worker feel bad for getting someone fired? Before starting let me add some context; we are talking here about someone who works in your same office or company. I also want to steer clear of purely vindictive mindsets who are looking for justification for their mean ways. Let us begin.

As a worker there are some basic expectations placed on you by your employer. For example, you are expected to be at work on pre-arranged days and work for the agreed upon hours (and overtime where applicable). It does not matter if you are on a roster or shifts, attendance when you are expected is a must. Additionally, when given a set of tasks and responsibilities, you are expected to deliver in the time frame that has been stipulated. And if no time limit was given you are expected to work diligently until the tasks are complete. Routinely slacking off is totally unacceptable. The last dynamic worth mentioning is working with others. If the setting is one where team work is required, then you are expected to deal with whatever inter-personal issues outside of the office and get the job done.

With that foundation laid, it is safe to say that if a coworker is not meeting the expectations that have been set for him or her by management then their continued employment should be evaluated. If improvements need to be made, then it is only fair that they have an opportunity to improve in a reasonable timeframe. If they fail to do so, then the end may be inevitable. But the first question I want to address is: Should you be the one to bring these short comings to management's attention? I honestly do not have a problem with this. It does not mean that we have to be a 'snitch' and run to management every time we see a breach of expectation. However you must be mindful that this person is your competition for positions and promotions. I personally will not sit idly by and watch someone usurp me for a promotion while being fully aware that they are falling way short of what is expected of them, especially when compared to myself.

The first question however is very subjective, because if you were the manager you would have to take necessary actions to address the situation. If the person is not in your department or does not infringe on your progress then you are likely to not care as much. What if reporting someone was due to a moral issue? For example, you witnessed and have evidence that your coworker has been stealing money or merchandise. Or they have been habitually violating company policies and these transgressions have gone unnoticed. What would you do? The right answer could be to talk to the coworker and get them to either stop and or confess their guilt to management. However depending on the gravity of the issue, you need to make a report. In doing so make sure you follow your company protocols and be above board with everything.

What if someone messes up and blames you? Would you take the fall and risk your standing in the company? We should also add this question: If working in a team and your coworker is constantly unreliable and it results in extra workload on you (without any credit for stepping up), will you be gracious? In my eyes, this is probably the easiest scenario of this discourse. You should go directly to management and file reports to ensure that they see the trend develop in order that they can take the appropriate action. In cases like these, if it does result in a firing you should not even think twice about feeling bad, it is all on them.

Despite these examples there are a whole slew of factors that can impact your decision. Is this person a close friend? Do you know for a fact that losing their job would be totally devastating to them or their family (i.e. are they the sole bread winner)? Can you deal with the situation and correct the behavior without management's involvement? These are just a few but there are many more. Can you think of others?

The final word on the matter is that if it comes down to them or you, it is going to be them. I strongly advocate against executing a vindictive witch hunt and falsely accusing someone simply to get them fired. But beyond that if you do it according to company policies there is no reason for you to feel like a 'monster'.

Until next time remember, As long as you have life, you should live it to your fullest potential.

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The Psychology of the workplace

Psychology can be defined as the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, esp. those affecting behavior in a given context or the mental and emotional factors governing a situation or activity. That said, a simplified definition of workplace psychology can bethe set of mental and emotional factors that govern the workplace.

You may be wondering, what does psychology have to do with the workplace? Permit me to explain. When applying for a job the first thing we tend to assess are the qualifications that it requires and we match our skill-set with that of the position to determine whether or not we should apply. Conventional wisdom also teaches us that if you are lacking some essential skill-set required, then it is your responsibility to go out and get it. Meaning, signing up for some course or degree, doing some training or self-study. What is often overlooked is the psychology that is required to be successful.

In some contexts, the psychology is just as or even more important to being successful than the actual qualifications themselves. Some professions require you to have thick skin and others are a lot less stressful. Regardless of what part of the psychological spectrum your office requires, you will fail if you do not play by the rules. The emotional and mental factors that govern a particular job are very specific: in the same office, someone can be experiencing sheer torture while another is in pure bliss and fulfillment. The responsibility is then yours to recognize what is required for you to be successful.

Some workplaces are very fast paced where shouting and yelling at each other are a common practice. If you are a withdrawn and soft spoken person who likes a ‘thank you’ after completing every task then a place like that may not be for you. Or maybe a sales type job where the competition can be very high, you cannot enter such an arena as a naïve salesman that shares all the tips and insider tricks you used to close a deal. You would not last very long and if you do last, you may not be very successful. On the flip side, if you are in an office that is very quiet and every speaks with a whisper and you are brash, loud mouthed and outspoken, it may serve you well to find your inside voice very quickly else you will find it very hard to fit in.

The purpose of today’s blog is to bring to your awareness that being successful is way much more than having the qualifications for a job. It hinges on your ability to discern the mental and emotional factors that are at play in your given workplace and then to act accordingly. So if you find yourself struggling to settle in at your place of work ask yourself, have I have mastered the psychology that is required to be successful at this job? Don’t mistake an opportunity to change your situation for a reason to leave; learning the psychology might be the key to turning things around.

Until next time remember: As long as you have life, you should live it to your fullest potential.

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How to remain engaged at work

We all face it. That period just after the initial phase of starting a new job or new position or project where the excitement wanes and the struggle to stay focused begins. Some call it the end of the "honeymoon" period. If we are all destined to such a predicament, then we all must be equipped with the mindset of out lasting this hurdle. How then do we remain engaged at work?

There have been a few interesting polls done recently, (a few of which I have read but would not quote) that reveals that large swaths of working professionals are either not or under engaged at their current jobs. Many cite that as a result of the trickle down effects of the economic downturn, employees are expected to take on more responsibility and work longer hours, with less resources and expected to deliver on time. Many complain of feeling like drones: part of a big "machine" with little or no hope of getting promoted. It seems as though the odds are overwhelmingly stacked against us professionals.

My advice to those who find themselves internally identifying with the previous statements is really simple, BE PRAGMATIC! You are probably thinking that if the advice was simple, then maybe I should have used a word that was simple, however no other word had the desired effect. But what does it mean? If you find yourself in a rut where you are; over-worked, always at the office, unchallenged, bored, under-promoted, underpaid and most importantly with no room for growth and or development, then I would advise that you move on. However, I would dare to say that if even one of these were positive then you have something to work with.

Here is how:

As long as there is room to grow then there is a reason to stay. Think strategically and long term. You may not have a shot of being promoted or climbing the ranks at your current job, but as long as you are still learning and being challenged it means that you are still developing as a professional. Look at it this way, you are being trained and prepared for the next job!

As long as you are being paid well there is a reason to stay. Unless you are a philanthropist, you are probably working for some form of compensation. If your company is generous enough to pay you and not ensure that they are getting a solid return on their investment, then it is too bad for them. Make it count in your favor. In the mean time, do what you can to prepare for your next station in your professional career. For example, do another degree, certification etc. Let your company finance your preparation and leave only when everything is in place.

Last but not least, always be on the lookout for opportunities to keep you interested. It may cost you some free time, but helping out on a project from another department might help advertise your skills to the company at large. It shows dedication and commitment to a broader vision. It will also allow you to build expertise and relationships outside of your domain. These intangibles are supremely important to display when trying to get the recognition of others.

In closing, there is so much more that can be said but I will leave it there for now. Be ever mindful that engagement is a two way street. It implies that for you to be fully engaged at work there must be something there working in your favor. Find it and then the rest is up to you.

Until next time remember, As long as you have life, you should live it to your fullest potential.

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Workplace romance

What are your thoughts on romance on the work place? Now let me warn you from the get go, today's post is not about affairs on the workplace or any kind of that convoluted stuff. This is purely dedicated to young (or not so young) and single professionals who are dealing with life on the workplace.

When I first entered the corporate world I remember spending most of my waking hours at the office, surrounded by the members of my team. For some folks, it was very difficult to maintain a successful relationship outside of the office simply because we were working into the night daily and sometimes on weekends. As a result, it was not uncommon to see relationships develop between colleagues from time to time. On the surface there is truly nothing wrong with this, however the issue arises when the productivity on the workplace gets affected.

Companies have put policies in place to address these on the job relationships primarily to prevent loss of work place productivity and to promote professionalism and fairness. For example, using relationships to manipulate or posture for career advancement are just two of the major driving factors for such policies. I have heard of on the job relationships that turned sour, which lead to unwanted scenes at the office, resulting in resignations or firings. But to bring balance to the conversation, I have personally witnessed relationships that turned out perfectly fine.

My advice is that if you find yourself in a relationship with a colleague:

Make sure that no workplace rules are being violated (especially those related to fraternizing at the office)

Keep it under wraps. Ok I know it would not be entirely possible, but do not go making public announcements. Keep them guessing.

Leave personal issues outside of the office.

If you don't have already have a workplace relationship, a suitor or a potential suitor then abstain. Why? Because we are humans and the previous point turns out to be more of an ideal than a reality

I close with this, relationships happen. I have no five or ten step guide to romance at the workplace, but the universal measuring stick that indicates that if it is the right thing is, are you still being productive? If you can handle it, by all means go for it, but keep in mind the primary reason for going to the office every day.

Until next time remember, As long as you have life, you should live it to your fullest potential.

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Help me! I got a bad job review

For the majority of the corporate world there are some sort of review process whether official or unofficial. This is the time when you are supposed to be given specific feedback on your performance and details of what you did well and need to improve on. For many of us, this happens at the end of the calendar year, however it varies depending on the company.

Today we are going to address reviews that did not go as well as you may have expected. We will start with this, if you DO NOT have a review scheduled or you are not aware of the concept then there is an action point for you to execute on. The responsibility is yours to ensure that you have at least a discussion about your progress, particularly if it is not part of your company's operational structure. We will deal with how to do so in another blog post, let us focus on the matter at hand.

What should you do if you get a bad review? By definition: a bad review is one where your perception of your performance is far better than that delivered during the review discussion. Let me add some context because as individuals we tend to have a bias that may cloud our perception and a review that brings a much needed reality check should not be considered entirely bad. That said the original definition of a bad review needs to be augmented: a bad review is one where your perception of your performance (with credible evidence, dates, projects, achievements, etc.) is far better than that delivered during the review discussion (a disparaging review void of evidence, overlooking your achievements, vindictive, etc).

In instances like these there is a clear disconnect between yourself and your manager. You are always free to query the validity of a review and it is prudent for you to track your performance and growth during the year and to always be prepared to partake in the review discussion. Regardless of the quality of the review a thorough and honest self-assessment should be done prior to the discussion which includes achievements, areas of weakness and strengths are highlighted.

In an ideal scenario, you should be getting regular feedback all year and the review should just be an official summary and goal setting exercise. However you can always take the extra precaution of writing your self-assessment and set up some time before review season to discuss with your manager so that they have all the information that you think they need to properly assess your performance.

Why is all of this important? The answer is in the form of another question. What is the result of a bad review? Missed promotions, little or no salary increases, little or no bonus, decreased opportunities for expansion/development, decreased responsibility, etc. The truth is that you cannot afford to be surprised at the end of the year because it can be a major setback to your career progress.

If the review is complete already, at least you should put in a request to discuss specifics again and this time come armed with your self-assessment, with dates and specifics. If it has not happened as yet, prepare a self- assessment and be prepared to share with your manager. If it is too late to do anything, start early for next year. Compile your notes and try to have as many regular discussions as possible and religiously seek feedback so that the review is not a total surprise. For more info on feedback, check out my book: HOW TO MAKE IT FROM THE CLASSROOM TO THE CUBICLE.

Until next time remember, As long as you have life, you should live it to your fullest potential.

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The truth about workplace conflict

In my book HOW TO MAKE IT FROM THE CLASSROOM TO THE CUBICLE, I discussed the importance of dealing with the people you work with. I alluded to the fact that coming out of school many students have a gross misconception that in the professional world everyone is going to be friendly and care about the professional welfare and development of others as much as they themselves do. I went on further to state that a new professional can be very naive, because throughout their academic life no one may have taken the time to tell them that jealousy, envy, sabotage and workplace conflict exists. In all honestly nothing anyone ever told me came close to what I have experienced.

That said, it is safe to say that many if not all professionals at some point in time will encounter some sort of workplace conflict. Please understand that this is not an attempt to paint a gloomy picture of the corporate world, but it is not always the hug fest that it is purported to be on the job description. The fact is that dealing with other people can be a very difficult challenge and it does require considerable effort to manage.

How you deal with conflict when it does arise determines whether you win or lose. You are definitely a loser if you are the antagonist: you should never willingly set out to put someone under, because it is just not right. You a loser if you are naive and allow people to continually step on and over you without any pushback. There are common cases where some people just continually take abuse and never stand up for themselves until have reached their limit and end up blowing up and making a fool of themselves. So while they maybe justifiably upset, they leave a black mark on their record and bring on shame and embarrassment by having an emotional breakdown.

You are a winner when in the midst of conflict you seek for a resolution irrespective of what side of the indecent you are on. You are a winner when you stand up for yourself (without breaking any rules of the workplace course). For example if you are a victim of an incident that is too much for you to let go, make an official complaint. After doing so, try to make peace or seek arbitration with a senior colleague whom both of you respect. You may be wondering why make the official complaint? If the majority of conflicts that I have encountered were in isolation there would be no big deal and would be very easy to overcome. However, when incidents become habitual and begin repeating themselves, they may lead to anxiety, stress and could even lead to an emotional meltdown. Making an official complaint brings awareness to management and Human Resources and in the event that it recurs it is easy to prove whether there is a trend of negative behavior developing on your colleague's part with specific details and dates recorded.

Let's face it people are people. Your colleagues are fighting for the same promotions, raises and recognition that you are. You cannot assume that everyone will celebrate you if you get a promotion at their expense. Suffice it to say that, conflict is part of corporate life, deal with it correctly and you are sure to thrive in any environment.

Until next time remember, As long as you have life, you should live it to your fullest potential.

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There is no I in team

One of the first things that I had to learn when I entered the corporate ranks was that working as a team is essential to your progress and development as a professional. It was not something that necessarily came naturally for a recently graduated student. I pondered on this recently and realized that in my field of study, Computer Science and Mathematics we were conditioned NOT to share and collaborate when doing assignments, the same can be said for other technical disciplines like Engineering. Grant it there was the odd course here or there that had group projects, those instances for me were more about doing what I need to do to get the best grade for me as opposed to doing so for the general good of the group.

Why then is working well in teams such an important requirement in a corporate setting? For starters, I am the first to admit that I am not a "know it all". Having others around means that I don’t have to have the answer for every single problem I encounter as someone else may already have the solution. Sometimes it is just good to have people to discuss ideas with. It is not uncommon when both my colleague and myself analyze the same problem, come up with two entire different solutions and in a number of those case my solution turned out to be the lesser of the two. There were other instances when I mulled over a problem for days and a quick 5 minute discussion with a colleague leads me to the solution.

My examples can go on and on, however I hope by now you get the point. There are definite advantages of working in a team environment that would help you develop and share knowledge with others. This ensures that the team as a whole is productive and gets the job done. The burning question is then: if the advantages are so wonderful, how can team dynamics can be so fractious at times? The reality is that the other members of that team are competing for the same promotions, projects and pool of compensation as you are! Which means that competition can unearth the unsavory side of the corporate world. Jealousy, sabotage and envy are real and they are a major reason why people try not to over extend themselves helping their team members, lest someone else gets the glory and attention at their expense.

When working with teams there must be a common understanding.

Firstly, respect for people’s time: Co-workers should help you of they can, however don’t expect that every single time you need help someone is going to stop what they are doing to help you complete your task while theirs are still undone.

Work independently: In the beginning you may need more assistance than you would after you have settled in. However, there is a problem when you are unable to complete any task without assistance.

Improve all the time: Don’t ask the same question multiple times. You are expected to retain and build on any assistance you receive so that the next time around you are able to execute on your own.

Simply put, there is no I in team. If handled correctly, you can work well together with your team mates and still achieve your personal goals as a professional.

Until next time remember, As long as you have life, you should live it to your fullest potential.

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Mentors: Who needs them?

Mentors play a crucial role in the life of a professional however, am I the only one who has been greatly underwhelmed with professional mentorship programs? My experience with them is that companies have them because they look good on paper and it is the right thing to do, however the execution and follow through is abysmal. The idea that you can pick a set of names from a hat, pair them together (or in some cases assign groups of mentees to one mentor) and just expect that it will all work out for the good of the mentee is gallant, but it is an approach that is designed to fail the masses.

Don't get me wrong I do believe in mentorship, however I think that a lot of thought and evaluation has to go into the relationship. In my book, HOW TO MAKE IT FROM THE CLASSROOM TO THE CUBICLE, I have tackled this relationship and broke them down into the following categories:

One who has vested interest – This is someone who is helping you but will benefit from your success. So they may be conflicted into only giving you positive advice.

One who has no direct benefit – This is someone who is hard to find. They will give you honest feedback even if you won’t like it.

A sponsor – Someone who just likes you for you. They spend time building a relationship and sometimes goes beyond the call of duty to assist you. These relationships tend to span various stages of your professional life.

I subscribe to the ideal that there is somebody in your extended professional and academic network who has a characteristic or some experience that you can benefit from. Why is this important? Because if they encountered and overcame a similar set of challenges to what you are or will be facing, it will do you a world of good to learn from their mistakes and choices. Whether formally or informally you can engage them to understand their approach to determine whether or not you can adopt any of their philosophies to make your way easier. One lesson I can share is that it is hard to find one single person who encapsulates everything that you are looking for and in some instances you may need a few mentors who can advise you in various aspects. Additionally, some mentors are only for a certain stage: they may be very useful for a few years, but the advice that we get should evolve as we evolve as professionals. This could result in you having to move on.

There are many styles of mentee/mentor relationships, each having its own set of dynamics. You need to find what works best for you. That said we must understand that irrespective the mentor or group of mentors you will have throughout the course of your professional life, you have to be the owner of every decision that you make. A mentor’s intentions may be genuine but you have to live with the consequences, whether good or bad. I encapsulated how I feel about this in a quote in my book: you can take advice from anyone, but you should always make the final decision.

Until next time remember, As long as you have life, you should live it to your fullest potential.