Dancing Butterflies and Job Security
A friend called last week, and from his earlier email I could figure out why. The re-org his company started 2 years ago finally hit him. He’s been with them 12 years in senior global roles, 25 years professional experience, sterling academic, work and legal credentials, cross culturally sharp.
He called to see if I knew of anything in the market. Told him I didn’t, but happy to help, asked what his strategy was. He said HR had given him the names of two recruiting agencies they’d used, so he was headed over to speak to them and see how they could help him. He continued on “I have to get something, gotta keep busy, you know.”
I asked him when he had last actually looked for a job. He paused, then laughed, said he hadn’t looked in decades. He’s a hard charging guy, can intimidate and doesn’t suffer fools gladly. He’d spent scant time building his alliances with people inside or outside the organisation, and when we talked I could hear how tentative he sounded. To be fair, he called shortly after he’d been given his marching papers, so may have been a bit overwhelemed. (But he’d seen this coming a while ago-I remember that conversation a year ago, and he hadn’t done much about it, just brushed up his CV and kept working hard..)
I told him to first not waste much time with any recruiter, and direct his effort reigniting his dialogue with present and past colleagues, clients, partners, all of whom would know his strengths and competencies.
He had done what many execs do; dug himself deep in “the job”, and buried both his visibility and friendships. Now he’s reached a point where he doesn’t quite know which way to turn next, and has less people to lean on than he should. And probably knows it.
My friend is not unique by any means. Many take “the job” more seriously than anything else, but folks, jobs are not permanent-nothing is except the old saw of death and taxes. And maybe Joan Rivers.
View your job seriously, of course, but remember you’re only passing through. Spend time on yourself, not just the job–develop your name, grow your relationships, let others know how you can help, [prudently] give of yourself and ALWAYS be aware of what’s happening in the market, in part by keeping your contacts well-oiled.
The Ali-esque ‘float like a butterfly, sting like a bee’ phrase makes commercial and personal sense . Keep in shape, stay light on your feet, let others know you move with grace, can take a punch and keep moving, and that you can deliver-on target.
Written by Neal Horwitz, President of Henry Hale Maguire
