Having gone through some mergers/consolidations/reorgs and seen what it’s like, I thought it would be useful to recap on lessons learned during what can be a very difficult time. Should you stay…should you go? Here are some things to think about during this weird time….
There are a lot of skills you learn because you’re thrown into situations which require you to learn them…how to communicate effectively, work with people, manage priorities. And many companies have classes to teach them to you. But there is one skill I am proud to say I taught myself which has helped me like no other. It’s boring. Some would say tedious. But it has served me well.
I recently had a conversation with someone about her relationship with her mother. Their relationship is very difficult, with the mother wanting to control her daughter through bullying behavior….all in the name of “what’s best for her”. The guilt she’s feeling is huge. It got me thinking about the skill and will matrix and applying to your personal relationships. Continue reading
I was lucky to learn this lesson early in my career. Many times, an organization will look for consolidation opportunities. Sometimes it makes a lot of sense to consolidate systems: there are cost savings involved, unit costs go down, you decrease the effort needed for change management…it’s the classic argument to create scale. A transaction is a transaction, right? So when is it a problem?
This was a new one I had added after the original list was created. This is one of my biggest weaknesses….for some reason, I would always attribute another’s person reaction/non reaction to something I had done. Which would be ok if it was balanced…but I found I did it when I thought the reaction was negative. I would often jump to conclusions….someone didn’t answer me back on email right away because they thought my email was stupid. They didn’t return my call because I wasn’t important enough. They didn’t stop to chat with me when they walked by my office because they don’t like me. What I realized was that this was almost never the case. I was creating a negative narrative in my head. Continue reading
There’s been a lot in the press lately about how financial companies are having regulatory issues. One observation: the organizational structure of the firm could be a major contributor. How?
So lately I’ve been getting resumes sent to me for a critical eye…..while resumes may seem old-fashioned in this day and age, it’s still the first thing people tend to ask for….some of my observations….. Continue reading
“Personal Profitability #15: Be super vigilante about your job security: be the “go to person” in your group, raise your hand, work hard. Watch for warning signs: getting layered, not involved in important events, no exposure to senior people, going multiple years without a promotion or raise.”
We’re all remote….so does anything change?
I was watching TV one morning, and someone had written a book about building wealth. He made a great comment….
Some of you checked in with me just to see how I was doing because I stopped posting. To be honest…I just didn’t know what to say. To be upbeat seemed glib, to be honest was depressing. I wrote a couple of posts but just couldn’t bring myself to post them. But today is different.