Top Exec Blog (Web Log)

Someone I know recently shared with me the story of her short-lived employment at a company that seemed, in the beginning, like an ideal setting with all the right factors for success, given her skills and experience. When the opportunity presented itself, she pursued it aggressively and landed it after a short few weeks of intense interviews, etc. Upon reflection, following her exit, she shared her thoughts with me. I blended her ideas with some of the experience I've garnered over the years. Perhaps others might reflect on these ideas and use them to advantage. Enjoy!

WHAT DID I LEARN?

I must have my “emotional intelligence” antennae up at all times (note: see Working with Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, published by Bantam Dell, © 1998).

I must read people better – their words, deeds and intentions.

I must educate others, use my knowledge and experience more persuasively where there is ignorance or doubt about the way I’m doing things.

I must be more assertive and sure of myself – I do know what I’m doing, and I do have significant experience, especially in the context of (fill in the blank).

If a job or culture is not right for me, even though I really need a job, salary, benefits and security, I must not hang on to it beyond the time it takes me to find its replacement.

When I choose to work for a company, I must assess the culture, the people, the boss and the boss’ boss --- it’s an entire package, and you cannot and must not try to isolate yourself from this reality.

Working harder and longer hours is not a smart strategy to preserve a job that cannot be made successful with the (limited) resources you are given.

Ignoring RED FLAGS and other warnings is dangerous to your career health.

STOP and ANALYZE what’s going on. Look at the situation from all sides, and ask the HARD QUESTIONS – is this the place for me? Am I going to be successful given these circumstances? What else can I do (or not) to make this work? Do I hold a winning hand? If not, what am I going to do about it? How can I change it, or how can I change ME, to make this a success? Are the goals aligned between the boss and his boss and me? Am I clear about what’s needed to make the boss and the company “happy” with my performance? Am I getting the input and resources that I need (or propose as needed) to make it happen? If not, is this something I can work through successfully, or is it a recipe for disaster?

LISTEN to the people you work with, including resellers and alliance partners. Are they sending out warning signals? Are they responding to your calls on a timely basis? Are they engaging with you actively or “sort of”? What can you learn from them about yourself, your company, and your activities? Are they happy or not with the way you, your boss and others in the organization are servicing their needs, responding to their input?

DECIDE quickly and as efficiently as possible how you are going to resolve festering issues and problems.

Make sure that your input is being taken into consideration, and be confident about your own experience and capabilities – you were hired to add value and expertise, so use them!

Maximize your own skill set and experience by leveraging the input and approaches to work issues by your boss (and his/her boss).

Know when to walk away from a losing situation; ideally you do this when you have opened up alternate employment or relevant new opportunities that mesh better with your skill set, personality, work ethic, etc., and not after you've been "separated" from service or RIF'd or some other euphemism from an H.R. person.

*******

While these thoughts come from someone who has recently reflected long and hard about the "ideal job", the truth is there is no ideal job, no perfect boss and no imaginary world of work where everything is "just right". We each have to toil at it, refine our abilities, make changes and modifications to our own capabilities and skills and learn to win in spite of or because of the way we interact with all the other players on the team we work with. The boss (and his/her boss) have a lot to do with our success, but at the end of the day, it's up to each of us to manage our opportunities in a way that keeps us on the team, allows us to contribute amply and brings home the bacon for both the company and the family. 'Nuff said?

Thanks for reading, and I hope that your trip on the Career Path Expressway™ continues to be smooth riding, even if you take a detour or two along the way.

© Daniel A. Cabrera, TopExec.org, All Rights Reserved, 2008.

I recently had the opportunity to spend one week at one of the nation’s premier Catholic universities in the heartland of America (“Go Fightin’ Irish!”). As luck would have it, Hurricane Ike followed me from the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico all the way up to Chicago, then across Indiana before passing me by, leaving a lot of rainfall, flooding and wind damage in his path. Once Ike blew by, the weather turned mellow and the campus shone in all its beauty and tradition.

At any rate, the experience was one focused on executive excellence, and how leaders need to be integral (“essential to completeness…lacking nothing essential” per Merriam-Webster) in their approach to work, employees, self-direction and most of all, to leadership. It was an outstanding experience, and reminded me of the importance of knowing yourself, valuing what you bring to the table, and “playing big”. As one of the facilitators said, “Leave nothing in the parking lot,” when you go into the office or workplace.

In many toxic work places, “jerks” and “bullies” like to throw their weight around, or drive the business strategy focused solely on short-term results or worse, playing to Wall Street demands (we know what that’s done in recent years to the U.S. and world economies). In my experience, it takes a great deal of self confidence and a set of strong values to stand up and do the right things. To me, it seems clear that each of us, as leaders, have a lot more influence and suasion in our work environments than we might realize. If you were to see yourself through the eyes of your peers, your subordinates and even your boss(es), how much more awareness would you gain about your role, your influence and your ability to lead? If you were to hold values that resonate within you every day, and guide you like a laser beam while accepting the challenges of “being in the spotlight” of leadership, how much better would your performance be? Think about it.

For more on the particular program that I attended at the University of Notre Dame, please see this link:

http://www.nd.edu/~execprog/exed/

For those traveling on the Career Path Expressway™, this type of “rest stop” can be very rejuvenating and really gear you up for the road ahead. I found it not only gave me new insights, but also allowed me to meet a group of very high-quality professionals from all around the world, each sharing a similar set of questions and determined to find a better way to address his/her business and personal issues. In my opinion, the program itself, the facilitators, the attendees and the overall experience were excellent reminders that the power within each of us is as limitless as the universe that surrounds us. Play big!

Thanks for reading and happy travels, no matter where your career path takes you. And don’t forget to ride-share!

© Daniel A. Cabrera, TopExec.org, All rights reserved, 2008

As a long-time specialist in Latin America business I can tell you without a doubt that the changes in Latin America over the past few years have been astounding. Today's Wall Street Journal for example calls out some of the historical trends, pan-regionally, and the effect of U.S. policies on trade.

From my point of view, the real mover and shaker in the region (and I'm not talking about samba or capoeira) is Brazil (or as they spell it, Brasil). This country has moved inexorably from a backwaters, wannna-be, to a real player on the world stage. In recent months these kinds of developments are taking place, increasing the movement from south to north:

1) Brazilian mining companies are going "vertical", meaning they not only mine the iron ore that is shipped worldwide to make steel for autos, washing machines and the like, but they are now creating totally integrated operations to mine the ore, refine it, and create the steel products for domestic and international use. This is BIG news for steelmakers in other parts of the world, not all of it pleasant for those mills that only produce steel, after sourcing the iron ore from Brazilian miners.

2) U.S. companies are seeking and finding financial support from Brazilian investors - this is really something, when a "3rd World" country can generate enough free cash flow to offer investments into US or European-based companies. Case in point, a firm in the US that specializes in retail solutions for grocery companies and other retailers, recently turned to Brazilian investors to expand and grow its business. Not only will there be Brazilian money helping the U.S. firm grow, but Brazilian management expertise will be there, as well.

3) For those who drink beer, and enjoy regional varieties, a recent mega-investment by InBev (Brazilian/Belgian brewer) in taking over Anheuser Busch in the USA is BIG news. This is not just a question of consolidation in the brewing industry (a phenomenon that has been taking place for some time in the US and other markets), but it's another huge indicator of the sophistication of Brazilian management talent, as well as money. Watch what happens to Bud and the rest of the Anheuser Busch line of products.

4) Major IT/Computer companies, such as IBM, Dell and others are all setting up or have already done so, major installations in Brazil to satisfy that market, now the 5th largest in the world for PC's. Naturally, this appears as a movement of capital and smarts from the north to the south, but in this writer's opinion, the effect is inverse: Brazil as a major consumer of IT products will begin shifting the way all types of companies set up and operate for the benefit of that country and its consumers and by extension, the rest of Latin America. Auto makers, as well, are redefining their product for Brazil, and when it comes to ethanol, the Brazilians have superior experience, cheaper prices and far wider abilities to plant, grow and process bio-fuels for the auto industry or other consumers. The U.S. and other countries have a lot to learn from the folks down south.

5) Oil companies and deep water drilling are going to find that Petrobras, the Brazilian national oil company is showing the way on how to find, drill for and extract major oil fields that are deep under the ocean, and deeper still under the rocks or sea bed that lies below thousands of feet of saltwater. For a U.S. that is nearly surrounded on three sides by ocean water, with vast petroleum and natural gas fields yet to be exploited, this Brazilian expertise will become a resource to learn from in the deep water exploration that will lead to new sources of energy off the shores of the United States. Hands down, the Brazilians are some of the world's best when it comes to this kind of oil field capability.

So, apart from the traditional exports that are famous from Brasil (coffee, bossa nova, soccer (futbol) and the Girl from Ipanema), the trends are strongly moving in ways that give Brazil a lot more influence while operating on the world stage. This will continue well into the future, and will continue to have significant impact on all parts of the "North". Stay tuned for more on this compelling topic.

If you or someone you know needs help with growing any part of your business in Latin America, including Brazil, contact me. It's what I do, and fluently in both Portuguese (the language of Brazil) and Spanish (the language of most of the rest of the region).

Thanks for reading. If you find this useful, please comment and share it with a friend. As they say in Brasil: "Chau!"

© Daniel A. Cabrera, TopExec.org, All Rights Reserved, 2008