Generalist or Specialist How you manage your career depends on whether you are a generalist or specialist. When I started my career in the 1970s, large corporations valued generalists. In my 22 years of working for IBM, they let me take a variety of career paths. It also suited my personality, because I have a […]
3 Signs You Are a Closet Introvert and What to Do! [Updated]
Closet Introvert I will admit that I am a closet introvert! I am not alone. There are many of you out there who appear to be extroverts but are really closet introverts. Is there a 12-step program for this condition? Why do naturally introverted people start behaving like extroverts? They get paid to be extroverted! […]
What I Learned About Corporate Culture From My Cats [Updated]
Corporate Culture and Cats Several years ago I learned a lot about the corporate culture from my cats, Jack and Rex! You are probably wondering what I could learn about the corporate culture from the cute guys in these pictures. Jack is pretty cute, but what the picture does not tell you is he is […]
‘Playing it Safe’ in Your Career is the New Risky [Updated]
Are you Playing it Safe? If so, that is pretty risky! Are you ‘Playing it Safe’ with your Career? We live in a world where creative destruction has accelerated. If you are not aware of creative destruction then I suggest you read my post: Surviving Creative Destruction in the 2nd Half of Life first. We live in […]
When Your Ethical Boundaries are Crossed [Updated]
Ethical Boundaries We all have ethical boundaries. We know what we think is ethical behavior at work, but what do you do when your ethical boundaries are crossed? Have you really thought what you would do if asked to do something that you considered unethical? Have you considered what you would do if your boss […]
The Dread Question – Why Do You Want to Leave? [Book Chapter]
The Dread Question – Why Do You Want to Leave? Chapter from Repurpose Your Career – A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life It is all but guaranteed that somewhere in the interview process you will be asked the following question: “Why do you want to leave your current position?” Prepare an answer, […]
What are Your Natural Talents and How to Find Them? [Updated]
Natural Talents? A quandary I find many people have is identifying their natural talents. They can tell you all about the skills that have acquired. We are paid to exercise our skills, which may or may not be built on top of our natural talents. If you are not sure of the difference between talents and […]
Learning to Say “No” and Not Feeling Guilty
Learning to Say “No” My client, Karen, came to me a few weeks ago and told me she wanted to say “no” to a superior but was afraid of the consequences of that action. She was being asked to travel with a superior to a working meeting with a business partner. The trip was to fly up […]
Moments of Clarity – A Great Learning Opportunity
Moments of Clarity July 11th, 2017 marks an important anniversary of one of many moments of clarity. Fifteen years ago, I was riding my Bianchi touring bicycle on a club ride and I collided with a 1996 Toyota Corolla where our combined speeds exceeded 50 miles per hour. I wrote about how this was a blessing in […]