Control the controllable

Did you notice that it was “Blue Monday” at the beginning of the week?

The third Monday in January is known as Blue Monday, due to a combination of post-Christmas blues, cold, dark, wet days, unpaid bills from Christmas, a ‘dry’ January and generally being fed-up. And of course, in the current climate, the sobering Covid-19 figures we are presented with on an hourly basis in the media are even more reason to feel gloomy and down.

So, what can you do in these unsettling, uncertain times? You can Control the Controllable. You will feel more in the driver’s seat, be prepared and ready for whatever life throws at you from a career point of view. You will know what action to take in every situation; what happens if you are fired or made redundant?  Are you having second thoughts about your current job, debating whether or not you should stay or move on?

Many people dread networking or perceived self-promotion - it can bring into stark relief the difference between someone with bravado who takes risks and someone who is more conservative and doesn’t want to cause a fuss. As President Teddy Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy”. So, when you compare yourself to how others work and promote themselves, it can often make you feel inadequate and deflated, which in turn, threatens your confidence and self-worth.

However, if you think of your career journey as a series of steps on your own personal ladder, you can compare what you did yesterday to where you are today. Taking stock of each step on your own ladder, seeing the progress you have made, rather than comparing yourself to anyone else, is all part of Controlling the Controllable. 

Start with a short exercise to help bring you career under control. It will help you identify what is most important to you in a role.

Rate these five priorities in order of importance:

·        Your level of autonomy

·        The culture of the company you work for

·        Your opportunity for career progression

·        The calibre of your leadership team

·        The appropriateness of your reward for the value you bring to the company

Rate your current role on each, ranging from 5 to 1, where 5 equals an Excellent Match; 4 equals Good, 3 equals Needs Improving, 2 equals Not Much to Offer and lastly, 1, which is No Match at all.

If the average is above 4 - stay and position yourself as vital for business success.

If the average is between 2 & 4 – it is time to explore other career options

If the average is below 2 - time to plan your exit so that you can leave on your terms

I share this exercise to suggest that there is an alternative route. It is possible to be in control of when you choose to leave an organisation and for you to decide the impact it will have on your life. This is all part of the process of taking a step on your own ladder and looking at your own progress, rather than comparing yourself with someone else.

Alarm bells rang during a recent coaching session with one of my clients, a high-performing individual. I recognised a number of early warnings signs of likely dismissal that he was totally unaware of. These included his line manager putting him under unnecessary pressure, with the unspoken truth being that said line manager wanted the head count back, to be able to allocate resources in a different direction. I could see, that within six weeks, my client would be fired.

I suggested to him that we craft an exit from his current employment. I recommended he approach the organisation and request a six-month settlement payment in exchange for leaving the company. The company agreed to four months’ pay out and an effective handover was initiated. This led to a further WIN/WIN as my client left the business on his terms with security, whilst the employer got their head count back.

Think about how different this would be if he had been forced out or made to leave on the company’s terms instead. In addition, a further benefit for both parties was avoiding the dreaded ‘performance improvement’ process and any unnecessary legal costs. 

Therefore, my core message today is be prepared and be ready – and if nothing else, remember, you can control the controllable, taking each step of your personal ladder one at a time, putting you in charge of your future career path.

Enterprise Sales Club is now LIVE at https://www.enterprisesalesclub.com.

Our purpose is to enable SaaS Sales Professionals to achieve their potential through the power of life-enhancing connections, shared experiences, and collaborative learnings.

If you want to take your career to the next level, as well as improve your skills in Enterprise Sales, please contact me at [email protected]