The Journey From Planes to Plains - A New Employee's Playbook to Navigating Change & Living Your Values

As the old adage goes - "time flies when you are having fun".

And WOW - has the last year ever flown by.

After over 13 years at WestJet Airlines, this past week marks my one year anniversary at Plains. I've been noodling for a while on the idea of jotting down and sharing my thoughts here on LinkedIn, hoping to perhaps help others embarking on a new career adventure after many years with one company.

Recently, my son said to me "Hey dad - did you notice that even though you changed jobs, you went from PLANES to PLAINS?".

Admittedly, I tend to over-indulge in analogies to articulate my thoughts (and yes, sadly, puns and dad jokes too), and it seems fitting that I've chosen an airline theme to share these thoughts.

To set the stage, like many industries hit hard in early 2020, the heartbeat of a booming and bustling WestJet seemly slowed to a faint pulse overnight. Staying aloft meant shedding any and all costs wherever possible - including laying off of over 50% of their staff across all areas in March 2020.

Myself included.

Suddenly, I found myself in a place I'd never been before - let alone after over a decade with a stable and growing organization.

Just like that, I was laid off.

To add some additional excitement to the mix, my wife is self-employed in an industry that was forced to completely shut down due to COVID19-imposed health restrictions.

Both parents in the Reidel household were out of work at the same time - neither having any idea of how long this could go on for, nor what was happening next.

As a couple, we have always been planners - making educated decisions versus taking blind risks and 'winging it'. That long-held belief - a core value of ours - was a blessing that paid off big time in a moment like this.

We were smart, we saved, etc., however a big piece of my daily focus - my job, my career, my stability - was suddenly a big unknown. It had been a very long time since I had truly considered jumping to a new opportunity. "Someday, when the time is right, I'll plan that perfect next career step". I always thought I would have a calculated, structured and planned transition to my next opportunity - making a move on my own terms - weighing choices against pros, cons and risks.

Nope.

Not to be. While I had a chance of being recalled to WestJet in 6 months, I couldn't rely on that with any true certainty. After all, the airline and travel industries were at a near standstill. With the pandemic only just rearing it's ugly head, travel was likely to be the LAST thing on people's minds for awhile. Or at least that was the best guess I had. Hanging on and "hoping for a return to normal" felt like too huge a risk to take.

Maybe this was the kickstart I needed to jump on to what's next.

So - I started searching for jobs. To be honest, I did not really know what I was looking for. I mean, I had IDEAS of what I was after, but it was very hard to quantify all the things I had accomplished, experienced and enjoyed doing and package ALL THAT into a single title, role or job description. I applied for a handful of opportunities that looked interesting and I began to establish a relationship with some agencies. I started updating my LinkedIn profile and reaching out to my wonderful LinkedIn network. In response to my applications I received some 'thanks but no thanks' emails and in some cases, no reply at all. Not surprising given the state of things in the world at the time.

Then - within the next month, I was very fortunate to have had a few leads - two of them serious.

One of those opportunities was with Plains.

I was extremely grateful when I made it through the rigorous online/virtual interview process and tough competition to successfully land the role with this great company. I was not only excited for a new challenge but I felt more at ease that I was taking control of where I wanted to go next.

Whew! I did it! Amazing! Exciting!

Oh boy.

Now what ... am I ready for this??

As tough as it was to get this point, the challenge was about to get a lot bigger.

Applying, interviewing and being hired during COVID19, a new organization undergoing a North American Cross-Border convergence, a new role, a new team, a new culture, a new industry, working 100% remote and virtual, new faces, new personalities, new processes, you name it - it was NEW.

I went from being a veteran employee comfortable with his old stomping grounds to a rookie waking up in the middle of battle in uncharted territory. COVID19 and it's impacts were new for EVERYONE at Plains. I would hear from my new coworkers how things were different from normal ... I just didn't have a 'normal' to compare it to as this environment is all that I had experienced in my new role.

Not to mention there was SO MUCH CHANGE AND TRANSFORMATION happening, it was hard to get my bearings set.

From that point on - I decided that every day would be MY VERSION OF NORMAL and it would be how I wanted to make it.

How Did It Go?

Well, here I am over a year later - learning more every single day and enjoying the journey every step of the way. The ups and the downs. The joys and the pain. The wins and the losses. Awesome people and I really enjoy it.

What Tools Did I Use?

I like to think that I relied on these 10 MINDSET PRINCIPLES that I have adopted and applied over the last year. I lean on these often - especially when times get tough, stressful, busy, uncomfortable or I just feel like I'm not adding value and begin to doubt myself.

I'm sharing these in the hopes others can benefit as I did.

1. Know Your Values & LIVE Them - What's MOST valuable to you in your life - and in what hierarchical order? For me, it's my health & wellness and my family. My job is very important - and I definitely take it seriously - but it comes behind these other priorities. Am I being pushed or pulled in a direction that inverts my value hierarchy? If so, it's time to check my values and adjust my priorities. Don't take for granted that which you cannot replace. WHAT ARE YOU LIVING FOR?
2. Set Your Boundaries & Learn Your Triggers - If you know what your values are and live by them, it's much easier to set clear boundaries around which to protect them. When push comes to shove and you're forced to make a choice, fall within your boundaries. Learn to recognize what triggers this internal conflict and your values will guide your response. ARE YOU LEAVING YOUR BOUNDARIES TO LIVE OTHER PEOPLE'S VALUES?
3. Respectfully Challenge The Status Quo - As they say, a fresh set of eyes on things helps offer a new perspective. This is especially valid when joining a new organization. The reason you were hired was for your experience, attitude, abilities - and of course - to offer a fresh perspective from outside the organization. Be part of the positive change by respectfully challenging those things that don't make sense to you, or that you have already "lived" before and can sense how they will play out on the current path. After all, you're here to help. TAKE RISKS & OWN THE OUTCOME.
4. State Facts & Use Logic - Lead calmly with positive intent and check your emotions. Don't get emotionally invested in the outcome - no matter what it is. There's no guarantee you'll get your way even if it's the best approach. If you're happiness is tied to being right, sounding like the smartest person in the room, not delivering a perfect outcome or knowing ALL the answers, there is a pretty high chance you'll come away unhappy. LET GO & DON'T HOLD ON TOO TIGHT.
5. Speak Your Truth & Offer Solutions - Be authentic and let your values shine through in how you interact with others. It's so very important, especially in a new organization, to be yourself from the get go. Don't fake who you are to gain popularity or create an unsustainable impression of who you are. And that includes the interviews. If you don't, you could end up trying to undo a perception of who your company thinks you are versus who you actually are. This is not only exhausting but dangerous! BE AUTHENTIC, BE TRANSPARENT & BE KIND.
6. Fail Forward & Learn From Your Mistakes - Failing at a new job is a certainty. At least at some point, on some task or some expectation - you'll blow it. And that's OK! As long as you approach each challenge as a learning experience, own the outcome, review lessons learned and grow from your mistakes, you're that much more experienced for the next situation. A positive attitude goes a long way here too. PROGRESS OVER PERFECTION.
7. Don't Internalize the Problems of Others - I think this goes for life in general, but there is a difference between helping solve a problem and making it YOUR problem. If you do, you'll quickly find yourself weighed down with more than you can bear - and your own sanity will suffer from it. Take charge of your own priorities to be the best you can at what you do. Sacrificing your own mental, physical and emotional health for others - especially when it goes against your own value hierarchy - is a recipe for disaster. PUT ON YOUR OWN OXYGEN MASK FIRST.
8. Seek Feedback - Ask others how you're doing, what you could be doing differently, what opportunities you have to improve or what they feel would be something else worthwhile learning. This not only gives you a chance to grow, but you can learn valuable insights from leaders, coworkers and team mates. As a new team member, soak this in and learn from it. EACH PERSPECTIVE IS A NEW DATA POINT FOR YOU TO CONSIDER.
9. Take Care of Your People - In a new company, surrounding yourself with great people is critical to your success - not to mention your stress management. Everyone adds value in their own unique way - and it may not match your own. Everyone has knowledge, abilities and experience that you do not. Lean on these folks and allow them to lean on you to succeed as a team. NO ONE IS AN EXPERT AT EVERYTHING - THAT'S WHY IT'S A TEAM.
10. Don't Be a Victim - This one is critical - and perhaps the easiest trap to fall into. We've ALL been there. Poor me. What we feel is RIGHT or what we feel SHOULD happen, is not what happens; so we resist, fight or challenge it - taking it personally. When you learn to call yourself out on it and try not to have a victim mentality, you can spot it a mile away - and help steer the outcome in a positive direction. REMEMBER - IT'S NOT HAPPENING TO YOU - IT'S JUST HAPPENING.

So there you go. These concepts really helped me in my journey over the last year - and I plan on using them going forward.

So - How about you? What's your perspective? What are your tools to success in a new role?

Thanks for reading.

Damon