Stacey Hawley - Career Coach and Compensation Expert

Well, this was a big week (seems like every week has been a big week since 2020 started 😖). I don't see how I can share career insights this week WITHOUT discussing the elephant in the room. The impeachment trial is over, but not without its casualties. And Mitt Romney will surely be one of them.

This week's top 3 career-makers will be all about Mitt. His actions and decisions create invaluable career lessons for all of us, no matter what side of the aisle you choose. So grab a cup of coffee and reflect on how this situation could impact your career decisions and behavior in the future (or maybe it already has?)

Disclaimer: I am not debating whether or not he made the correct choice. I am not wading into the argument about whether Trump should have been removed from office.

We all face moral choices at work. As we decide which route to take, it is important to weigh the consequences when making our decisions. The consequences may determine what we decide, how we decide it, or whether we make an altogether different choice.

1. Lesson 1: Choices Have Serious Consequences: Abuse, Loss of Friends and No Support

Mitt explained that he had to follow his conscience and vote to impeach Trump, knowing he would face abuse: “I am sure to hear abuse from the president and his supporters,” he explained. His decision to vote for impeachment is profoundly important because he was the only Republican senator who voted to impeach a President in his own party. Ever.

On the one side, he will be blacklisted by his own party. There has already been a bill to have him censured. They may even decide to expel him from the Republican party.

At work, you may be asked to "look the other way", fudge some numbers, sell a faulty product, sell or develop a dangerous product, make a recommendation that is completely wrong and dishonest, or do other things that are immoral and go against your values. If you speak up, you may find that you are walking a very lonely road. That doesn't mean you shouldn't make the decision to say something, try to correct the problem or walk away. That just means you need to be aware that other people may actively tarnish your reputation for hurting "the team".

You want to document EVERYTHING. Keep an e-trail. Keep good records of everything that is happening. And, don't trust your manager or other people to protect you. Unfortunately, I have seen people get burned over and over again by people they thought would protect them. At the end of the day, many people will look out for themselves.

2. Lesson 2: You Could Lose Your Job

Mitt's choice may result in the end of his political career. He has had a long career. He also has enough wealth to carry him through retirement and beyond. But not everyone is in the same financial situation. You may be early in your career and actually need to work.

Keep in mind that once you become the whistleblower, you may find yourself in the unemployment line. It might not happen right away. It might not even be direct. Instead of firing you, the company may want to "appear" like they valued your honesty and choices. You might even be put in charge of remediating the situation! But, then things could change. You might not get bonuses, receive poor performance reviews, get passed over for promotions and opportunities or generally be pushed aside.

3. Lesson 3: It MIGHT BE Hard to Find ANOTHER Job

Mitt can retire. He can walk away and he will feel good about the decision he made. He doesn't NEED another job. Some people just want him to resign now.

This could be the most serious consequence. In today's world, the internet makes it remarkably easy to find information, misinformation and fake news. And the people that were professionally tarnished for being part of the coverup will have long memories. They could make it hard for you to find another job.

Key Takeaways

We all face moral choices in our role. Some are minor. Some have big implications (even Bernie Madoff wants to die out of jail).

As you consider your choice, make sure to put protections in place to ensure you are still able to find employment. Create a "paper" trail. Get allies. You might even need legal support. You don't have to do things that go against your moral fiber. But you do want to understand the consequences and ensure you can still find employment somewhere else (even if you have to change industries or cities).

Time for you to move your career forward. In January, we discussed how to figure out the technical and developmental skills you need to move your career forward. Now you want to create an action plan for acquiring those skills and putting them into action. If you aren't sure what skills you need to develop to get ahead, read the post or listen to the podcast first BEFORE setting your goals.

You can also listen to this month's career management plan on my podcast.

FEBRUARY/MONTH 2 - DEVELOPING SMART GOALS THAT SUPPORT YOUR CDP

TOPIC: SETTING YOUR GOALS FOR SUCCESS BASED ON YOUR CAREER GOALS

ISSUES/CHALLENGES: Establishing the RIGHT SMART goals that both you and your manager (and the people you manage) believe moves your career forward AND help you get to the next level in your career

GOAL: Establish your own SMART goals related to your personal career plan, instruct your employees (if you manage people) on how to establish their goals, and set a date for discussing the goals with your manager and your people

WHY? This is the biggest reason people think they should get a promotion/bigger raise/bigger bonus but don't - they think they accomplished something but their manager doesn't. When people's expectations are mismatched, then there isn't agreement on whether a goal was achieved. And if there isn't agreement on whether a goal was achieved, then the resulting raise/promotion/bonus usually ends up not meeting someone's expectations either.

The reason the expectations are mismatched is because the goals aren't set properly. One person thinks the goal (and its measurement) means one thing while the other person has a totally different opinion. And, even more importantly, people establish goals that don't actually help them get to the next level.

1. Determine your career plan (JANUARY)

Most people jump right to establishing goals. Some people already know how to develop SMART goals. But the hiccup is whether you establish the RIGHT goals - goals that help you get to the next level, get ready for a promotion, put you on the path for your future promotion, etc.

Before you establish ANY goals, you need to find out what you need to do to get to the next level. That means setting up a time to sit down with your boss and discussing what skills he/she thinks you need to develop to advance your career (i.e., giving presentations, developing budgets or deal with customers). Listen to the January podcast or read the post on how to figure out the technical and developmental skills you need to help you advance.

2. Define SMART Goals

Now that you know what you need to do to get to the next level, think of goals that help you acquire and develop those skills.

For example, let's assume you are a senior marketing analyst and you are trying to become a marketing manager. Your goal might be to develop a marketing plan that gets approved and used by the company. Great. How is that goal being measured? Is it being measured by the date the plan is developed, or the date it is approved, or the complexity of the plan or the scope of the plan or the impact on the plan on the business? What if you develop a marketing plan but it fails (i.e., doesn't drive the business that was intended) or wasn't developed when your manager was expecting it or didn't include a social media strategy, digital strategy or other component?

Do you see what I am getting at? You need to be specific.

SMART GOALS are specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and timely.

Let's go back to the marketing plan. If you need to develop a marketing plan, then you need to define how success is measured:

1. First, define what needs to be included in the marketing plan (i.e., omnichannel, social media, digital marketing, etc.).
2. Second, define how it will be measured (what do you expect at the minimum vs what do you expect if you blow it out of the ballpark)

EXAMPLE:

Goal	Measurement	Minimum	Target	Maximum
Marketing Plan Development, Including KPI’s (key performance indicators such as online traffic, conversions, market share, # of subscribers, sales, etc.)	Date Approved and Implemented	Approved by October 2020 and implementation has begun. No KPI’s being measured or tracked	Approved by July 2020 with all aspects of plan in the implementation process. KPI’s being measured and tracked by September 2020	Approved by May 2020, plan fully implemented and KPI’s being measured and tracked

As you create the goal, ask yourself:
1. Am I being as specific as possible in the goal definition and its measurement?
2. Is the goal I created measurable? If so, how?
3. Is this actionable - can I do it?
4. Is it relevant? Did you pick a goal that isn't related to your career goals or the group's business objectives? If you decide to grow your group 50% but aren't allowed to hire anyone, it isn't a relevant goal.
5. Can this be accomplished in the allotted timeframe? What should the timeframe be?

3. Repeat this process for 3 - 5 goals

If you do more than 5 goals, your focus (or your people's focus) becomes diluted and the goal loses its meaning/importance. If you manage people, instruct them on how to establish a SMART goal, the process and your expectations. Give them examples.

4. Set a date to review the goals with your manager/people

If your company already has a process in place, ensure your goals meet these criteria so the definition is clear, how it is measured is clear and everyone is on the same page. Make sure you do more than "submit" your goals. Make sure you set a date to discuss them (that will be for February).

KEY TAKEAWAY

Really, there is so much here it could be divided into 2 months. Unfortunately, most goals are established in the first month so I needed to combine these two steps.

STEP 1 - Determine what skills you need to acquire to get to the next level (January)

STEP 2 - Establish the RIGHT SMART goals that show you are acquiring those skills

Good luck!

Picture it: A 10-foot long, oblong-shaped, glistening table surrounded by 12 comfortable, adjustable black leather swivel seats. Slowly, the Board of Directors (non-employee members) enter, anxious to discuss and challenge strategy or other critical business issues with management. The COB formally opens the meeting.

In your mind, who is sitting at this table? Are all 12 members men? Or are some women? Is the COB a male or a female? What about the CEO? Are you at the table?

With women representing almost half of business schools graduates, but holding few executive roles – and even fewer S&P500 CEO roles (4%) - few businesswomen conquer the boardroom. Various methods are being employed to promote – and attain – more female Board Members (non-employee directors) globally. Society, governmental agencies and other organizations are actively generating momentum to increase the number of female Board members within any given company or organization.

Male or female, competition for Board seats is fierce. Thousands of qualified applicants vie for only a few open seats each year. To complicate matters, average length of service is increasing – open board seats are a rare commodity. To obtain a board seat, viable candidates should pursue every possible advantage.

Becoming a Board member (not for profit or for-profit) affords personal and professional growth opportunities. Getting a seat at the table may be paramount to company success, but it is also paramount to personal success. And while organizations promote female Board membership, you can’t wait to be tapped on the shoulder. If you want to be a Board member, go after it. Make Board membership a capstone career ambition.

Four critical ingredients, when co-mingled, will support this mission: acting exceptionally, networking constantly, serving nonprofits and shedding your assumptions.

1. Acting exceptionally

To be a Board member, you don’t need to be THE best and brightest in your field – but you absolutely should be well-versed and act withconfidence. Acting exceptionally means leveraging your background, experience and qualifications. To be a key player in the Board room, you need to understand the business. In fact, most Board leaders agree that effective leaders understand the business, management challenges and the financials.

2. Network, network and network some more

Similar to the job search process, networking provides access: access to information, access to people, and access to opportunities. If you desire a Board seat, you need to network and create access. And you need to network with people that operate at the Board or Executive level or have access to those individuals, information and opportunities.

Perhaps you do not network at the executive level – yet. Do not get discouraged. Review your current networks and identify groups or relationships that can provide you with access to information, people and opportunities at the executive level.

3. Serve on Non-Profit Boards

Serving a non-profit Board has long been considered a stepping stone to serving a for-profit Board…and a means for gaining valuable Board experience. Nonprofit Board membership offers different, yet still valuable, experiences. Not-for-profit Board roles provide members with a perspective on governance – and understanding the difference between management and Board leadership.

4. Shed Your Assumptions

Ever meet people with a distinct, audible and obvious grudge on their shoulders? Board cohesion is critical to success. When Board leaders respond to questions about Board effectiveness, compatibility remains a key ingredient. I encountered countless brilliant female executives who harbored grudges or, at least, belabored previous bad experiences. Their grudges limited their success and potential for career advancement because the grudge impaired cooperation, communication and cohesion. To improve the probability of being considered for a Board position, you need to shed any grievances.

You need to be viewed as compatible.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Return to your Boardroom. How did you get there? How did you get a seat at the table?

By being a leader who is viewed as acting exceptionally, leveraging business and personal networks, serving the community and espouses compatibility.

Pages

1. Lesson 1: Choices Have Serious Consequences: Abuse, Loss of Friends and No Support

2. Lesson 2: You Could Lose Your Job

3. Lesson 3: It MIGHT BE Hard to Find ANOTHER Job

Key Takeaways

FEBRUARY/MONTH 2 - DEVELOPING SMART GOALS THAT SUPPORT YOUR CDP

TOPIC: SETTING YOUR GOALS FOR SUCCESS BASED ON YOUR CAREER GOALS

1. Determine your career plan (JANUARY)

2. Define SMART Goals

3. Repeat this process for 3 - 5 goals

4. Set a date to review the goals with your manager/people

KEY TAKEAWAY

Four critical ingredients, when co-mingled, will support this mission: acting exceptionally, networking constantly, serving nonprofits and shedding your assumptions.

1. Acting exceptionally

2. Network, network and network some more

3. Serve on Non-Profit Boards

4. Shed Your Assumptions

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Lesson #1: Your Career Involves Not Only You - But Your Spouse/Partner and Family

2. Lesson #2: Your Career Doesn't Have to Define You. What you Do WITH Your Career Can Have a Bigger Impact

3. Lesson #3: Use your Influence and Success to Promote Others

KEY TAKEAWAYS

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