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The Promotable and Fireproof Newsletter
Your source for quick, actionable advice on maximizing your potential in the age of fast change, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and uncertainty.
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Promotable and Fireproof
Steve Degnan here, Advisor Board Member and former Chief Human Resources (HR) Officer.
Relationships, Reputation, and Results
are the main ingredients to career success,
and what I see as the driving forces in becoming
Promotable and Fireproof.
Together let's dig in to some quick take advice to make this real.
I’m glad you’re here. Let’s go!
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Relationships |
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Show Respect
as a Rule:
We can be tempted to adopt a disrespectful attitude toward our work peers, other leaders than our own boss, or other organizations just because of what we are told about them via gossip.
Make it a habit to make your own judgements about those people and groups based on YOUR observations. When you get promoted or transferred or hired into a group you’ve heard negative things about, being immediately respectful will allow you to make up your own mind, walk your own path, and develop healthy relationships. You’ll find that a majority of time, the gossip was wrong.
Bonus Point!
AI is ALWAYS respectful and courteous; it’s been seen giving compliments and sometimes even unwanted advice to its human users. You, meanwhile, must work to make sure you maintain a respectful attitude. Remind yourself of that point regularly.
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Reputation |
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Read the
Room:
Nothing can kill a reputation faster than making the wrong comment at the wrong time, or even having the wrong body language at the wrong time. We don’t crack jokes at funerals or make funny noises during wedding vows!
If you lack the capacity to pick up on the prevailing energy in a room, start working on it. That requires you to get out of your own thoughts and observe what is happening around you. If you stink at this, it might be best to find an accountability partner who will tell you when you are not getting it.
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Results |
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Ensure You are in the Right Job:
Lots of roles are not for everybody. Sales is a job that requires a higher degree of extroversion for example, or at least the ability to turn the extroversion on when needed. Resilience in the face of being told ’NO!” is also a pre-requisite in Sales.
So it follows that if you are a naturally introverted sales professional and are crushed when told “no”, you should find a new path. Is this common? Yes. It is common in every single discipline. It may be the main reason we get malpractice suits in medicine, because there are doctors out there who shouldn’t be. It is never too late to consider a change if you find yourself unhappy and stuck in whatever discipline you have chosen.
Bonus Point!
Use AI tools to get a sense of the types of jobs you might enjoy if you currently do not feel satisfied. Ask your favorite AI tool: What are some suggestions on how to figure out what type of work I might be the most engaged in doing?
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