DylanA post by Project Management Institute about career advice got me thinking about advice I have received over my career. We have all received advice, some of it good, some of it not so good and I like to caveat all advice with the motto of “free advice is worth exactly what you paid for it”. That being said, there is one particular item from fairly early in my career when I was still in a technical role that really stuck with me.
It happened in Belgium; I had just flown over to do some work with a client, and I was staying at a corporate apartment that also happened to be occupied by the Global VP of Professional Services. It also happened to be the day that there was a somewhat significant downsizing in the company. Having spent the early part of my career in higher education and only being at this company a short time (probably under a year), I was familiar with layoffs, but they had not been something common in my career. It was also the first time I was around the person who had to make the decision and, in some cases, deliver the message directly (mark of a leader, someone who will have the hard conversations). It was an eye-opening experience to see how it impacted him and one I’ve not forgotten having been on the delivery end of that message numerous times in my career since.
On this particular evening, the VP (who I won’t name as I do not have his consent), he had just finished delivering this message to many people and was really quite troubled by it. The last person he had to deliver the message to was someone who had been in the US for many years on a company sponsored work visa. He had a house and family with him and had really established himself in the US. The timing of this was also during the 2008 recession where jobs became hard to come by, particularly if you needed to be sponsored. So, this person, once being told their job was ending had a short amount of time (I think 30 days) to liquidate a life built in the US and head back home. Wanting to get out and get his mind off it he suggested we go for a drink. As we sat down, he started talking about the day and the decisions that had to be made and inevitably it turned to this last person who wasn’t only losing their job, they were losing their chosen home. I was full of questions about all of it (I still ask a lot of questions) specifically couldn’t it have been someone else to avoid that scenario. His response has stuck with me to this day.
He said (it’s been a long time, so I’ll paraphrase) everyone has a story, I just don’t know them all. If I choose someone else, they may be going through something else and I’m just don’t know. A right decision is the right decision and what is important is to acknowledge that everyone has a story and is going through something. Just because you don’t know about what they are going through, doesn’t mean they aren’t going through something. What is important is to acknowledge that and treat people with kindness and respect regardless of the situation.
Probably some of the best advice, directly or otherwise, I’ve had in my career and although I know I’ve not always lived up to it, I do try and will continue to do so.
What is advice that you got in your career that stuck with you? What is advice you have given?
