Phil Bak’s Post

Great post from Herb Sargent ! You're right—small issues, if ignored, can turn into big problems or opportunities. That nail in your shoe is a perfect metaphor for how we handle momentum with the "toolbelt generation." We need to dig into the root of this movement and ensure the new workforce has what they need to succeed. No judgment here on the shoe—there are bigger things to focus on! #investinginpeople #workforcemomentum #buildthefuture

Do small, seemingly innocuous things turn into either larger issues or opportunities? During a recent walk, about every fifty steps I noticed a little twinge in my heel. About two miles in, it was about every ten steps. Another mile, every three steps. By the time I got home, something had punctured skin of my heel. That's when I pulled out this nail that was sticking straight up through my shoe. In truth, I'd actually felt "something in my shoe" a little earlier in the day, but kind of ignored it. Sometimes it's hard to discern whether a small, early symptom is transient, and will pass with circumstance, or will percolate into something larger. But these little tremors we feel, early on, may not always be negative. For instance, as an industry, we've got some momentum on the hiring/recruiting front, to the point of our young people now being touted as "the toolbelt generation". Trying to understand where that momentum came from is important for us all, and it's critical that we don't let this new wave of workforce down. But it's going to take a lot of industry introspection to build on the momentum and, fragmented as we are, we're not really that good at that. What things need to change for this new wave of worker to have a real life in this industry? "There comes a time when you have to stop pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out WHY they're falling in." ~ Desmond Tutu We've pulled the nail from our shoe. Now we collectively need to take a look upstream. Oh, if you're inclined to give me H-E-double-hockey-sticks for having my shoe on the counter, you're gonna have to get in line. #sargent #sargentesop #investinginpeople #buildalifewithus

Great post from @Herb Sargent! You're right—small issues, if ignored, can turn into big problems or opportunities. That nail in your shoe is a perfect metaphor for how we handle momentum with the "toolbelt generation." We need to dig into the root of this movement and ensure the new workforce has what they need to succeed. No judgment here on the shoe—there are bigger things to focus on! #investinginpeople #workforcemomentum #buildthefuture

Start with WTF - not why. When you re-launch your career after leaving a big company, be honest about why you left. No one believes the canned BS that you loved it and will miss all your amazing colleagues. Divorces don't happen because you all still love each other. Be bold. Be honest about why customers deserve more than what the broken system can give them. Be badass. Employees, especially senior ones, aren't supposed to have feelings, opinions, or contrarian points of view. People need to know how you're different from the stage-managed manager who you were forced to become. The greatest #entrepreneurs of our time all quit or got fired from huge companies. #SamAltman quit his job at #Google, #SteveJobs left Atari, Mike Bloomberg was fired by Salomon Brothers, Gary Hoberman left MetLife. 48% of founders in the 2023 class of unicorns were exodus entrepreneurs - they left corporate leadership and then built a juggernaut. Their reasons for leaving were a huge part of what they want on to create.

The most successful people are 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀. (𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱? 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗯𝗲) Here's why... 👇 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀: → Leave jobs that don't serve their growth → Cut ties with toxic relationships → Drop projects that waste their potential 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳: → Steve Jobs quit college → Oprah quit her news anchor job → Bezos quit Wall Street They didn't fail - they redirected. 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆: Met someone who stayed in a dead-end job for 3 years, afraid of being called a "quitter." One bold move later? She's THRIVING in her dream role. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵: You only fail when you keep walking a path that isn't yours. 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿: → Quit SMARTLY - with skills and safety net ready → Strategic exits > impulsive decisions 💪

Life gets complicated once we start comparing ourselves with others. And it's never ending. To be honest, it's very addictive in nature unless we reflect upon it. Here are some thoughts to ponder upon. Our brains are wired since our childhood to compare with others. For eg, if we scored less, we were questioned like why did you score less than your friend A?. Suppose you scored more than everyone else, then also it didn't end there. The reaction would be you always need to score like this..We are fed constantly with this constant comparison mindset. It happens almost everywhere at school, tuition, college, exam results, placement, package etc etc.The repercussions are like below examples: -One of my friends got a car, I will get a car. -One of my friends got a job at Google , I should also try to get into it.(You shouldn't be so desperate and beat yourself up. Do your hard work. It will happen when it is meant to happen). -One of my friends got married, I need to get married. -One of my friends got a Flat / land, I also need the same thing. -It also happens at corporate places, we are constantly compared with our peers.Your peer got promoted in just 6 months. You have already spent 9 months and you are still not promoted yet. Why?. Why is it even a question?. Sometimes the comparison doesn't get triggered from the management side, it just happens by our activities. For example, (*) some of my colleagues are earning more money in some happening technologies. shall I go for it even if I know that is not something I want to?. Just because it returns more money, and my colleague is working, I am thinking of going for it. (*)My colleague got a better personal life because s/he is in a non-technical role. For technical people it is just challenging everyday.But when layoffs happen, we again suddenly compare if I had worked on this and that technology just like my friends & colleagues, I would have saved my job. Thus,as I said before ,this comparison just doesn't end. It lives with you as a part of you. What an ideal world it would be if we do compare with ourselves rather than others ?. Just the way we were yesterday vs now vs what we want to become in the future (may or may not happen). Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section. Note : No two people are the same, so the comparison between them would be like the picture below.

"Tough times don't last, but tough people do" To who have been impacted by recent layoffs, know that your skills and experiences are invaluable. This is a challenging time, but it's also an opportunity for growth and new beginnings. Here are a few tips to help you navigate this transition: * Embrace the change: View this as a chance to explore new paths and discover your full potential. * Network strategically: Connect with industry professionals, alumni, and former colleagues. * Upskill and reskill: Invest in your professional development to stay competitive. * Maintain a positive mindset: Focus on your strengths and opportunities. * Seek support: Don't hesitate to reach out to friends, family, or mental health professionals. Remember, you are not alone. We're here to support you every step of the way. Let's rise together and create a brighter future."

ANYONE YOU KNOW BEEN RIFFED? You might send them this... With the election coming up, and inflation tearing into tech companies' coffers, I've had more than a handful of friends call this month and ask for advice about what to do after being laid-off. (Considering I've been fired, laid-off, managed out, or have GONE out of business nearly 40 times, I'm a bit of an expert on the topic.) 🤣 3 SMART THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN GETTING LAID OFF: 1. GET MOVING - Mental toughness can literally be reduced to an equation of chemical reactions in the body x a "narrative". Pushing waves of activity into the nervous system against waves of recovery can create a huge impact in the way we "feel". Running, Lifting, or even a gentle stroll to the end of the block can help us get on the right track, "chemically". This matters as we'll need to bolster ourselves against the stress involved in finding our next gig. 2. WORST ENEMY - Public enemy no. 1 in layoffs is often the story we tell ourselves about why we're not with our former team. Especially since COVID we've seen that work plays a much larger role in the maintenance of social health than it used to. That means job loss can also mean "friend loss", and isolation, in addition to financial ramifications. It's good to remember that we're human beings and we operate at our best when we're "whole". You might consider taking a friend or loved one to coffee, and ask them to help you craft the right narrative about why these changes are happening. This is not about preparing for an interview or defending your credibility to a hiring manager. This is about YOU. This is about giving yourself the decided advantage of a "spin" about what's going on which helps you feel as good as you can about said changes. "The Power of Story" by Jim Loehr is a fabulous resource for this. Thanks to Justin Cheen for recommending it to me in 2011. 3. SET A TIMELINE - (After immediately filing for unemployment...) take a look at your finances. A. Other Income (spouse, annuity, etc). B. Cash on-hand. C. Available Credit, D. Non-Cash liquid assets (stocks, bonds, bitcoin), E. Budget )(back-of-napkin is fine). Then figure out with unemployment how many weeks/months you can comfortably float your current budget out of savings before you'd like to get your next paycheck. Then work backwards and determine how much time you've got to interview, receive offers, decide on an offer, accept an offer, determine a start-date, start work, and make it through you're first full pay cycle, so that your new income can start righting the ship for your household. Just having a date in place - even if it's a tight timeline - can help focus your attention on the urgency of getting things moving. What other tips and tricks has the community found in dealing with the sometimes unnerving scenarios related to job/business loss? 😎 jeffheilman.com email newsletter to launch soon!

A Lesson in Lasting Impact "Positions are temporary, ranks are limited, but how you treat people will be remembered forever." I once knew a rising star, a cunning individual who climbed the corporate ladder with ruthless efficiency. They backstabbed colleagues, manipulated situations, and prioritized personal gain above all else. Yet, despite their initial success, their reputation preceded them. People were wary, trust was eroded, and opportunities began to dwindle. In contrast, I've also witnessed the power of kindness. A colleague, always ready to lend a helping hand, treated everyone with respect, regardless of their position. Their positive attitude, empathy, and genuine care for others created a strong network of supporters. When challenges arose, they were the first to be offered assistance. Remember, while titles and positions may change, the impact of our actions endures. Let's choose kindness, compassion, and integrity. After all, the most valuable currency is not wealth or power, but the respect and admiration of others. #Positions #selfishness #cunning #power #JobTitles #kindness #Empathy #Wealth #money