Who will be most promotable after recession?
By Joan Lloyd
As the recession grinds on you have a choice to make. If you
look carefully among all the whiners and worriers you will see the
opportunists. They are the people who are quietly building their
portfolio of skills and abilities…poised for the next big
uptick. When it happens they will be ready. Will you?
We can learn a lot from these opportunists. Let’s
examine what they are doing to see how you compare:
- Say, “How can I help,” instead of, “Why do I have to do that?”
If your company has downsized it doesn’t mean the work
has decreased along with the headcount. During times of stress
people show what they are really made of and their manager and
others take note. So, if you are willing to shoulder more
responsibility, stay later to finish a task or willing to step up
in other ways, it will position you for a brighter future when the
sun comes out.
- Finish your degree or take continuing education classes to upgrade your skills and qualifications.
When the economy picks up and hiring heats up why not be more
qualified, so you can take advantage of the opportunities? If
you’ve set your sites on a role in management you probably
will need at least a bachelor’s degree so what are you
waiting for? If your computer skills aren’t what they should
be, enroll in class. If you need to improve your leadership skills,
hire a coach.
- Network as if your career depended on it, even if you are feeling secure in your job right now.
Even if your position doesn’t seem at risk, don’t
be lulled into a complacent attitude. I hear people say things such
as, “At least I’m safe in my job right now,” and
then a few weeks later the company is acquired by someone else and
all bets are off. You can spot the opportunists—they are the
ones volunteering for the program committee in their professional
organization so they can meet the who’s who; they are
reaching out to colleagues on social networks, they are lunching
with their contacts at least once a week.
- Bury the hatchet and play nice with others.
Now is not the time to be seen as high maintenance. How you
get along with others will weigh in more heavily when decisions
have to be made about cut backs. If you have a reputation for
needing more supervisor intervention or oversight you are on the
short list when the axe falls. So suck it up and get along.
- Solve problems, don’t complain about them or demand resources.
During times like these, the popular things to do are either
to hunker down until the resources—headcount and
money—start to flow again; or claim they can’t do
what’s asked of them until they get more resources. There are
few people—those opportunists--who demonstrate the brilliance
of finding clever solutions when resources are scarce. For example,
they might pool resources across departments, or partner with a
university to get a job done.
- They get their personal finances in order.
If you are burdened with too much debt, you will feel
imprisoned by your job. And if you are feeling desperate about
staying employed it colors your decision-making ability. It can
tamp down risk taking to the point where you will not speak up when
you know you should, or you’ll look the other way rather than
tackle a tough problem for the good of the company. And if you feel
you can’t leave your job for a new opportunity because it
means unknown risk, it can trap you into a future shaped by safety
rather than possibility. Ironically, people in self-protection mode
tend to stand out—and not for the right reasons.
Are you an opportunist? Have you been hiding from the risks or
thinking about ways to exploit the opportunity that exists right
now?
