Talk with Tom
Get the dispatches from the new world of work
Status Check for 2009: Is Your Job Safe?
As we approach the new year, there is a big uncertainty looming everywhere. For a large majority of people, the uncertainty is about their job. Is it safe? In other words, will they have a job or not?
I think the real question should be "Is someone really employable in the new economy or not?" but that's a topic for another discussion.
This is a quick exercise to do a status check on the "safety" of your job. The questionnaire is in no way complete. The focus is to make you think beyond the "job responsibilities" outlined in your offer letter.
Note: Not all questions are relevant for people at all levels.
1. Is your job core to what the company stands for?
When there is a crisis, an organization tends to drop non-core and adjacent activities. The approach will be to play to their strengths to survive and thrive. If your job does not contribute to the strengths of the organization, you have to quickly re-invent yourself so that it does align with the company core purpose. If what you bring aligns with the strengths of the company, the follow-up question is "how much capacity are you adding to the company?"
2. What will the company/department lose by eliminating your job?
Please note that the question is not, "What will the company gain by keeping you in that job?"
During a crisis, avoiding threats (rather than going after opportunities) will take center stage. If there is no significant threat, there is no big safety net for the job. Even when you are in a strategic R&D project, look at what this R&D project will mean to the company. If you are not happy with the answer, it's time to re-think, re-invent, and re-act.
3. Who is borrowing the brand power?
Is your department proud of you because of your personal brand? OR
Are you proud of the brand of your department?
The answer should ideally be: Both
4. What is the assessment of your "value" in the eyes of the stakeholders?
If the answer is vague, such as "A lot" or "Significant," you have to re-visit the topic. Can you quantify your value in some measure, and is that value justifiable?
5. Is your job "offshorable?"
If your job can be moved offshore, then chances are it will be—in some form or fashion. In other words, you have to question yourself about whether you are doing commodity work. If you are doing work that a machine can do or someone in another country can do for a smaller fee, the chances of those moves may be very high. The thing is that you may not have control of your job if you are engaged in commodity work.
6. Do you care as if it's your own?
If you don't care about your product as if it's your own, you can't expect the company to do that (about you) either. When you care as if it's your own, the passion is clear. Passionate people win—all the time. In troubled times, an organization needs passionate people to keep the place alive. And, the thing about passion and caring is that you can't fake them.
7. Can you handle office politics well?
OK, you may not like office politics, but if you are working in an office, you better learn to deal with it. All else being equal, someone who knows how to deal with office politics will always come out a winner.
8. What is the cost of maintaining you?
There is the cost that you can measure (money, overhead, etc.) and there is the cost that is "real"—which includes, but is not limited to, the emotional cost of dealing with you everyday. For example, if you like to whine a lot, you increase your cost of maintenance. In troubled times, if your real cost to the company is significantly higher than the measurable costs, you are in trouble.
9. Are you likeable?
Unless you work for NASA, you don't have to be a rocket scientist. In tough times (and probably all times) a combination of 7 out of 10 on skills and 9 out of 10 on attitude is preferred to the other way around. If you are not likeable, it will hurt you in ways you would never imagine. People don't always make rational decisions, but they will definitely rationalize it after they have made the decision. So, people may not dismiss you because you are not likeable, but they will find a way to justify why they dismiss you beyond the likeability factor.
[Thanks to Cool Friend Raj Setty for providing us all with these questions for self-examination. Raj works with entrepreneurs to bring ideas to life and spread their adoption. You can learn more about him at www.rajeshsetty.com or follow him on his blog, Life Beyond Code, or on Twitter @UpbeatNow.]
ARCHIVES
Before blogging became all the rage, Tom was posting book reviews and Observations (essentially early blog posts) to this site. You can find the archives below.
What Tom's Reading Archives
OBSERVATIONS ARCHIVES
right now
What we're talking about
on the front page.
Comments
Tom,
never thought it should be,
never felt the need to check,
always look forward to the next role/project,
always learn continuously....
Patrick
T&J: This saves it being 4 posts!
Posted by Patrick at January 5, 2009 10:20 AM
I think a pretty good self assessment checklist, but was wondering if it needs to do a reflection on the health of your company and if it is sustainable in the tough economic times. You may be crucial part of the team but if the company collapses aka bear Sterns etc then you are out looking for new job opportunities.Just another perspective.
Posted by Arvinder Singh at January 5, 2009 10:30 AM
Pretty brutal and tough to work through, but hey these are brutal times. I guess the companies who don't think like this are the ones going under some day soon.
Personally I'm not happy to be one of those
Posted by Richard Michie at January 5, 2009 10:45 AM
P: There is no saving here. You have already failed. No rectification, man. Simply admit to defeat. You can do it!
Posted by Judith Ellis at January 5, 2009 10:47 AM
J & T I'm not worthy, you win.
Posted by patrick at January 5, 2009 10:54 AM
Arvinder: Good point and one thing to consider: If you CAN do something to prevent the collapse of the company, that would be one thing to focus on.
Cheers,
Raj
Posted by Rajesh Setty at January 5, 2009 11:02 AM
Regarding point 5 (Is your job "offshorable"), I think the question could be wider: is your job and your function capable of being outsourced? As with offshoring and as with office politics, these decisions aren't always taken in a logical manner. The "threat" to your job / department may be from a specialist service provider so the big issue is: what makes you and your team better - operationally and commercially - than the local alternative who'll promise your boss to do it better and cheaper because that's all they do...?
Posted by Mark JF at January 5, 2009 11:30 AM
Mark JF: Good point. Thanks for the note.
Best,
Raj
Posted by Rajesh Setty at January 5, 2009 11:32 AM
P: You are more than worthy.
Posted by Judith Ellis at January 5, 2009 11:46 AM
And maybe we should cast our mind's eye over the top of the corporate monkey-pile and subject them to the same test.
Is the passion there? Is the focus on the core? Are the values lived honourable? Do they do politics well?
If not, this would be a great time to check out the small and stuggling, but solid at the core, enterprise and see what we can contribute to their success.
Using an economic downtime to grow something good is better than hunkering down in a dinosaur trying to avoid the axe, yes?
Posted by Lois Gory at January 5, 2009 12:03 PM
Great list Raj – Happy New Year and I would add two more:
*What can I OFFER the company that is not in my job brief – In my experience employees are far too easily pigeon-holed into their job brief and in reality can offer far more than that – they just need to be asked.
*Do I WANT to be part of this organisation? - This assessment must be as much about what I want as what the company needs
Patrick – you are a gentleman :- )
Posted by Trevor Gay at January 5, 2009 12:04 PM
Good and useful list. People ought to think hard about all the points.
I have some preferred points however, because I think that Items 6 (Do you care...), 7 (Office politics...), and 9 (Are you likable?) have the most powerful potential for positive impact. In an attempt to clarify my point I would change the titles of these items to: Item #6=Do you behave like an employee or an owner? Item #7 + #8: Do you know how to communicate effectively with colleagues and customers, influence when you don't have authority, and be the catalyst for integration of ideas within the group? As an executive who has built many teams from diverse individuals, I'm always looking for "race horses", that is, people who behave like owners, and who can move smoothly, elegantly, and powerfully within and without the organization and bring the best ideas to the table.
Be well and happy New Year!
Steven Cerri
steven@stevencerri.com
www.stevencerri.com
Posted by Steven Cerri at January 5, 2009 12:05 PM
Lois and Trevor, both are good points. Thanks for sharing these insights.
Best,
Raj
Posted by Rajesh Setty at January 5, 2009 12:30 PM
Powerful post Raj!
These are important and difficult questions that all employees need to ask themselves and honestly answer during these times of economic uncertainty.
I've featured your post in my weekly Rainmaker 'Fab Five' blog picks of the week (found here: http://www.maximizepossibility.com/employee_retention/2009/01/the-rainmaker-f.html) to share these important questions with my readers.
Be well!
Posted by Chris Young at January 5, 2009 12:59 PM
P, J and T: personally, I don't pretend to be qualified to judge who is and isn't "worthy" - whatever the word means.
Posted by Mark JF at January 5, 2009 2:12 PM
Good point, Mark JF. Funny too!
Posted by Judith Ellis at January 5, 2009 2:31 PM
You are worthy too Mark - whatever it means :-)
Posted by Trevor Gay at January 5, 2009 2:42 PM
Bravo Trevor!
Posted by Judith Ellis at January 5, 2009 2:55 PM
Maybe I'll check out Raj's Twitter. Here are a few laughs in the comments at HuffPost on Twitter.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/05/twitters-hacked-bill-orei_n_155302.html
Posted by Judith Ellis at January 5, 2009 5:40 PM
Hi Judith,
I read about Twitter accounts being hacked too. About 33 of them. I believe they are back to normal again.
Scary times for sure.
Cheers,
Raj
Posted by Rajesh Setty at January 5, 2009 9:06 PM
Steven, yes, these items can be reframed.
Chris, thank you for featuring this on your blog. Much appreciated.
Have a great year ahead all of you.
Best,
Raj
Posted by Rajesh Setty at January 6, 2009 12:32 AM
On Office politics - how does one learn to be good at this? - I hate it and I am lousy at it (perhaps the two are linked !)
A very much under represented subject in books, training etc
Posted by PaulH at January 6, 2009 5:20 AM
Hi Paul – As part of my team coach training in 2002/03 one of the books considered recommended reading was “Power, Politics and Organisational Change” sub title – Winning the Turf Game - written by Dave Buchanan and Richard Badham. I recall it was helpful in that it started from the viewpoint that office politics exists and we have to find ways of working with it. I still have the book on my shelf and I’m happy to loan you it. The following from the Amazon preview of the book confirms what you say Paul about the importance of office politics:
“David Buchanan and Richard Badham argue that the change agent who is not politically skilled will fail. This implies that it is necessary to be able and willing to intervene in the political processes of the organization, to push particular agendas, to influence decisions and decision makers, to deal with criticism and challenge, to cope with resistance, to maintain one's reputation. Some managers regard political calculations and activities as distasteful. Some textbooks advise the change agent to avoid involvement in the turf game. This book argues that such avoidance tactics are both naive and unprofessional.”
Posted by Trevor Gay at January 6, 2009 7:09 AM
Is politics something like the skillful battle of egos and the necessity of compromise? Perhaps the problem evolves when the ego wins over needed compromise and halts or stymies creativity and innovation.
(No more skillful political tactics could have been used in the circus surrounding disgraced Blagojevich's righteous pick who parades around spouting the Illinois Constitution and insisting on a seat in Congress. Burris will probably be seated. Go figure!)
Posted by Judith Ellis at January 6, 2009 8:02 AM
Paul,
A good primer on how to deal with office politics can be found in a book called
GUST: The "Tale" Wind of Office Politics
by
Timothy Johnson
You might hate office politics but you cannot ignore it just like you can't ignore other drivers on the road :)
Best,
Raj
Posted by Rajesh Setty at January 6, 2009 11:39 AM
"You might hate office politics but you cannot ignore it just like you can't ignore other drivers on the road."
Brilliant!
There is also the issue of the other being you. I caught myself driving the other day that would have probably maddened me if I were observing from another car. I'm glad that there were defensive drivers on the road.
Politics calls for a kind of defensive driving that may be good at times and not so good at others. But if we're astute we know how to manage both. I have not always done so. I have become rather adroit with experience and years.
But I must admit that it isn't only that politics have made me so, but rather the adherence to the very needs of others, as actions (overt or covert) stem from somewhere. I try to understand the why of actions. Sometimes I'm spot on other times I'm not.
Posted by Judith Ellis at January 6, 2009 1:55 PM
Judith,
I totally agree with your point. Office Politics starts typically when there is a mis-alignment with the individual and team agenda.
Everyone knows the team agenda but you need to listen closely to spot the "individual" agenda of the team members.
If the mis-alignment happens with people in power, there is a need to be "extra" careful.
Best,
Raj
Posted by Rajesh Setty at January 6, 2009 2:46 PM
Bravo, Raj!
Posted by Judith Ellis at January 6, 2009 3:56 PM
Additionally, as with the other lists posted here I have also been pondering yours off and on for two days now, taking in its many points of light. It's a beautiful list.
The wonderful thing about the list is that it requires job holders ourselves to do what can be done for survival. Anything oustide of that is just that -outside, out of our control.
Thank you, Raj!
Posted by Judith Ellis at January 6, 2009 4:15 PM
Hi Judith,
Kind of you to say that. Much appreciated. Have a great week ahead.
Best,
Raj
Posted by Rajesh Setty at January 6, 2009 5:36 PM
Weekend? It's only Tuesday, Raj, where I am physically. You seem to operate on broadband, but that's a bit much. :-)
Posted by Judith Ellis at January 6, 2009 6:31 PM
Judith:
I mentioned "good week ahead" not weekend :)
Anyway, have a great week ahead and a fantastic weekend too :)
Best,
Raj
Posted by Rajesh Setty at January 6, 2009 6:50 PM
Too funny!!! Perhaps my broadband is in overdrive. This is more than possible! I wish the same for you.
Posted by Judith Ellis at January 6, 2009 7:06 PM
The best book on office politics is Doing the Right Thing and Achieving All Your Goals at the Same Time.
Posted by Marianne Powers at January 6, 2009 8:25 PM
Marianne,
Thanks for sharing your book here. Will take a look soon.
Just a quick note. The link to your book on the website is broken. FYI.
Best,
Raj
Posted by Rajesh Setty at January 6, 2009 8:46 PM
Good checklist - It may help you in focusing your limited energy where it will count. I would add to this that you need to publicise yourself against the factors that are laid out.
Posted by Matt at January 7, 2009 10:34 PM
Matt,
Thank you for the comment.
Two ways to handle limited resources:
1. Being more creative: Constraints expand creativity and we do have a ton of constraints
2. Increasing leverage: You can increase your capacity by by making requests of others. But those requests have to be designed such that fulfilling those requests are really "opportunities" for those that are fulfilling them.
Cheers,
Raj
Posted by Rajesh Setty at January 8, 2009 1:19 AM
Raj makes some excellent points: constraints producing creativity and the necessity of delegation with opportunity for the designee. Both foster team work.
Posted by Judith Ellis at January 8, 2009 3:41 AM