Lisa Orbé-Austin's Blog, page 3

The Possibility of You: 5 Strategies to Transform Your Life in 2016

As December reaches its halfway point, we will naturally begin to shift our attention to the possibilities of a new year. Although most of our energy this month will be taken up by holiday parties and developing our gift lists, inevitably we will begin to consider our New Year’s resolutions. Most people make resolutions at the start of the new year, full of hope and potential. Unfortunately, many of us generally abandon them by the end of January. A new gym membership or a time management system may be discarded, as we revert to our old habits. If this is the case for you, let’s make this New Year different by committing to manageable and realistic goals. The following are 5 tips to transform your life in 2016:

1) Embrace your present truth – sometimes it is difficult to admit the size of the gap between our ideal self and our actual self. Our ideal self is always super motivated, productive, and fully engaged in goal achievement & living our desired life. Our actual self may procrastinate a bit, feel frustrated about a lack of change, and may be stuck in how to progress. You must prioritize the possibility of you, and make it probable. You can do so, by first determining your motivation for change vs. your resistance to change ratio. If your resistance is greater than your motivation, change will not occur. Therefore, you must be honest about the potential barriers to transforming your life, both externally (e.g. lack of opportunities) and internally (e.g. lack of confidence). By being able to recognize where the gaps are, which prevent your happiness and productivity, you can begin to craft a plan to address them.

2) Set 3 SMART Goals and write them down– the simple act of writing down your goals, will increase the odds of you reaching them. Also, by crafting SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely) goals, you will provide a clear roadmap for success. For instance, rather than saying, “I want to lose weight for my beach vacation this summer,” say, “I plan to lose 10 pounds by June 2016.” SMART goals also enable you to evaluate your progress. Finally, although we may feel hopeful and ambitious at the start of a new year, setting 3 goals is manageable enough to see success. If we set too many goals, we may become demoralized, if we fail to reach them all. If we set too few goals, we may not challenge ourselves enough or keep ourselves motivated. If you achieve your three goals quickly, you can then move on to setting more goals for the year.

3) Hold yourself accountable– we may often set goals and may need a little push to attain them. By identifying an accountability partner, you can make your commitment to change more public, which improves the probability of success.   Your accountability partner should be someone you trust, with whom you can be completely transparent, and communicate openly.

4) Consistently strive for greatness– we are all at times plagued by the scourge of mediocrity. We do just enough to get by. Or we may be overcome by the tyranny of perfectionism. We delay action, until we think our work or the situation is perfect. Neither position is ideal. A quest for perfection will always lead to a failed journey, since we all have areas for growth and development. Meanwhile, settling for mediocrity prevents us from reaching our full potential. Rather, strive for greatness (however you define it) in all that you do, at work, in relationships, and in the community at large. If you don’t feel that you can be your best self, or are not motivated to be so at work, you may be in the wrong job or organization. It can be a daunting challenge, since fear and doubt may stop us from reaching for the greatest heights. But now is the time to take that risk.

5) Emotionally connect to the New You– we all develop narratives about ourselves, which may prevent us from changing. Narratives such as “I’m just lazy” or “I’m unlucky” or “I can never sustain anything I start” cause us to remain stuck in our old patterns. By emotionally connecting to the New You, honoring an optimistic narrative, despite some doubt or fear, you can create your ideal life.

The New Year signals a fresh start, limitless possibilities. Now is the time to position yourself for the New You in 2016. Let’s make the possible, your probable!

Follow Dynamic Transitions Psychological Consulting, LLP on LinkedIn

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Work Depression and You Finding Support in a Time of Distress

Do you have difficulty discussing your work depression with family and friends? Do you feel that they don’t truly understand, and they just think you are complaining and that you should just be happy to have a job? Do you think they are tired of your venting without exploring solutions?

Or are you not even able to verbalize your negative feelings about your job? Are you ashamed to even discuss it with friends and family?

Summer can be a time of hope and possibility, which may relieve some of your work depression, but summer can often exacerbate it. As the Fall approaches, are you feeling anxious about the possibility of staying another year with the company contributing to your work depression? Are you drained and struggling to find the energy for a job search?

Despite the warmer weather & sunnier skies, your disposition may not be so bright. Work depression can affect anyone, at any time. In a previous post, I discussed the nature of work depression and how to overcome it. One of the ways that I shared was the importance of seeking social support. In this blog post, I’ll discuss some tips on how to speak about your work depression with friends, family and contacts:

Talk about what is causing the work depression – does your manager undermine or belittle you? Do you feel overworked and underappreciated? Have you been passed over for a promotion or ignored when you lobby for career advancement? Are you fearful of being fired? Do you feel unable to leave, due to financial or other considerations? When you are suffering from work depression, it is important to first understand what is driving the depression.   Identifying the cause and examining the mix of emotions you might have about your work situation (e.g., fear, anger, frustration, etc.) can help you to acknowledge and validate the experience.


Clarify your needs and let loved ones know what you want from them – sometimes it may be that you just want a supportive shoulder on which to cry, or an advocate to help strategize an exit strategy. Let your loved ones know exactly what you want from them. Such clarity will help you and your loved ones feel connected, enabling you to receive the appropriate assistance you seek. Also, be able to tolerate when he/she tells you that they can’t do what you ask. For example, if you ask your friend to just lend an ear and not provide solutions, he/she might feel like that’s not possible for them. Then you should be honest that as a result, you might not share the issues at work with them, at least not in this phase of your process. It’s also important to recognize that your needs may change and be open about when they do.


Be Grateful – spending time regularly speaking about the things for which you are grateful, including your friends and family, can assist you in putting things in perspective and also gives balance to the situation for both you and your loved ones.


Keep them in the loop – often people reach out to others, when things are particularly bad, but then forget to loop them in as things change. If their suggestions worked, if things are improving, if you are searching for a new job, share this with your social circle because it will be useful for them to know the current temperature of your situation.


Reflect and Act – while sharing your challenges may feel very relieving, it’s also important that you make some changes especially around the things you can control. When people give suggestions for action steps, let them know which ones you think you are ready for and which ones you are not. Then share the new action steps that you are taking.


Let your relationship be about other things as well – make sure that the work depression isn’t the only conversation that you are having with the people around you. While it may feel all consuming, it’s important that you are also asking about how your friends and family are doing, and are able to be present for them as well.


Honor your truth – do not feel ashamed or guilty about your work depression and how it may be affecting you. Further, if you are not ready to leave your job, due to financial concerns, confidence issues, or other challenges, it is important to acknowledge this reality. You should be intentional about your actions or inaction. A large part of work depression is due to feelings of powerlessness. By recognizing that you have more control than you may initially realize, you can increase your power, even if it means staying in a toxic situation for a period of time, until you feel truly ready to transition. Acceptance of your truth may enable you to improve your work depression, and decrease feelings of shame & guilt, while you contemplate your next steps.

When you are suffering with work depression, it may be extremely difficult to communicate your experience to friends and family. You may feel further isolated and demoralized, due to your inability to convey your feelings to your loved ones. By using the above strategies, it may ease your work depression, while getting the type of support you want, and eventually helping you to find a better work situation.

The post Work Depression and You Finding Support in a Time of Distress appeared first on Dynamic Transitions LLP.

Leveraging Like LeBron James: The New Normal of Career Management

The U.S. labor market has picked up, and has allowed for more freedom of job movement.  For generations, most employers had the upper hand, being able to choose their favorite candidates among the best talent possible, and then retain them through strategic promotions and promises of job security & greater wealth. This unspoken contract between employer & employee worked for decades.  In exchange for their loyalty, many employees could safely be assured that if they worked hard, they would be taken care of, and generously rewarded, retire with a good pension, and ride off into the sunset with a gold watch, for a career well worked.  For many, the financial crisis of 2008 rescinded this contract. Employers, especially those who suffered massive financial losses, decided that they could do more with less. They laid off workers, and did not rehire at the same level, even when the economy rebounded. The employees who remained were forced to work harder, and to constantly live with the fear of possible termination. Employers were in control, and the contract was irreparably broken. Employees no longer had the security of long term employment, and their salaries also did not move markedly. During the economic downturn, job lock reigned, as many employees were still reluctant to seek a better job, feeling just grateful to be employed. Despite the more robust economy, scores of employees remain steadfastly loyal to their employer, despite their career advancement being limited.

Millenials, who now comprise the largest generation in the workforce, are now disrupting this notion of blind loyalty to one’s employer. The career of one of the most prominent millenials, the NBA basketball player LeBron James, has been a prime example of how this generation is turning this “job lock/employer in ultimate control” paradigm, on its head. After earning championships with the Miami Heat, he leveraged his talent to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, initially on shorter term contracts, with opt out clauses. LeBron, who could have commanded a maximum, long term salary years ago, played his hand well. The opt-out clauses enabled LeBron to have leverage each year, to possibly seek better deals. He traded short term “job security” for more employment flexibility, and ultimately was rewarded by now being the highest paid basketball player on the planet. While you may not be able to command a LeBronesque salary or level of autonomy (and may not even be a sports fans), there are some lessons that can be learned and applied to your own career from his case:

1)   Strategic job movement is essential

While millenials are often derided for being job hoppers, studies indicate that if you stay too long at one company, your career advancement and earnings can be adversely impacted. While I wouldn’t recommend leaving jobs every 6 months, expect to assess your place in an organization every 2 -3 years. If there are no signs that you are advancing, it may be time to think about seeking other options. If you do explore other options, you want to make sure that they will advance you in terms of salary, skills, title, or other factors that contribute to growth.

2)   Employer loyalty and job security are illusory

The unspoken contract many baby boomers and some Gen Xers were able to “sign” (e.g. long term employment in exchange for employee loyalty) is not as valid anymore in 2016. I am not suggesting that you should be disloyal to your employer. Rather, it is critical for you to understand that this loyalty may not always be recipocrated, and in the final analysis, you should always consider what is best for you and your career. Some of my career coaching clients report feeling guilty about leaving their current job, thinking they are abandoning their colleagues and direct reports. While more enlightened companies invest in their employees’ growth & development, unfortunately, far too many companies still view their workers as expendable parts. Therefore, although you may feel that your company is like your family, the reality is that it is actually a business. All the perks are great, but if the company is not doing well, your job is always at risk. Therefore, you should plan accordingly for possible transitions.

3)   Networking and career planning should be life constants

Gone are the days that you settle into a job, with blinders on, while letting your networks go cold. You should expect that across your career lifespan, whether at an entry level position or a C-suite one, maintaining your networking contacts and considering your next career steps will be indelible aspects of your overall life. By embracing this new normal, you will ensure that you are consistently managing your career in the best ways possible.

4)   You are your own agent & must take control of your career trajectory

You may have actually signed an employment contract, which restricts your movement (e.g. non-compete clauses). However, if you do not have such constraints, you have the opportunity to move freely. The appeal of the old employment paradigm is that you did not have to worry too much about your career. You trusted that you would be promoted accordingly, and move up the career ladder as you progressed. That is no longer the case. You must be the agent for your career. As an agent would do for a client, you must always consider your options, and how to position yourself to seal the best deal for yourself and for your career.

5)   High performance, skills, and knowledge are your critical commodities

No matter how long you  stay at an organization, you should focus on making a significant contribution, developing skills, and deepening your knowledge. These commodities are your leverage points. Whether you are advancing in your current role, or seeking other opportunities, you want to make sure you are at the top of your game. We can sometimes tend to coast in a role, especially if we feel burnt out or bored. If this is your case, it may be a sign that it is time to move on, or to set new performance, skills & knowledge development goals. Your talent is what will help you advance and thrive, and therefore, it must be constantly cultivated.

6)   Risk is always part of the process

Any transition comes with risk. In LeBron’s case, if he blew his knee out before signing his current deal, some would have criticized him for not taking the sure longer term, but less advantageous, deal earlier. He surely recognized this reality, but bet on himself. You want to make the same calculations, and understand that risk can lead to great rewards. There is no right answer for you, but if you choose to stay at a poor-fit job, at least be clear about your reasons for doing so. If you are not willing to take the risk, in exchange for familiarity & emotional safety, it is fine, as long as you are honest and intentional about it, and recognize the costs of this decision (e.g. lower pay, less advancement, etc.)

Your career is a living and breathing entity, which needs to be constantly nurtured and managed. Even without LeBron’s basketball skills, you can still score a career championship, if you plan accordingly!

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Committing to Change: 5 Steps to Realizing the New Career You in 2017

Each new year brings new resolutions. Typically this is the time of the year when people resolve to lose weight, be more responsible financially, quit smoking or find a new job. Unfortunately, despite the best of intentions, the odds are not in your favor in achieving those goals. Research indicates that only 8% of people are successful in achieving their New Year’s resolutions, while only 46% maintain it past the first 6 months of the year.  So how will 2017 be different? How can you affect change in your career in 2017, when you may have been contemplating it for many years? The following are some steps to making 2017 the breakthrough year for yourself in attaining your career dreams:

1)   Be honest: Are you only interested or are you truly committed?

Many people are interested in change. It is easy to imagine making more money, working in a better job, and realizing your career dreams. But to make change happen, you must not only be interested, but you must be committed. Commitment entails actual developing a plan, and maintaining a sense of discipline in executing the plan. It means changing your life routine to accommodate the goal.  If you are not committed, then the motivation can wane, and interest will fade to resignation. By being honest, it will enable you to set realistic expectations. Interest is easy, commitment is harder, and requires an emotional and psychological shift for the change to occur.

2)   Set specific, manageable goals

Rather than say, “I want to get a new job this year,” instead state, “I will update my resume by the end of January, reach out to 10 contacts by mid-February, and apply to 20 positions by the end of February.” By specifying the goals, and setting deadlines, it should keep your motivated to move forward and see small victories as signs of success.

3)   View a setback as a lapse not a relapse

The reality of change is that it is more of a marathon than a magical sprint. You may be very impatient, and when results are not seen in a few weeks, you may give up. Such is the case for many New Year’s resolutions. For instance, those new gym memberships are no longer used after a few weeks of small or no weight loss. However, it is a process. When their motivation ebbs, many people view it as a sign they have relapsed into another failed attempt at change. However, it may just be a lapse, a momentary, temporary setback, rather than an actual relapse, which is a more full term backsliding. The difference matters, because it will help you to know that you can recover quickly from a lapse and continue with your goals, rather than a relapse which may require starting from scratch again.

4)   Change your narrative

Many people make resolutions with the understanding that he or she will eventually be unable to achieve it. They have a failure narrative, a belief in their inability to meet their goals. Such a narrative is hard to change, because there is a fair amount of data (e.g. previous failed goals) that backs up this negative story of yourself. However, the good news is that a success narrative can be created, by attending to more positive data (e.g. how you were able to land previous jobs) about yourself. It is human nature to give more weight to negative information, than to more affirming data. But it is critical to point to the instances of accomplishment, which can bolster a new, true narrative about your ability to be successful in finding a new job, or a better fit career.

5)   Collaborate with an accountability partner

We all need support in achieving our goals, even if we may not like to admit it. Therefore, it is important that you find an accountability partner, a trusted person, to whom you will report your progress, or lack thereof. Your accountability partner can be a friend, family member, colleague, or even a career coach. The key is that you are communicating with this person on a consistent basis, and are open to accepting their feedback to improve your chances of reaching your goals.

A new year brings new hope, and 2017 will be the one that allows you to breakthrough to have the career life you deserve. By following these steps, you will be able to achieve your career dreams and develop a template to apply to other areas of your life

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The Career Tipping Point, Pt. 1: 3 Signs It is Time to Transition Jobs

ESPN recently made headlines for firing over 100 people, including some well known on-air talent. Although it received the most attention, the beginning of the second quarter this year has been a critical time for companies to restructure, resulting in numerous layoffs. Among those laid off are most likely a fair amount of people who have been wanting to leave their role for some time. Unfortunately, or for some, fortunately, the company forced their transition. The following are three indicators that it may be time to find a new job, before the decision is made for you:

1)   You dread going to work every day

While for many the notion of work and dread seem synonymous, it is not normal to feel such a consistent & high degree of  dismay about your job. If you begin to feel unhappy or even anxious on Sundays contemplating the workweek, or take a longer than usual time to prepare for work in the morning, or find that you are arriving at work later and later, your time at this job may be nearing an end.

2)   You have lost your drive

Your motivation and focus on projects or strategy have waned. Work now seems just like a “going through the motions” routine. Your goal is just getting through the day. If you no longer feel challenged, or have become stuck, it is important to acknowledge this reality.

3)   You are not advancing at an adequate pace

If you feel that you have been performing fairly well, have received good performance reviews, but have watched other colleagues advance or be promoted faster than you, your company and your manager are sending you a signal. While they may not fire you, they are telling you that there is no real future for you at the organization.

While managing a job search is never an easy task, these signs suggest that you may need to formulate a transition plan.  In my next blog post, I will discuss how to move from job stagnation to transition action.

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The Career Tipping Point, Part 2: Making the Change

As summer officially arrives, you may feel the desire to slow down your job search or your quest for a career transition. As the weather improves, your motivation for a change may wane. Summer Fridays and a more relaxed vibe at work can mask some of your genuine discontent at your current job. Don’t fall into this trap! We can sometimes settle into our routines, and feel comfortable enough to stay in a role or company that is no longer a fit. We then rationalize the decision. “Now is not a good time to leave, I will give it one more year,” may be one refrain. “Once I get my bonus, I might look for a better fit,”may be another thought to delay your departure. We can find a variety of reasons why it is not the best time to transition. However, while there may never be a perfect time to leave, you can certainly strategize about when and how to transition. In my previous post, I discussed the signs that it was time to leave a job. Now, the following are the steps to take to facilitate a transition from a poor fit or a toxic job:

1)   Acknowledge the barrier(s)

it is important to be honest with yourself concerning your lack of movement in leaving a poor fit job. Sometimes we are reluctant to admit the truth. Oftentimes, you may be stalled due to fear, a lack of self-confidence, or other issues. So it is critical to acknowledge and identify the source of the barrier preventing you from moving forward. Is it economic fear (e.g. “I can’t afford to not work for a few months, if I leave my job, without a new job.”). Is it fear of rejection? (e.g. “I don’t know if I can manage the emotional ups and downs of a job search.”). Once you have identified the barrier(s), you can now plan how to overcome them.

2)   Consistently challenge your limiting beliefs

usually these fears are paired with limiting beliefs, which are thoughts that may impede your ability to reach your goals. A common limiting belief is “I am not good enough to find a better job.” Or “It is too competitive out there, so why even bother.” In order to move forward, you must overcome and challenge these limiting beliefs, through positive self-talk, and by seeking support, either through trusted family or friends, or via a professional such as a career coach.

3)   Identify your big dream or ideal job characteristics

many of my clients feel stuck, because they are unable to identify their big dream or their ideal job characteristics. They know that they are unhappy, and recognize what they don’t want in a role or in a work environment, but find it difficult to target exactly what they would ideally be seeking. I ask clients to dream big and to consider factors such as salary, work duties, location, work flexibility (e.g. flextime, remote work) and industries/companies of interest, to construct their ideal or dream job. Rather than trying to fit yourself into job descriptions which may not be of true interest to you, by creating your ideal job characteristics, you can become more motivated to find a fit. Further, by developing your ideal job characteristics, you can then evaluate opportunities which may be presented, and see how well they match your dream. While no job may fit them perfectly, it enables you to recognize your deal-breakers, and the areas in which you are willing to make some concessions. It puts the power back in your hands.

4)   Publicly announce your plans

positive social pressure can also serve to motivate you. By making your plans public, it may spur you to achieve your goals. So consider broadcasting your plans to the world, or at least to your friends and family via social media and in person contacts.

5)   Set a realistic deadline

the average job search takes about 4-6 months, if you are spending 10-15 hours a week on job search activities (e.g. networking, engaging recruiters, etc.). Based on your realistic commitment to the process, it is critical to set a manageable deadline, with daily or weekly goals, which will serve to guide the process. Many clients get demoralized if they set unrealistic timelines (e.g. “I need to get a new job in two weeks). Therefore, you should consider how much you can definitely commit to the process. Start small to make sure you can accomplish your goals, and then gradually build up to more ambitious ones.

6)   Continually evaluate your progress-

as you move forward on your goals, it is important to assess your progress. For some, if they don’t meet their deadlines, they become frustrated and may give up. By evaluating your progress, or lack thereof, you can modify your goals, to fit a more realistic framework. It is important to recognize that you control the goals, the goals do not control you. You reserve the right to revise them, but maintain an honest outlook regarding how much effort you are actually putting in to reach them. Persistence and commitment, despite setbacks, are the keys to a successful career transition.

By following these steps, you can build the momentum needed to transition to a better career situation, despite the possible barriers (e.g. decreased motivation due to summer reverie), which might hinder you. Make sure to enjoy the summer, but don’t neglect your career transition needs as well!

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How to Curate and Amplify Your Personal Brand for Career Success

Are you feeling stuck in your career path? Do you feel that you are not being appropriately noticed at work, which impacts your opportunities for advancement? Are your networking contacts unsure about your career goals and your value proposition? If so, it is time to amplify your personal brand. In an era of YouTube stars, Instagram sensations, and the chase for the most Facebook “likes,” it is evident that personal branding has reached new heights. However, for many of us, the notion of branding seems unappealing, and evokes images of annoying self-promoters or over-the-top, narcissistic personalities. Yet, in order to attain the kind of success you seek, you will need to consistently curate and amplify your brand at work and beyond.  The following tips will enable you to raise your profile and ensure that your brand is a positive & well-known one:

1)   Identify your 3 words and 5 things

When working with clients as it pertains to branding, I start with a simple concept. What three words do you want people to associate with you? Competent? Caring? Dependable? Bright? Driven? What 5 things do you want them to know about you? One of them should be your career goals. Another might be an interesting fact about yourself. Branding is about concise messaging and sometimes we can feel overwhelmed about what we wish to communicate. This exercise boils it down to the crucial elements of your elevator pitch.  Your brand needs to be easily recalled and impactful, and this exercise will help you to develop it clearly.

2)   Make at least 2 new contacts a month

When discussing contacts, I am not talking about adding a Facebook friend or a LinkedIn connection. I mean actually meeting with someone every other week, which will enable you to increase your networking reach, while seeking ways to help others.  This may be a co-worker, with whom you have never gone to lunch, a former classmate, who you may not have seen in over 10 years, or a new neighbor. You must be active in your attempts to build your brand, which may require you to stretch your comfort zone.

3)   Enhance your public image

Brand amplification requires that you become more visible. There a variety of ways to meet this goal: write a blog post, submit a proposal to a conference, expand your LinkedIn profile with a great summary, attend a meeting of a professional association, have drinks or attend an event with high level colleagues or superiors, or volunteer to take on a more visible role (e.g. note-taker, timekeeper) in a meeting. All these actions will allow you to be noticed, heightening your brand awareness and career opportunities. Therefore, you should pledge to try one or two of these strategies within the next month.

4)   Establish your value proposition/expertise

What is your value proposition? That is, what distinguishes you from others and enables you to be seen as an important contributor? Are you a great problem solver, which can help the team jumpstart a new project?  Are you an expert communicator, who can craft the right message for your department’s needs? Are you adept at complex quantitative analyses? Some individuals are reluctant to own the label “expert,” due to their belief that they would then need to have all the right answers, all of the time. However, expertise is not about being 100% correct all the time. Rather, it is about possessing certain skills or knowledge, which provides a useful service/contribution, and is distinct from what others may be able to offer. Owning your value proposition and expertise are essential elements in establishing brand credibility.

5)   Build an emotional connection

How do people feel when they think about you? Excited? Happy? Neutral? Annoyed? If you are unsure, it is critical that you focus on developing a positive brand. One of the most important aspects of brand building is forging an emotional connection with your audience. For instance, Apple has re-emerged as an iconic brand because it was able to generate excitement about its products.  People were willing to stand in long lines for the latest iPhone, and its release evoked a sense of euphoria in its customer base. Apple customers are extremely loyal to the brand due to this emotional connection. Your goal is to create this same sense of loyalty. It requires you to be curious about other people’s lives, to be genuinely helpful to them, and to consistently work on building a relationship. It may entail you modifying your work style preferences (e.g. instead of working through lunch, going out with a co-worker), and engaging more frequently & deeply with work colleagues and networking contacts. This particular tip may be the most difficult to actualize, but the most important to attain. Therefore, I encourage you to commit to pursuing it.

While branding may never be your favorite activity, by following these tips, you will be able to become more visible, maximize your career success and reach new heights in your work life.

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A Conversation on Black Love – July 18th @ 2:00pm EST

IG Live – Wednesday, May 27th @ 8:00pm EST

Drs. Lisa & Richard Orbé-Austin will be having a conversation with educational equity experts and partners on Black Love.  We will be talking about the nature and scope of Black Love (e.g., romantic, friendship, community and institutions), why Black Love is important especially today, what we can do to improve the state of Black Love, and how non-Black BIPOC and White people can engage in healthy forms of Black Love. Follow @drrichorbeaustin to be part of the conversation.

 

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The Road to Effective Leadership: How Not to Be an Abusive Bully at Work

The research on effective leadership continues to expand, as we explore all the factors that make a great leader.  Transformational leadership. Adaptive Leadership.  Mindful Leadership.  There is no shortage of leadership theories and advocates for each one. The issue of effective leadership made headlines when the presidential candidate and Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar launched her campaign last year and came under fire for reports about her abusive style as a leader.  Anecdotes about her throwing binders and forcing an aide to clean a comb she used as a salad fork made for good pundit banter.  However, in my estimation, what the report highlighted was how so many employees a forced to endure such volatile and unprofessional behavior.  Senator Klobuchar’s bullying behavior, as usual had its defenders, who discussed how sometimes a “tough” boss is needed to get results, and who talked of a double standard when it comes to women leaders.  While there is some truth to the statement that women leaders are indeed judged more harshly than their male counterparts, it is undeniable that the behavior attributed to Senator Klobuchar, whether from a man or a woman, is unacceptable. It did not, however, deter Senator Klobuchar from supporting such actions.  She in fact, further doubled down on this notion, at a town hall, saying that “toughness” was required of a presidential candidate to be ready to deal with Vladimir Putin.  In more recent news, the CEO of the luggage company Away Steph Korey was accused of creating a toxic work environment, through the use of bullying tactics such as publicly humiliating employees via Slack channels and forcing employees to work exceedingly long hours.  Unsurprisingly, Korey and her supporters defended her actions as what was needed to make a startup successful.

A great many people in our workplace society ascribe leadership success to this notion that “a tough boss gets results,” so that the ends justify the means.  Steve Jobs made Apple great.  Bobby Knight created a college basketball juggernaut at the University of Indiana. Both men were known as notoriously abusive leaders.  However, research has found that this belief is false.  It indicates that while abusive bosses may get short-term results, over time, employee performance deteriorates, and good people consistently leave the organization.  Despite this body of research, I know that many individuals will still cling to this belief that they need to be a tough (i.e. abusive) boss to be successful.  So for those who are in a leadership role or transitioning into one, here are some simple tips to prevent you from becoming, or continuing, to be an abusive, bullying boss:

Don’t yell, throw things at, or aggressively touch people-

unless someone is in danger of physical harm, there are few circumstances in which it is acceptable to yell at another professional, hurl any object at them, or to touch them aggressively.  While intentions can sometimes be misconstrued, and an elevated tone can be perceived as yelling, it is pretty clear when you consistently exhibit such abusive behaviors. If you have anger management issues, seek counseling because it is not ok to fall back on the defense of “I just have a bad temper.” And constantly apologizing also does not make it better, unless you change your behavior.

Don’t humiliate  or purposely offend people as a joke

do not consistently degrade employees through verbal taunts, racist, misogynistic, homophobic, or other offensive comments, or belittle them publicly when they voice their discomfort with such behavior. Further, don’t hide behind the typical defense of “It was just a joke, why are you so sensitive?”  If someone is offended by your behavior, as a leader, you need to examine your actions, and not simply dismiss their concerns as being too politically correct.  Being politically correct is not the same as calling out offensive behavior when it is racist, sexist, homophobic, or otherwise unacceptable in civil society.

Don’t force people to do things wildly outside of their job description-

do not ask someone to do things which would be degrading to most reasonable people, and is not in their job description, like clean your house, help you with your graduate studies, or assist with other personal issues (e.g. pick up your kids from school).

Don’t treat people how YOU want to be treated, treat them how THEY or MOST PEOPLE want to be treated

– as an individual contributor, you might have felt that you excelled when you had someone yelling at you, which you believed was motivating for you.  Therefore, as a leader and as a manager, you may then assume that others will respond to such behavior as well.  However, I would encourage you to refrain from making such a conclusion.  Most employees do not want another adult yelling or throwing things at them.  As stated earlier, there is generally no rationale for doing so in a professional work environment.

Don’t penalize team members for not responding immediately to your  non-emergent needs-

most of us don’t work in environments, which require us to be on call 24/7.  Therefore, it is unfair and unreasonable to expect your team members to respond to your every email, text, or phone call at all hours of the night and on weekends.  Your team members have a right to set a boundary between their work duties and their personal lives, and you shouldn’t penalize those who do so, by writing poor performance reviews, ostracizing them, or otherwise preventing them from being promoted or rising in the company.

Don’t punish people for wanting to advance their careers or lives-

if an employee plans to leave for a better job, announces that she is pregnant, or plans to take parental leave, don’t take it as a personal affront.  Don’t threaten or berate them for wanting to advance their lives and their careers.

Being an effective leader can involve a series of complex factors, including the type of support you receive in developing your leadership skills, the kinds of employees you hire or inherit, and the approach you decide to take in leading. Therefore, that is why so many leadership theories have emerged, with no clear consensus about what it takes to be a great leader.  However, there are some simple rules about what it takes to be a poor leader, namely being an abusive bully.  While the list of Don’ts above is not exhaustive, it is a great start to understanding the behaviors to refrain from in your quest to become the most effective and respected leader possible.

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Career Transition and Job Search During the Coronavirus Pandemic: Maintaining Hope & Motivation

As the uncertainty and anxiety about the coronavirus outbreak consumes our daily lives, you may still be considering or are in the midst of a career transition.  Some clients have felt that they should suspend their job search until the outbreak subsides. Understandably, the stress of an unknown future and one’s routine totally being upended may prove to be too much emotionally, and it may be best to stop your search.   A recent article by my partner Dr. Lisa Orbé-Austin discusses how to stay grounded during this pandemic.

However, if you do feel mentally and emotionally prepared for a career shift, or if you have no choice but to find a new job, I would encourage you to continue your job search process, since companies are still hiring.  And even if the hiring process may be delayed, you will still be better positioned to transition quickly when the situation stabilizes, if you maintain your momentum.

Therefore, for those of you are who are currently unemployed & searching, or for those who may be employed but want to make a change, here are some tips to managing the process during this increasingly challenging period:

For Those Unemployed and Currently Searching

Develop a structured routine–  one of the biggest challenges of being forced to work from home is to develop a routine that enables you to still feel productive.  You may have felt that going to a local café or a co-working space gave you enough separation from home to not be distracted, and now you may be having trouble staying focused. Part of the transition to at-home work is setting up a structured routine. What time are you getting up? When do you eat and/or have your coffee?  Do you take breaks to connect with loved ones?  When does your “work” day start and end?  By creating a structure with a start time and an end time, including breaks, you can be intentional and focused on your job search goals.
Create a work space– once you have established your schedule, it is important to create a work space for yourself. Ideally, if you have a desk or a table, which can serve as a desk, that would be great.  However, if you don’t have that luxury, I would encourage you to carve out a space, other than your bed, to serve as your workstation, with all the tools you might need at your disposal (e.g. computer, phone, etc.). I typically discourage use of one’s bed as a workspace because it is important to have separation between work & personal activities, especially if you may have sleep issues. However, if you have no other option, and need to use your bed, I would recommend that you clearly have a routine which transitions from work to personal (e.g. ending the workday by removing all work items from the bed), allowing you to reclaim your home/leisure space.
Establish realistic goals– you may feel like you should spend every waking hour doing job search tasks (e.g. applying online, networking, etc.) and you may beat yourself up when you feel that you could be doing more.  There is a temptation to do so, but it is unfair to your process.  Instead set some tangible and manageable goals (e.g. apply to 5 jobs and reach out to 3 contacts a day), which will allow you to evaluate your progress, and allow you to determine if you should increase or decrease your target goals. The expectation should not be that you spend 9-5 on job search tasks, but rather that you are reaching your goals, and continuing to increase your output.
 Continue to network- as a result of social distancing, you may not be able to have coffee, lunch, or drinks with contacts, but it doesn’t mean that you should stop your networking process.  You should still reach out to old and new contacts, to set up some videoconference or phone chats.  You may also consider further leveraging LinkedIn to make new contacts and to connect with active groups.  Finally, even consider a Zoom or FaceTime “happy hour”, where you can catch up with multiple people online in a leisurely way.
Expand your options– you may have been focused on a few specific industries or roles prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, which can still be viable. However, as certain sectors are severely impacted by the pandemic, you may have to reassess your job search strategy, and identify areas of emerging opportunities. For instance, another recent article by Dr. Lisa Orbé-Austin highlights several remote job sites, which may be useful for you.
Seek support-  whether reaching out to a career coach or identifying an accountability partner among your trusted loved ones, it will be important to have someone to both keep you moving forward, but also to support you when you may not feel as motivated or hopeful in your job search.
Commit to self-care– this is an extremely stressful period, and in addition to your other responsibilities, the job search can also create high levels of anxiety and discomfort. Therefore, practicing self-care will be even more critical for your emotional and mental wellbeing, while you navigate your job search. Meditation, yoga, using breathing techniques, exercising and making sure to get a good amount of sleep are some key self-care activities, which can be done at home. If you were used to going to a gym or a yoga studio, you might need to now find online options, and to include self-care as part of your daily routine.

In addition to the applicable tips above, there are additional tips for those who are currently employed

For Those Who are Currently Employed and Also Searching

Develop appropriate work boundaries– now that you are working from home, there is the risk that you may feel that you need to constantly be “on call.” You can easily fall into the practice of constantly working from morning to night.  Further, your employer may believe that since your commute is eliminated, you should be able to devote more time to work.  However, that should not be the case.  You should still commit similar hours that you did when you were in the office to work-related tasks.  By setting good work boundaries, you will have time to devote to your job search and to your self-care which will be critical in this period.
Commit focused time to your search– if you are working from home now, you may feel like you have either less or more time “at work.”  Once you set your work boundaries, however, you will now need to dedicate time to the job search.  While the average job search takes 4-6 months, if you commit 10-15 hours a week to it, you may not have that amount of time each week, given your work duties and other home responsibilities.  However, the key to a successful job search is the consistency of effort.  Therefore, think about how much time you can consistently commit to your job search each week.  Whether it is one hour a day or 10 hours a week, the key is to protect that time no matter what other issues might emerge.  Consider the minimum level of time you can devote to the job search, and start with that number, even if it is 30 minutes a week.  Once you consistently meet the minimum goal, you can gradually increase it, until you develop a good rhythm in your job search process.

With a high degree of uncertainty clouding our every day functioning, given the COVID-19 pandemic, it is easy to lose hope or motivation in your job search.  The key elements in achieving your desired job search results are to believe you can reach your goals and that you are consistently motivated to do so. By using these tips, you will be able to manage your job search, while maintaining your momentum, and increasing your hope for a successful career transition.

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