Marty Nemko's Blog, page 363

Case Study: Why She's Unproductive

I had an session with a client on Friday that I believe offers lessons for anyone who's struggling with productivity. It may also be of interest to counselors. I summarize it in my PsychologyToday.com article today.

Five Career Tips for Mensans

I thought you might like an advance look at my next column in the Mensa publication, The Intelligencer.

Five Career Tips for Mensans
You've always been told you're smart, and on your confident days, you believe it. But as you've probably become aware, intelligence doesn't guarantee success, let alone happiness.
These suggestions may help.

Go for a longshot?
Standard advice is, “Be realistic.” But the risk-reward ratio of aiming high is better for Mensans, at least for those that don’t suffer from undue procrastination.

Perhaps you might want to help understand the genetic basis of intelligence. Or create a 3D virtual exploration of the Amazonian rain forest. Or develop an ethics curriculum that will actually change behavior. Is there a big goal you’d like to tackle?

Of course, especially if you’re self-funding your project, you’ll have more staying power if you can control your expenses, the largest of which is housing. Might it be worth searching for below-market digs? For example, when I first came to expensive Berkeley, I beat the bushes until I learned of a widow who didn’t want to live alone in her mansion. I lived there for, in today’s dollars, $400 a month.

Whether it’s on a world-changing project or not, do try to get to work with people who are intellectually strong and who bring out the best in you.  

Don’t hide your intelligence
People who will think less of you for showing all your smarts aren’t worth worrying about. The right people---employers, friends, and romantic partners—will appreciate you for it. Of course, that includes putting Mensa on your resume. Some unwise people will think that’s elitist or that if you want to be around smart people, you should get involved with luminaries within your discipline. But wiser people will understand that there’s nothing wrong with, indeed everything right about, wanting to spend some of your time around smart people outside your discipline.

Of course, just because you’re letting your intelligence show doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to keep others from feeling inferior. So, for example, make suggestions in a way that allows others to save face. Rather than, “Here’s an idea,” try, “I’m wondering if this might be a good idea. What do you think?”

A caveat: Especially if you’re working among less capable and more insecure folks, you risk being sabotaged. They may tell bosses and others about your errors in an attempt to get you devalued. So consciously assess the risk-reward ratio of offering a solution: How likely are you to be correct and, if you're wrong, what’s the risk?

Network less
Workplace performers that aren't the brightest crayons in the box may need to network a lot because, in applying for jobs, they're unlikely to be, on the merits, the best candidate. To compensate, they attempt to develop emotional connections that make employers ignore their lackluster capabilities. But for you, networking, which is often time-consuming, may not be the best use of your time. Sure, if you enjoy in-person or online schmoozing, fine. But the standard advice to network, network, network, may apply less to you.

You can afford to dabble
For most people, dabbling risks career failure. In today's era of specialization, it's dangerous to be a jack of all trades, master of none. But you are smart enough to gain sufficient expertise in multiple fields. As a result, your dabbling may even give you an advantage. So when you reach that point of diminishing returns in learning something, you can feel freer to jump to that next thing you're curious to explore.

Give yourself a break
Being smart is a burden. You’re expected to always be awesome. Of course, you won’t always be. You’ll say something stupid or emotionally unintelligent. You’ll want a break from using your brain and just want to do something mindless. Give yourself a break. Be human.

Curing Excuse-Making Syndrome

A major differentiator between successful and unsuccessful people is the extent to which they externalize responsibility. 

I explore this and offer solutions in my PsychologyToday.com article today.

Unvarnished: Straight Talk on What Works in the Real World

I aggregate lots of my perhaps too blunt advice in my PsychologyToday.com article today.

Tough-Love Advice: Unvarnished counsel on what works in the real world

I aggregate lots of my tough-love advice in my PsychologyToday.com article today.

Career Advice for Geniuses (revised and expanded version)

A recent article of mine offering career advice for geniuses got more hits than any of my last 50, so in my PsychologyToday.com article today, I offer a revised and expanded version.

Hiring and Keeping A Players

Some organizations are wise to hire B and even C players: they're cheaper and less likely to leave. But other organizations, those that strive to be best-in-class, want A players. It's hard to get them but my article in PsychologyToday.com today may help.

Becoming a Great Entrepreneur

Here's the link to the video interview of me on how to become a great entrepreneur.

The New Rules of Success

Some keys to success are time-honored but there are new ones. I describe those in my PsychologyToday.com article today.

When Should You Pursue a Career as Writer, Musician, Actor, or Artist.

I love to write, act, and play the piano. I know how seductive artistic pursuits can be. 

But when is it wise to pursue it as your main livelihood? I explore that in my PsychologyToday.com article today.