Welcome back to the corporate Cowboys podcast my name is Alex as always your host two I mean a premier professional development podcast if you haven’t shared this yet with your Close Associates with your friends your family by all means please do so you can find us on Instagram that’s at
Corporates Cowboys with a z on patreon we are the corporate Cowboys podcast and uh there are a couple of donation links available out there spread out in the ethereum you’re a smart cookie I’m sure you can find them got a venmo cash app a PayPal all set up to receive donations
From a dollar to a million or I don’t know something just under the legal limit to avoid triggering an audit what have you you can write to us physically send us physical items stuff that is tangible I don’t know Metals precious or not precious I guess what no ammunition is precious but
You can do so at P.O box 3372 Rancho Cordova California 95741 right if you’re not aware of what the podcast is about well the overarching theme of the entire podcast every episode from season one episode one has been attaining a state of consummate professionalism right this serves as a form of therapy
For me and and the opportunity to practice what it is I do in everyday life which is negotiate with corporate and help my clients help my associates my professional acquaintances negotiate with corporate I mean I want the people around me I want the people in my circle to know how to move within
Corporate how to move up through corporate so that we become better together otherwise what I’m just going to be left out on a limb everybody expects to receive a handout because I made it and they didn’t no no [ __ ] all of that I’m not going to close the door behind me
I’m gonna I’m gonna point to you where the door is at the door might be closed but rest assured that your boy knows how to squeeze flexible Material or film between the jam or the uh yeah the the door jamb to at least let you get in right I mean I gotta show you I have to go through the motions of showing you how to do it so giving you a peek behind the curtain
On the templates that we use at least the mental templates and the questions that we ask should be enough to prompt you to take notes right if you choose to do so mentally or physically on paper but these questions are the type that you should be asking yourself when making a decision whether
Or not to move up through corporate whether or not the next step is worth it whether or not you should get promoted because you never know you might end up promoting yourself put in enough work and you could create your own vacuum by taking out the ones ahead of you
Righteously righteously right I mean we don’t always want to resort to school duggery first today’s question comes from r slash career guidance right I pull these questions from online mostly from Reddit why because Reddit I think is a proper population sample size where it’s a large enough Forum to attract a variety of
Perspectives sure they might be biased they might be left leaning or right leaning I give to [ __ ] for the most part it’s our belief my belief at least and our belief together that professionals should be objective should be neutral and professional right can’t be a professional without being professional it goes without
Saying it’s a namesake and in that way you move like a corporate cowboy we pulled that from originally the Cocaine Cowboys if you know the story behind them analogize it if you will to corporate and anybody anybody from entry level to middle management to corporate executive can be
A corporate cowboy It’s not that difficult it’s a mindset it’s a mindset for improvement it’s a mindset for opportunity opportunity maximization today’s question coming from our slash career guidance it’s flagged for advice so they want our word now I gotta give the disclaimer every time I make a podcast that’s
Requests advice that necessitates me uh analyzing and drawing inferences it’s a disclaimer nothing that I say nothing that we say or that we propagate across this podcast through the episodes or through the Instagram nothing that we publish online should be construed as legal advice to you or anyone else
Right we don’t have enough to go on with these written out questions online we simply don’t for it to be a specific enough uh advisory opinion we’d simply do not have enough that’s why I tend to refer to these questions as if coming from hypothetical clients hypothetically if they asked us this
Then I would go through the steps of what it is to conduct an intake interview what it is to conduct follow-up interviews and then and only then can we analyze and advise otherwise this is just general advice I mean yeah I could tell you how to move
Through corporate but I don’t know you I don’t know your name I don’t know your background or your education I definitely don’t know what objectives it is that you have in engaging corporate and and having entered corporate as an employee or independent contractor there are innumerable ways to move up through
Corporate and every person has a special case that’s why we take these on a case-by-case basis our rates are more than reasonable and we would love to help because it’s what we do to make a living so might as well lend a hand where we can the question today is asking
Should I tell my boss I’m job hunting truth be told it depends and I know you’re not gonna like that answer because it’s as if I’m hedging my bets the answer could be yes it could be no and it could be right or wrong either way you answer it so by
Answering it depends yeah I’m hedging my bets but truthfully it does whether or not the relationships that you keep with your colleagues your co-workers your immediate supervisors and and or other Executives whatever connections you’ve managed to cultivate in your organization or in competing organizations within your industry
It all matters as to whether or not you should let your boss know that you’re hunting for your next prize you know it could put could turn up the burners up under them and incentivize them to uh make a move to keep you they might be the ones to make you an offer
To keep you have you stay with them right you definitely want to keep your options open otherwise you might be left with uh some ill will right some bad or blood some water that is not completely under the bridge and you will have to sooner or later deal with because
For any number of reasons you might have remained in the same industry or maybe you’re in the same organization just the difference division a different department if you will so they ask they start by writing long story shorts I had a bad yearly review due to being injured at work I don’t know
A bad yearly review due to being injured at work I don’t know if being injured at work justifies you having a bad review I feel like that might be excused right depending on whatever doctor’s evaluation that you got states that you’ll be out of a full
Load work or you’ll have to work on a limited basis for a specified period of time if during that time they’re still evaluating you as if you were a regular employee and had never gotten injured you might have uh a case so to speak but
But that all depends on what it is you agreed to on the laws of your jurisdiction whatever state you might live in whatever City it is you might work in so they write I got a four percent cost of living raise and in parentheses that’s the inflation in my area it’s 5.7
Percent so so their cost of living raise didn’t wasn’t even enough to cover inflation in their area and they continue and a partial bonus and that’s it field staff got six percent and bonuses yes I know that in itself is shitty enough I talked to my direct supervisor
Who claimed he had no idea about any of it I’m on the fence if I believe them a couple weeks ago I told him my side of things and he said he’d talk to the big boss no he says he did but he can’t remember what came he can’t remember what came of
It what the [ __ ] you’re trusting your manager with your livelihood with your job with your promotion with your cost of living increases your livelihood how you make your money how you butter your bread you trust your manager with that and you allow them to get away with well I don’t
Know I mean we talked about I don’t know whatever came of it save me spare me the [ __ ] you know what happened they just played they were just they were just cupcaking Patty caking back and forth grab assing a little bit probably did they bring you up ever who’s to know
Who knows who knows they say yes I know that’s shitty no no in in itself yes I know that in itself is shitty enough they’re right I talked to my direct supervisor who claimed he had no idea about any of it I’m on the fence if I believe him
If you’re already on the fence if you have to ask I feel like you already know you should know depending on what Rapport you’ve kept with your colleagues depending on what kind of Rapport you’ve cultivated the reputation that you keep with your direct supervisor if you don’t know if you cannot gauge
What status you have in relation to your direct supervisor you are [ __ ] up you have to know the position that you hold within your company you cannot let your direct supervisor dictate it for you when they tell you I don’t even know what the [ __ ] is going on like you you
Expect them to look out for your best interest for your professional interests and help you develop into something better they probably don’t know what the [ __ ] better even looks like a couple weeks ago I told him my side of things and he said he talks with a big boss
No he’s no he says oh now he’s he they mistyped it now he says he did but he can’t remember what came of it obviously nothing good or I’m sure he would have told me right away okay okay so your intuition I would venture to guess is
Spot on as a professional I might be thinking the same I might be thinking the same way that all depends that all depends on the reputation I know I’ve cultivated The credibility I know that I keep the reliability dependability that others have about me that all that all matters
That that is all a factor if you don’t know that I mean the fact that you don’t know where you stood with your manager the fact that you had to question whether or not I mean there’s a way there’s a way to compartmentalize negotiations and Target them in a manner where you know
You set up proverbial trip wires where you know if your direct supervisor spoke to their manager about your cost of living increases or the next promotion that the your prospecting or that you’re slated to receive there are ways to form frame and structure your Communications your conversations
With your managers so that you know whether or not those conversations took place instead of having to rely on them telling you that it happened or that I I don’t even know what came of it really you’re going You’re gonna put your livelihood in this person’s hands
They don’t even know what the [ __ ] is going on under their own nose in their own organization in their own Department I mean I’d have some questions about whether or not they even track metrics for themselves at that point because if they’re tracking their own professional developments and they are your direct
Supervisor then your success literally informs their success their success is dictated by how well you perform and whether or not you are improving quarter to quarter month to month week to week even I mean okay that borders on micromanaging a bit but but it’s survivable right it’s still digestible
But if they’re not doing even that and the one time you go to hit them up on on a status report some type of situation report on whether or not you’ve got a promotion coming to you whether or not you’ve got a cost of living adjustment come in your way
And they don’t have a [ __ ] clue about it nah please please don’t don’t do that to yourself don’t do that to yourself don’t set yourself up with somebody else’s work that’s the worst possible approach to take especially when it comes to navigating corporate if you expect to uh have longevity in this game
And they write now he says he did but he quote can’t remember what came of it nice obviously nothing good or I’m sure he would have told me right away I get the feeling that your intuition is right I would be thinking the same way right
I have been with this company for 10 years they write I’m the only woman in management so I’m underpaid already sounds like [ __ ] but we’ll continue no one else does or can do my job if no one else does or can do your job how the [ __ ] are you underpaid
How in the [ __ ] I mean I love that they uh contradict themselves that they what’s what’s the term I’m looking for is it contradict no no no no it’s uh implicate that’s the word I’m looking for I love the fact they implicate themselves in the very next sentence
They want to pull their [ __ ] card one second and their victim card the next and it turns out they’re just inept that’s Beauty that’s art that’s that’s Poetic Justice if you will I’ve been with this company for 10 years okay okay so in 10 years you don’t know
How the [ __ ] runs you haven’t cultivated the type of of Rapport and reputation with your higher ups or your laterals to know what what the movement looks like when it comes to uh compensation increases and promotions you’re serious 10 years in the game and you don’t know
How to swim the [ __ ] out of here I’ve been with this company 10 years I’m the only woman in management so I’m underpaid already no comment no comment why because the next sentence makes the comments for us no one else does or can do my job
You know what that says that’s speaks to the scarcity of the level of talent and skill so on the one hand they want to hold themselves out to be a victim oh they’re getting they’re getting criminally underpaid right it’s as if they had a lawsuit right just just
Pending I’m a woman and I’m getting underpaid if that were the case then they would have already gone to court for the [ __ ] don’t don’t take it at face value again this being the hypothetical client what you don’t think I’d call them out on their [ __ ] they’ve been with this
Organization 10 years 10 years and what they’re they’re plotting their next move yo if plotting constitutes waiting for a promotion that that’s just waiting you’re not moving you’re sitting still a sitting [ __ ] duck if I ever seen one if you’re you’re in a management position and you have subordinates if I was yours
I’d already be plotting a way to take you out you’ve been in the org 10 years you’re bottlenecking the next position [ __ ] you’re in my way now me Alex is going to put their livelihood in your hands and expect to get promoted when when another 10 years from now get the
[ __ ] out of here stuff I’m the only woman and no one else does or can do what can do my job if that were the case you have all the cards you have all the cards to negotiate to leverage your way up to seven a ten a 12 13 cost of living
Adjustment you claim to be underpaid you could more than make up for it right it’s Sexes and and genders be damned look at looking at it objectively having been with an organization 10 years and claiming to have this specialized knowledge that no one else does
And you can’t figure it out on your own how to leverage it I mean that speaks to your professionalism not to you getting underpaid you’re getting underpaid speaks to your professionalism necessarily otherwise it would be different am I right or am I right no one else does or can do my job how
Nice this was a huge slap in the face and so I’ve started testing the waters and sending out resumes should I tell them I almost want to tell them um yeah I mean I almost want to tell them they can just to see what they do right
There’s a there’s a better way to go about it and that is to exhaust what opportunities what options you have in-house I mean Don’t Rock the Boat until you know your boats can’t fit we’re talking about a canal right don’t Rock the Boat don’t shake the boat don’t try and
Wiggle out until you know you can’t fit but once you’re in you’re in and you try to see it through you should try you should see it through but if you’re already calling to quit 10 years later that tells me there’s something more tells me there’s something more you’re holding something back
You’re withholding information from us you’re omitting certain facts and that’s the end of this body right here the body on this on this question they’re just asking I mean this was a huge slap in the face they claim and so I’ve started testing the waters and sending out resumes I mean they’re
Testing Waters and sending out resumes probably probably with a 10 year old dated resume I mean if they’ve taken 10 years to become a manager the resume is probably 10 years old at this point because I have little faith little faith that they have spoken up about getting promoted little faith that they’ve
Spoken up on getting trained to get promoted or or to get more compensation little faith and that they’ve tracked their progress obtained whatever metrics were required to negotiate a compensation I have little faith for all that I mean I’ve got faith in the person I’ve got faith they can change but
They have to want to change if they’re just here on Reddit saying asking should I tell my manager that I’m looking for work you already have a [ __ ] job and you’ve apparently haven’t seen it through or haven’t exhausted the options available to you through the organization I mean it could be frustrating
I don’t necessarily take it out on my clients I let them know where I stand and realistically speaking I’m I’m very objective I’m subjective when it requires analysis of how other humans operate but for the most part other humans also operate objectively foreign that tells me that tells me that how
This person is moving is not right how this person has negotiated or the lack of negotiation this person has been willing to engage in it’s it’s concerning it really is concerning because this person is going to leave the organization potentially for another and just be another higher on another
Higher on manager right if they choose to keep the same title they’re going to move to another organization when that other organization could have promoted from within for its own sake for the sake of its employees and their professional development so now they’ve got to deal with this incompetent manager who’s been bottlenecking
Bottlenecking the position bottlenecking the money because they don’t know how to secure the bag they’ve just been bottlenecking these promotions this compensation and everything else that comes with it they’ve been bottlenecking it because they don’t know how to break out it doesn’t matter who they are what they are in terms of
Uh age sex gender doesn’t [ __ ] matter everybody is entry level forever and everyone can learn everyone from bottom to top from top to bottom execs to entry level an entry level to execs but you know exacts your entry level two I mean you’re dealing with individuals
That are on salary and the stakes are that much higher and in some organizations much more cutthroat some people thrive in that environment some people love it but if you’re going to be sitting on a position for 10 years and not make a move of your own
You either [ __ ] or get off the pot let’s take a look at one or two of these comments here real quick because I feel like I’ve answered it in depth right but every now and then Reddit comes up with something good I would First Look internally right handle your own development internally
First before you start looking out I mean you’ve been in the [ __ ] for 10 years but but the fact that they lay their cards out in front of our face claiming to be a victim claiming to be underpaid claiming to uh claiming to have all this specialized technical knowledge that nobody else possesses
All that tells me is that they have options they haven’t exercised and they might not be looking to exercise them it could be just that they believe having been with the company 10 years entitles them to some seniority preference because they’re they’re the old Vanguard they’re a
Senior now they’re a veteran and that doesn’t matter for Jack [ __ ] I’ve seen I’ve seen oh [ __ ] I’ve seen some atrocious [ __ ] an elderly gentleman three months away from retirement three months could have been three months or six months but he was well within a year of his retiring I’m gonna
Say three months because that’s how impactful it was to me when I seen it happen I lived it I’ve experienced it he got fired and not eligible for pension he was terminated that’s cutthroat that was his career not that he didn’t make any moves to get there I mean he was already
Not well off but being taken care of by military pension having served his time but at the organization we were at it was a private company Corporation and they fired him three months before his retirement date so he pulled a full a full stint career stint with the
Military in a full career stint I mean three months shorts of a career stint with the corporation just to get fired for it that’s [ __ ] Cutthroat and he wasn’t even an executive was not even in the c-suite anybody can get touched anyone this is a risk this is a risk you
Take moving through corporate business is war I’ve been in it before and we are all in it now you’re born into it whether you like it or not if you have plans of getting a high paying job or if you have plans of moving out to a reservation and living
Off in a in a living out in a homestead chickens and goats and whatever the [ __ ] it’s corporate baby it’s corporate you pay taxes to somebody meaning You’re beholden to somebody unless you figure out how to move like a corporate cowboy the first comment here says they say nope like no you should not tell them don’t say anything until you have an offer in hand shitty advice I mean I I think I’m just gonna tear through these
Comments really because our hypothetical client I don’t think has been honest with themselves let alone been honest just writing the question they haven’t been honest with themselves whether or not they’ve exhausted all opportunities to advance career-wise in their professional development with the organization they are with now
They’re not telling us that they’re just saying I’ve been here 10 years they’ve given me no raise but I know all this stuff nobody else does it’s like you’ve got a card there in front of you that you know you can play maybe maybe they don’t know they can play it what
They need is that push what they need is that second perspective from a corporate cowboy who can let them know how to play that card not the victim card not the the sex and gender card I’m criminally underpaid because I’m a woman now how about because you haven’t negotiated it you’ve been there
10 years taking up a spot taking up a spot having this specialized knowledge that now you want to go market to somebody else right which is why you’re shooting at your resume to other firms so you wanna join another shop and do what settle in for another five ten years
Why don’t you just live out the next 10 years in The Firm you are in now be happy with the position you’re in have you negotiated for anything better if so when see that’s a question we would ask in intake and in follow-ups I mean that should signal to them that
They have opportunity the opportunity is in front of them it’s possible they just failed to identify this opportunity but it’s there plain as day and it’s realizable it’s actionable don’t do it to yourself man if you don’t have folks you can turn to you’ve got us we’ll be your circle of professionals
Our door is always open it’s as if you walked into my office and you asked me this question yo should I tell my manager I’m looking for work I’ve been in my firm for 10 years I’ve got all this specialized knowledge but they’re not paying me what I’m worth
What do you think I’m going to say well what would you do what would a corporate Cowboy do some corporate Cowboy [ __ ] I’ll catch you next time take care
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