Welcome back to another episode of the corporate Cowboys podcast today’s what’s the proof of life it’s Tuesday January 3rd 2023 my name is Alex and for the next half hour you will have a little cathartic cathartic release on this corporate life today’s question it’s a free 30-minute
Consult the question coming from r slash career guidance now I’ll I guess I’ll give you the other upfront that I cherry pick these to make to have them be good episodes I mean there are a ton of questions out there on the internet from Reddit from quora from [ __ ] Yahoo
I’m saying or just asking BS questions right I feel like the most uh the most convenient in terms of material and context tend to be Reddit I mean they tend to put up life stories sometimes sometimes there’s a lot of really good context sometimes it gives us the opportunity to think to analyze
To to to want to prospect somebody’s situation so we come up with questions obviously if you come to us for a one to one there’s going to be a personalized interview in order to be able to help you so if you want to reach out to us by all means we’re on
Instagram you know where to find us it’s at corporates Cowboys with a z we’re on patreon also some of the tiers have a question and answer function you could also write to us PO Box 3372 Rancho Cordova California 95741 without further ado r slash career guidance is asking how do you accept
Corporate life how do you accept corporate life I’m thinking like what how you accept the office politics of it all the having to navigate the corporate ladder of it all having to uh you know work a little bit with the Cloak and Dagger of it all
I don’t know let’s find out that’s just the title The Body reads as such I have been working in a corporate environment for four years now recently made a career switch to a new field six months ago in the same company okay okay so you’re making career moves
You’re still with the same company you’re still with the same organization I would imagine I would imagine the hierarchy might look a little different the uh overall chain of command and order of operations might look a little different but if you’re in the same company it’s possible you have the same
Uh template the same layout because we’re dealing with cultures within cultures right if you’re making a career move you might be in a different department right and that departmental culture might vary ever so slightly from the overall organizational culture but at the end of the day there are some
Common factors that you can use to leverage and continue making corporates career moves continuing it says the new job comes with types hold on the new job comes with types of stress the new job comes with types of stress that I’m unfamiliar with I used to be a software developer
And now project specialist slash coordinator the nature of the new job involves a lot of coordination with stakeholders which I am still getting used to no that’s definitely different from software developer where you only have to answer to maybe a project manager now you’ve become the project specialist
You’ve become the point person a uh a point of contact a representative for the team so you’re you’ve now become uh a degree more public facing and now have to interact face to face with clients and stakeholders it says our big boss at any point would scream slash yell at people I’ve been
Yelled at Thrice now that’s three times Thrice now in the past six months I’m always on my toes and anxious I go to my line manager for the smallest details which is now enabling her to micromanage and scrutinize my work our office is also understaffed which she admitted um okay okay okay
So you’ve been yelled at I get it that happens don’t take it personal some [ __ ] can’t handle stress as good as others as well as others as well as others so if that’s your big boss your big boss is yelling at you they’re probably not yelling at you they’re probably yelling
At the team I’m just trying to convey a message across to you unless they’re pointing you out unless they’re calling you out by name and saying you are a piece of [ __ ] right and actually add homonym in you right actually attacking you as a person I wouldn’t take it personally right
It could be that he’s yelling we need to get this [ __ ] project done our clients our stakeholders depend you know you know something along those lines if they’re yelling out into the ether that this project is of great importance [ __ ] take that to heart because you are the point man for the project
Now you may or may not think that them yelling at you that you’re that your salary or your wage is worth them yelling at you and you could bring that up the next time around during during review potentially always have you know some cards up your sleeves or in your
Back pocket have a job lined up if you really aren’t about uh the culture that you are in right now right if if the departmental culture is completely different from what you expected or you simply cannot manage your boss because I mean you’re a specialist now you’ve become a point of contact so
You need to learn how to deal with people both the client and your supervisors why because you’re now in the middle and you’re gonna be they will try to squeeze you from both sides the client is demanding a product and the boss is demanding the product
Right so you’ve got to learn how to manage both that being said your supervisor your immediate is it your immediate supervisor yeah your line manager which sounds like your immediate supervisor the one you report to is also the one you were asking questions of and now they’ve become comfortable micromanaging now that doesn’t
Necessarily mean that you’re doing a piss-poor job you’re six months on I don’t know how many projects you’ve worked on but if this is your first take it as only your first right take it as you learning the ropes you’re necessarily transferring from software developments into uh account management essentially if if
You are this project specialist you are managing this account for this project that depends if it’s only going to one client or if you have to uh interface with multiple clients [ __ ] you’re still in client management and you’ve got the actual client who’s buying it from your organization and the clients who is
Demanding its production that’s your immediate supervisor your line manager so handling both learning to handle both will become of the utmost importance while you settle in becoming a specialist becoming a coordinator you’ve got to learn how to coordinate them how to coordinate with them both that’s management that’s beyond just
Time management and organization right now you’ve got to manage people but you have to do it in a way so subtle that you don’t undermine your line manager you don’t undermine the big boss and you definitely don’t dissatisfy or displease the client right it’s going to it’s going to require you become
Adaptable you need to be a you need to be adaptive you need to be on your toes you need to move out of that technical space you were in before as a software developer and become a little more fluid social professional if you will because the way you communicate as a professional
Dealing with people is very different than simply reporting your work and and and sending deliverables to a manager it’s different it’s a different ball game now I’m just walking you through the most preliminary steps right when you’re making this career move it’s essentially a career change right you’re moving from one laughs
From one specialty to another right and to do that I mean I command you I commend you really for wanting to Branch out expand on what you already know because because that software development background will definitely help inform your managers and inform the clients on the type of work that’s being
Done now you’ve got to add another layer to it another layer to it in order to be that coordinator to be a to be that consummate professional in coordinating the work between clients and between your organization so no one leaves the table unhappy now having to manage people
Is that much more challenging because you’re dealing not just with moving Parts but uh inevitably variably moving parts right so because these are humans after all you would think that you could just set them and forget them right but that’s not so much true you’ve got to in
A sense also touch on the work that’s being done and it should be your hope that you’re not micromanaging and that others don’t feel like you are micromanaging again I mentioned this might be your first project and you might think that your line manager is overstepping their bounds but you may
Have asked you may have asked the type of questions that Merit their involvement okay it shouldn’t make you suspicious this is this is the first position I mean we don’t know your work history we don’t know your educational background these are questions that we would ask in
A one-to-one right in in a one-on-one interview with you because there are a ton of questions that we would ask in order to ascertain to find out to determine whether or not the manager is Justified in following up with you at the rate that they are right you you may
Have asked the type of questions that Matt they don’t set off red flags to them but cause them to want to be involved in order for the project to go off without a hitch in order to prevent progress from being [ __ ] right and in order to prevent to prevent retarding progress on this
Project now you want to take that into the next project into the second into the third into the fourth learn which questions trigger that right and then work around it you ought to become self-sustainable self-efficient self-motivating right to be able to knock these projects out the park and not have your manager
Breathing down your neck which you may feel like you may feel like but if you’re asking the type of questions that uh require somebody above your pay grade to be involved they’re going they’re going to identify that and they’re going to focus on that to be sure that whatever they
Put their name down on whatever advice they’re giving you is being implemented it could just be that they have more experience they have more experience as a specialist as a coordinator in the position that you are in currently in your new position they might have more experience better better experience in handling situations
For the questions for the specific questions you’re asking about what you want to do first and foremost is take notes take notes never stop learning it’s I mean your manager is there for a reason and they’re there for you to ask questions right in order to have your obligations your duties your tasks
Better outlined better informed you want to know I mean you want them to know that you’re not going into this [ __ ] blind either right and just running willy-nilly with at your own discretion for how the project should be going you want to consider their goals and their objectives for the
Product for the project I’m sorry not just for the product I mean they could be a product or a service but for the project additionally if you have the authority if you have the bandwidth consider the clients points of view maybe something you can integrate there something you can incorporate there and
Maximize opportunities for satisfaction on both sides now they continue here oh that their offices also understaffed there’s not much I could do there there’s not much that you could do there I mean unless you’re the one who’s in charge of hiring firing training converting terminating unless you’re in
Charge of any of that on the operations side on the onboarding side uh I mean really best you can do is outline the duties is outline the duties that best fall into the categories of I don’t know a specialist or a developer and then somebody else to get an auxiliary
Support role outline which duties could be siled under particular job positions and Pitch it pitch it what’s the worst that could happen they say no we don’t need somebody else we’re good the way we are now selling pushing mediocre projects with understaffed project teams what’s the worst that
Could happen they say no and admit that they’re mediocre come on fam you have to learn how to put this together and Pitch it as an initiative maybe you do need another set of hands maybe you do need another pair of eyeballs maybe you do need another brain in order to provide
Some relief to the rest of the team pick up a little bit of the slack to better polish the deliverables that the client receives you don’t know that you don’t know that because well I mean I haven’t asked and if you hear this episode I
Hope a light bulb goes off and you think [ __ ] there’s an option there’s an option that could take some stress off of my plates and we could better distribute what the work mode looks like it says here continuing I I had a panic attack I had a panic slash anxiety
Attack last month in the office over a project I’m handling I am in therapy but I still have difficulties I can’t help you there fan I mean if you have to do a breathing exercise if it’s gotten to the point where you have to do breathing exercises
I mean [ __ ] I usually just go to the range or sharpen sharpen my guns oil my knives type thing vice versa trapping my knobs all the guns um it says I’m a therapy but I still have difficulties again yeah I cannot be there I’m struggling with the idea that
I will be working in such an environment until I reach retirement age damn you really what you’re in this [ __ ] for the long haul or something what did they tell you like where do you see yourself in five they asked you where do you see yourself in five years and you said here
Right [ __ ] here I don’t plan on moving I’m not moving up I’m not moving down I’m gonna be here and retire get the [ __ ] all right it says only to be allowed to quote enjoy my life for a little while I I don’t see myself as living quote living currently I’m only
Doing this for my future self well [ __ ] I think though that last paragraph kind of tells us that they’re getting paid well um they’re getting paid I guess stereotypically well because they could be getting paid like a decent amount of money but if the amount of time that
Needs to be committed if the amount of energy that needs to be committed is not is not justifiable that they might not be getting paid well at all I mean this person is stressing and having anxiety attacks in their office who knows if it’s on the job or off the
Clock I don’t know those are those are questions I would ask right those those are questions that need to be answered in order in order to give a better informed opinion uh they write an edit here edit I just woke up and saw the responses to those
Saying to leave I am definitely brushing my resume and will be on the lookout in the meantime I’ll gain as much skills as I can from this place before I piece out there you go that last piece is should pretty much be mo for any modern day
Professional m-o you learn as much as you possibly can not just about your position but every [ __ ] around you you ought to be social you ought to be the consonant professional wanting to learn the ins and the outs of the operation in which you are involved in otherwise otherwise you’re just quote
Unquote doing your job and when we see where that leads we’ve seen it in Germany Russia China this [ __ ] ain’t this [ __ ] is not new it’s not new it’s happening now in the U.S in the UK in Asia and Europe the [ __ ] out of here if you’re just doing your job you’re not
Quote Living you’re and and you won’t quote retire it says you’re only to be allowed to quote enjoy my life for a little while dog if you have to retire to enjoy your life you’re dead [ __ ] off yourself that is not a legal advice disclaimer not legal advice I meant turn off and
Turn on right have you tried rebooting damn reboot yourself there you go that’s code that’s good enough uh they say I’ll gain as much skills as I can from this place before I peace out yeah always be brushing that resume up always be on the lookout for what comes
Next because the next opportunity might be better the next opportunity might be slightly different maybe pay you more maybe require less time less responsibilities more money and they might be looking for the exact experience or the exact skills and abilities that you put on your resume
That you are able to interview on you see now we’re talking about exit strategies but I mean in the meantime I mean it in the meantime I guess get your mental health in order right they’ll just go rebooting yourself willy-nilly just you know on the one don’t go rebooting yourself two uh
I mean continue with your best foot forward don’t take it personal and I know for some they might be perfectionists they might have issues with feedback and criticism don’t take it personal unless unless the big boss quote unless the big boss is calling you out by name saying Alex
You piece of [ __ ] [ __ ] right like don’t you know don’t just who gives a [ __ ] it’s it’s the big boss they’re you know running hot they got high blood pressure they’re popping capillaries and they’re [ __ ] eyeball what do I give a [ __ ] right they can’t handle stress like
I can I’m posted I’m chilling I’m calm cool collected um I I’m I’m what they want to be but I’m on my way up I’m on the way up right they’re just on the next rung of the corporate ladder frying they can’t handle the heat you have to be that [ __ ] you
Have to be that cool you have to be that calm that collected in order to see through their emotions some [ __ ] operate predominantly predominantly On Emotion some [ __ ] are just like that they don’t know how to control their emotion and let emotion get the best of their logic let emotion become ah
Become their personality and let it come before business even right business shouldn’t be emotional granted that business is personal but you shouldn’t blame you should not blame somebody for what they are just take it into consideration take it in stride do everything out of uh out of love
Out of love love is a strong emotion right some [ __ ] can’t help but being petty whiny [ __ ] and You For the Love of the Game you’re just gonna pull a [ __ ] Heisman on them you’re gonna clothesline them you’re gonna Cloak and Dagger a [ __ ] create
That vacuum and move up For the Love of the Game all right that’s off topic that’s off topic uh let’s hit up a couple of these comments real quick and see if we can’t comment on them the first one says I’ve been working in corporate settings for
Over 15 years and have never been yelled at that sounds like a tremendously toxic environment that you should not quote accept apply for jobs at different companies yeah maybe I went off topic a little bit from the title how do you accept Corp the corporate life how do you accept
Uh working in corporate you have to accept that you were born into this [ __ ] really you want to get down to the nitty-gritty it could be that the type of experience you gather from this place is so coveted and can only be learned under this [ __ ] big boss right
That’s why the turnover is so high but the experience you obtained from there might be that much more valuable and again it goes back to how you manage and handle stress how you manage them as a boss how you manage the clients but most but most importantly how you handle stress
Right if all it takes is for somebody to get riled up to get aroused to get to get stimulated socially to elevate their voice and start waving their hands and [ __ ] and you and you start going to the fight or flight I mean don’t go you know
Obviously somebody gets loud may be a cause for concern but if but if it’s not like I said directed to you personally what are you giving a [ __ ] for why are you worried it ain’t your stress it’s not your stress you’re taking on that stress voluntarily you’re you’re
Making the decision you’re taking the decision does it make the decision you’re deciding to take on that stress voluntarily of your own volition don’t do it just don’t [ __ ] let the boss stress that’s what they’re there for again that depends on the degree of control and the degree of authority you
Have in your newfound position as a specialist as a coordinator if it’s the boss who has to kiss up to clients in order to please them let that [ __ ] do it it could be male or female I don’t give a [ __ ] let that [ __ ] do it let that person do it right
Um the second comment here says buddy this is not normal you had The Misfortune of working with a [ __ ] head it’s toxic get out there are better places out there you’ll still have shitty managers of Plenty but won’t get shouted at there you go I pretty much just touched
On that you still want to be learning the most you can even up and on to your way out right don’t necessarily burn the bridge remain as professionally as professional as not stone-faced but rather stoic right you want to take these hits if and they’re not even hits we don’t
Know if if this shouting is being directed at them right we don’t know if they’re being talked down to or just being exclaimed at right we don’t know that so I can’t really I can’t opine and that’s the uh that’s the personal verb for opinion I can’t really
I could be I can’t really be of the opinion that the manager is a as a [ __ ] just outright without a little bit more context and in a one-on-one I would ask exactly that I would ask the type of probing questions the type of probative questions to be able to
To better audit with the culture in this department looks like in the or in the organization overall and provide a a more informed opinion so something that the clients something that the client could uh could use as actionable the type of intelligence that they need [ __ ] that I I would have
Wanted if I was moving from one division to another and having to learn and juggle the new and different skills see we don’t even know whether or not they were trained whether or not there was in-house training that took place or or whether they took it upon themselves to
Learn how to interact and and manage clients interact and manage a promotion interact and manage chains of command and what that looks like we don’t know but they’re good questions to ask and if you can’t reach out to a professional who can help you with that that’s corporates Cowboys
Then they’re good questions to ask yourself if you have the time you have the patience and you can develop the insight to do that with yourself I mean there ain’t much more that I could do for you other than give you a second look right once you start
Thinking like a corporate Cowboy you start moving a little more like a corporate cowboy one last comment that I’m out it says here what the [ __ ] yelling is absolutely unacceptable I’m gonna stop it right there uh yeah it’s saying the comments are really just bitching about the yelling I’ve been in situations okay
Maybe I don’t know what the stereotypical corporate corporate culture is supposed to be like now I’m just around it but I’m not in organizations I do a quick once-over of what somebody’s roster looks like I give them the up and down one time I I just gloss over what the hierarchy
Looks like and maybe it’s because I’m I’m not gonna say I’m the best at it maybe it’s because I’m able to do it it just comes to be naturally on how to navigate a corporate ladder how to navigate the organizational structure to get work done right now as an
Independent contractor you get yelled at less I’ll give you that but if you are agreeing to submit yourself to a corporate culture I mean that’s an environment that you have to learn to get comfortable with it might be fast paced it might be high stress all that
[ __ ] you should have found out at the interview what it’s like maybe you didn’t ask the right questions before you got moved over or moved up from software developments to specialist slash coordinator those might have been questions that never crossed your mind and now you want answers to them now you
Need to know how to mitigate that I mean again I’m not knocking you for being a novice I’m not knocking you for being inexperienced again I’m commanding you for taking the initiative making this move wanting to explore the organization you are in even more right you wanted to explore more of it
I commend you for that now now was a time when you should be working on your time off during your time off how to handle people how to manage people that’s clients and supervisors again that’s why I’m railing on this because it’s important it doesn’t change you moving from from this
To another company where you might be a middle manager another point of contact a coordinator slash specialist and you still have to report to clients and managers but if you don’t know how to manage them then that stress is just going to build up again that stress is going to begin to
Accumulate you’re going to be back on Reddit bitching about your new job what is what is the stress piling up I’m having Stress and Anxiety again I’m not knocking you for it now it’s the first time I’m seeing it but if we were if you had engaged us as
Corporate Cowboys and we follow you through your career we stand by you through your career and we see a pattern that continues a recurring pattern of you not learning what you’re supposed to of you not going out of your way to learn how to deal with people clients managers how to handle projects
Essentially how to manage them okay then let’s buy your own doing it’s by your own hand what do you want us to do we can’t we can’t just throw this knowledge into you that doesn’t exist yet I don’t think it’ll exist in the next decade it could yo it could right
They could download that [ __ ] to your brain but even then you still have to act on it I don’t know whether or not they’ve touched on the areas of the no never mind that that’s a that’s a long ass tangent I’m not going to go down that
One it’s been 30 minutes it’s been 30 minutes enjoy the free consult you need help or a buddy needs help you find yourselves in a similar situation and want to know how to coordinate within your cells with yourselves between one another and make moves in corporate [ __ ] reach out to us reach out
To us think through it become the corporate Cowboys you want to see become the change you want to see yay have a nice week I’ll catch you on the next one
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