Welcome back to another episode of the corporate Cowboys podcast little Proof of Life today’s Sunday the Lord’s Day June 25 2023 my name is Alex as always your host for the next half hour you can treat this as a free 30-minute consult on us what would a corporate Cowboy do let me
Tell you now granted you can’t speak with me instantaneously right this isn’t live but you can treat this as if someone had posed the question and you had strolled in through my office the door was open and you popped the squat pop the seat because this is like an open Office hour
Right questions we typically pull from sites like Reddit more often than not today’s question is no different it comes from r slash career advice I this broadcast after all is oriented towards uh professional development consummate professionalism for you to be able to navigate in and through corporate right can’t
Never get out it’s while you’re in you’re born into the [ __ ] the sooner you realize it the sooner you can get moving this is a corporate war after all business is war and business is always personal don’t get it twisted I don’t believe the hype so today’s question is coming from our
Slash career advice and I’ll start with the legal disclaimer just real quick less than 30 seconds anything that we state that we publish or that we share across the multiple forms of media should not be construed as legal advice you haven’t retained us you haven’t elicited this specific
Advice so if the shoe fits I mean beware it could still slip off right so he he will either need the modified or tighten that [ __ ] up now uh you can’t say that gangster rap made you do it in corporate Cowboys are nothing if not consummate professionals right
We ask questions first and we ask questions last it just depends who you’re asking them to all right you want to arm yourself with knowledge or something similar today’s question is asking not even a question doesn’t have a question mark it’s stating I handed my notice
And my managers asked me what I need to stay that’s not very well written right but it is Reddit and more than likely was typed on a cell phone I don’t know anyone actually who uses Reddit anyone else on desktop but uh this one is essentially saying
That they handed in their notice their notice of resignation that’s what that means for those of you that are out of the loop they hand it in their notice of resignation we don’t know how much notice they gave maybe it’s a two weeks you know that’s somewhat typical that is somewhat the norm
From job to job employees for whatever reason have been trained or conditioned to give two-week notices whenever they plan on leaving a job and companies now come to expect it it’s funny it’s funny that managers now come to expect it when really it’s just an extra an additional a gratuitous
Courtesy this is the free courtesy given these [ __ ] two weeks I don’t mean to sound mad I’m not mad at all because that sometimes sometimes leaving doesn’t warrant any notice one overarching theme one of many of this podcast is that everyone is entry level forever and that every position is at will
Every form of employment is at will you think they’re gonna give you two weeks notice if they’re looking to fire you if a [ __ ] is itching to fire at you they’re gonna do it immediately I mean fire you fire you it used to be called fire at will right
And now they just call it at will employment I don’t know maybe it sounds less graphic maybe it sounds less structurally violent if we’re gonna use sociological terms maybe it sounds less structurally violent right you’re literally literally you could be upending somebody’s life cutting off their livelihood their means
To survive maybe they’re working Check to Check living hand to mouth and you’re not I mean me as a manager you think I’m gonna give these [ __ ] two weeks before I show them the door I mean that’s back when I was uh not seasoned that’s back when I was
The term I’m looking for inconsiderate but now that I’m striving to be a more consonant professional I mean I still keep that in the back of my mind the [ __ ] that I’ve been through the [ __ ] that I’ve done the [ __ ] that I’ve had the bare witness of
I can’t undo a lot of it I can’t undo most of it but it’s good to remember and it’s good to know that way you’re not gonna that way you’re not going into your next engagement with some idealistic sense that [ __ ] are always going to play fair you have to recognize that not
Everyone plays Fair you sometimes you have to be the most reasonable sometimes you have to be the most professional and that does not always entail you laying down and being treated like a [ __ ] welcome mat right I mean granted there are some things we reserve or as a last resort
We never want to result we never want the end result to be something we can’t um be undone something that can’t be I’m done let me just start reading through this body it’s kind of short so if I have to uh cut it it’s gonna be to show you how
As I as a consultant would be making reasonable allowable inferences for this hypothetical client and also taking note questions that I would ask to follow up you know every client that comes to us goes through a biographical interview you know we’ve got a question here we go back and forth to learn about
Their individual circumstances their background their experiences their education their aspirations to some extent because aspirations can change but the mode the modes the means to get to those ends those are the ones that are almost Ever Changing those can change on the turn of a dime yeah yeah no pun intended definitely
Those could change on the drop of a dime yeah in a corporate cowboy has to be able to adapt to keep it moving so that their aspirations those those end goals those ultimate objectives that they don’t deviate too far from them even though the means by which they pursue them path
That they have to choose to take sometimes isn’t the most conventional so let me start the body on this one begins with I handed in my notice and my managers asked me what I need to stay damn wouldn’t you want to be in that person’s position right they’re handing you the ball
Not to run with right but they’re handing you the ball the ball is in your court granted that quote that’s saying is very much describing a double-edged sword the ball is in your court meaning that you can now dictate terms to some extent favorable to yourself mind you in terms
Of compensation what you want to get paid in terms of Network who you want to meet where you want to be placed and opportunity in the form of resources or access to them you don’t want to go overboard with it either because the ball being in your
Court you could still fumble the [ __ ] ball at any point in time you can fumble the bag never having even touched it you just fumble your path you make a poor decision without a bag in sight you might never see the [ __ ] bag and lose it
So I handed in my notice and my managers asked me what I need to stay I’ve been working for this Civil Service organization for the past year I don’t really fit in with my colleagues and things move very slow it’s the Civil it’s the Civil sector
After all I was just about to say that sounds like public uh Public Service public interest I mean when you’re when you’re talking bureaucracy what are you talking bureaucracy you’re talking red tape and when you’re talking red tape you’re talking slow [ __ ] some stuff moves at a
I don’t want to drop bucket at a glacial pace right I was not going to drop glacial because I don’t want it seem [ __ ] hoity-toity right twenty dollar words Alex dog [ __ ] but I feel like my listeners will understand when something moves at the pace of a glacier
I’m not talking an avalanche I’m talking creeping slow so they’re saying it’s the Civil sector after all I handed my notice in yesterday and my managers are begging me not to leave see I would ask that that is a good point in an interview with the clients to ask
More questions begging you how what exactly was the exchange what did what did you say in return right what what was the exchange they’re proposing begging you to stay I mean there’s a difference between Alex don’t go to Alex please please stay there is a difference there’s a difference one has
An an additional interest to it an interest that you can actualize a difference that you can make tangible a difference that you can use to negotiate your next step whether or not you choose to leave or to stay right I handed in my notice yesterday and my
Managers are begging me not to leave I’m the only one in the whole company with this with that expertise I try to fix it sometimes these questions are not written right it says I’m the only one in the whole company with that experience what [ __ ] experience what
That experience so that’s why I said this experience I’m the only one in the company with this experience or with my expertise right I’m the only one in the company with that expertise they said they will try to accommodate anything I ask for as long as I don’t leave hey
Alex what would you do well but what would a corporate Cowboy do take a couple days for yourself take a week if you have to and put this [ __ ] down in writing right well obviously whatever you’re going to agreed to whatever terms you’re going to come up with
To get them to accommodate you for staying you want to have in writing ultimately right because if you’re leaving now and they want you to stay you could effectively just have left and they’d have brought you back because if it is like you say no one else has
Your expertise in whatever it is that you do and we would find out in the interview if no one else has your expertise you could negotiate for more favorable terms and that you want in writing how much you’re going to get paid what fringe benefits look like terms for termination
Right maybe you want to protect yourself a little more you want to armor up not just arm up but armor up to uh Shield yourself from getting outright kicked out because it could happen they say they will try they will try to accommodate anything I ask for as long as I don’t leave
Okay here’s the question here’s the question do you think I could ask for a 20K raise a 20 000 raise it’s not unheard of it’s not impossible but you need to come with some justification I mean that I I like that the question is direct but you don’t want it to appear Petty
When you propose it direct is good Petty not so much I mean it can be good but it’s not so much and just being direct being forthright being professional and we are nothing if not trying to attain that state of consummate professionalism so yeah you can shoot and Scoot you
Could be running and gunning but you want to be considerate of who you mow down not just gonna take innocence with you because you can do you think I could ask for a twenty thousand dollar raise yes Point Blank yes you’re gonna have to justify it right because this this quote
Negotiation you’re going to enter for them to accommodate you they’re going to ask what justifies paying you more than you’re already getting paid I mean you could claim that you got outside offers and all this and that [ __ ] but otherwise in this civil service job what do you like about it what are
Your ultimate goals what are you trying to attain a reputation just more money what’s the end game here experience I mean that’s got to be nice we we still don’t know what they do how high up they are in the organization are they some type of manager a
Supervisor they control some type of operation are they in a support role in a lead role I mean that would that would make some sense if management is approach them and say don’t leave us we’ll try and accommodate anything you want and it depends exactly what
Field of service they’re in yeah it’s a civil sector but there’s so much to the Civil sector I mean what’s the budget look like can you ask for 30 and a company car with an expense account right but you’ve got to be able to justify it with your professional goals
You want twenty thousand dollars more because what you do and what you want to do they align with staying even if it is in the short term they want to see Magic well dog you’re trying to perform and they’re in your [ __ ] way you want 20K
I mean that’s that’s all you got to say if that’s all you want but that’s like a gimme that’s why it sounds so petty that’s why I I highlighted it yeah you can say it I still want to justify it some so it comes off as direct it comes off as being respectable
Even if all you want is the 20K at the end of the year so you can squirrel away and I don’t know [ __ ] it off later but a corporate cowboy they want 20K and then some they want access they want professional networking opportunities as a kicker they want to be able to perform
And grow to boot otherwise what the [ __ ] are you in it for just to get paid off literally does they get paid off and retired yeah I know sounds sounds stable wait till uh wait till the real corporate Cowboy sees you perched or where you settled
Yeah I mean don’t don’t [ __ ] rest on your laurels right so they said they would try to accommodate anything I asked for as long as I don’t leave do you think I could ask for a 20K raise I’ve never been in this position before and I’m unsure how
Much I can push my luck I mean you can push look as much as you want that’s the point is you forge your own luck I heard that luck is where they say Talent talent and persistence meets I probably butchered that but luck is worth talent and persistence meets
It’s the ability to do something so that when the opportunity presents itself it will appear as if just fell from the [ __ ] sky yeah you’ll look lucky you look lucky now I bet from the outside I can’t believe this [ __ ] Alex he just asked for 20K and they gave it
To him well this [ __ ] Alex just happens to have expertise no one else does expertise that is valuable enough to Shell out or to appropriate twenty thousand dollars in the annual budget that’s how much we need Alex you know what this [ __ ] Alex has been making moves again I mean we don’t
Know what what this hypothetical client does for this Civil Service organization what are they in marketing are they getting clients are they retaining clients are are they servicing other agencies we don’t know but if there is some component to what this person does that the Returns on investing twenty thousand dollars are are
Disproportionately more than if we just stuck some other [ __ ] who doesn’t have what Alex has if we just promoted somebody else below Alex and and they don’t have what Alex has the skill maybe it’s something technical maybe it’s something social maybe it’s the way he talks to
People maybe it’s the way he entertains them he captures them and so when they are done speaking they are better for it whenever they call us they want to talk to Alex whenever they call us me being the manager they want to know if Alex still works for us
Just out of the [ __ ] blue yes it’s happened it’s happened I’m Not tooting my own horn I’m not making [ __ ] up but when you are in a position to make a difference in people’s lives why would you not capitalize on it yeah you’re going to ask for 20K but you
Want that 20K to go to something not just your bank account okay Alex you got 20K more but you’re still going to be doing the same [ __ ] job you were doing before that you didn’t like that you claim here at the very beginning I don’t really fit in
With my colleagues and things move very slow well dog it sounds like you have it sounds like you have an inkling of aspiration but maybe you don’t have that fire lit up under your [ __ ] ass just yet but you could you could and until we have this hypothetical client in front of us
We’re left just ranting to you the listener hopefully you’re taking notes they say I’ve never been in this position before I’m unsure how much I can push my luck they ask me to think about what I want and to have a talk about it on Tuesday currently I’m currently on 70k
I don’t know how much more I could ask for seventy thousand dollars a year that’s that’s decent that’s pretty [ __ ] decent and they want 20K more I don’t know how much more I could ask for but I would stay for that much more I would stay for that much more I would
Stay for twenty thousand dollars more not a penny less they claim all of the rest of the interviews I’ve had are in the same bracket so it’s not like I’m going to go somewhere else with better salary or better benefits in the same bracket we would have to ask a follow-up
Question oh and they leave an edit here at the very end they say I am in Europe that doesn’t make a [ __ ] difference bureaucracy is bureaucracy anywhere you go Just [ __ ] trying to protect the Rego and protect your livelihood I mean really when you boil it down that’s what power is it’s just ego and livelihood [ __ ] kill to get it and then kill to keep it and then they end up they end up getting
Killed for it y’all live by you die by it that’s corporate um yeah that’s corporate and I and I pray I I pray in both ways p-r-e-y and p-r-a-y at the that if I’m at that level when if and when I’m at that level that I’m not so short-sighted
To snub [ __ ] who deserve to move up and then you know I I kind of paint them into a corner or I force someone else’s hand because undoubtedly I would deserve it at that point that’s the beauty of corporate that’s that’s the beauty of business takes care of itself so
You take care of business and business will take care of you it’s it’s beautiful self correcting self-regulating organism just that when [ __ ] want to impose their own rules and regulations the ones who quote unquote govern superficially the uh the gray hand of demand the gray hand of the man always thinks otherwise
Could give a [ __ ] about what you want so they’re in the same bracket and we would ask exactly what that means is is the bracket plus or minus 20K from that 70k that they’re at right now I mean is that what the bracket is they claim that they have
Other offers outside offers and that they’re in the same bracket so it’s not like they would leave for more it would have about the same salary the same salary that they have now is the bracket just 70k you see maybe they could be overreaching or asking too much
Twenty thousand dollars might be an exorbitant amount something that’s outside the Realms of possibility again this being civil service maybe the most you could push it is another five another ten fifteen maybe 20 is is too much that’s why unless you come with some extraordinary justification Alex wants twenty thousand dollars what
The [ __ ] is Alex giving in return is he just gonna show up and do the same job I mean there’s going to be some return expectation Alex wants twenty thousand dollars more and this [ __ ] is going to show up and do the same job as if he hadn’t
Left nah we’re going to give this [ __ ] more work nah we’re gonna give this [ __ ] more responsibility but you can beat them to the punch you want twenty thousand dollars more than you paint your own terms that’s how you propose an initiative maybe you have an initiative
For work getting done faster in Civil Service granted that you know civil services is one large it’s a gargantuan it’s a [ __ ] machine and every person is one little COG in the wheel right and this machine is is run on Blood Money you know I’m not gonna I’m not gonna get
All political here but it’s it’s run on like taxes and blood money and [ __ ] but there are ways to make it more efficient more economical and less of a burden on society and by what I mean by less of a burden is work actually getting done isn’t that two plus two
You enter a a sector of work that’s being civil service and everybody is [ __ ] miserable because it moves so slow what’s the common denominator is that it moves so slow there’s got to be a reason and and yes I know [ __ ] I’ve you know I’ve happened on
The reason before and I’ve attempted to make changes not so much in the Civil sector but you know just even even in private even in private work and if it doesn’t go your way that’s when it’s when you lose favor that’s when that that’s when [ __ ] start turning cold
That’s when they view you as a threat and that’s when you’ll have to make some unanticipated moves at least to them [Laughter] that’s a good note to leave it up visit us online visit us on Instagram on Twitter on Instagram we’re at corporate Cowboys with a z
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