For whatever reason, a successful high-tech career has always involved
a bit of cynicism. Whether you are questioning the reality of a manufacturer's
delivery date or the actions of your own boss, it can be healthy to
keep a questioning mind about the actions of others. They might not
be truly "out to get you" but, unfortunately, they might
not be telling you the whole truth, either.
In the air
As I browse the Internet for career-related information I come across
the same stories again and again. The large majority of these stories
deal with employees relating how their management has been less than
truthful with them about the health of their company and the stability
of their jobs.
In some cases, employees are brought into a big meeting in a fancy
location with catered food and other attempts to show that the company
is doing fine. Then, sometimes only days later, layoffs occur, offices
are closed and companies fail.
We all want to believe our companies are doing well, but often times
the signs of failure are available if you are open-minded enough
to see them. This doesn't mean you look for liars and cheats behind
every
door. You merely have to remember that the goals and priorities of
your managers might be quite different from your own.
Often, companies will attempt to put the best foot forward in order
to cover a less than glowing business. This is done for a variety
of reasons.
Sometimes ego prevents management from understanding the true state
of affairs. No one wants to admit failure and so they may be in a
state of denial themselves.
Sometimes companies are hiding business troubles in order to get
the next infusion of cash or sell the company before it goes under.
This
means that management must keep employees as productive as possible
in order to remain attractive to lenders and buyers. Unfortunately,
this can sometimes mean that employees are left without any time
to prepare when the bottom drops out. It can also mean that there
will
be no severance pay or other transition funds. In the worst cases,
the end can come so suddenly that employees are not paid for their
last week (or weeks) of work.
What to look for?
In order to protect yourself and your career you need to constantly
evaluate what management is telling you. Are they making promises
that will be nearly impossible to keep? Are they overstating revenue
or
the amount of incoming work? If your own experience doesn't jibe
with what management is telling clients, then you could be on the
road to
trouble.
Is management saying too little about the status of the company? Are
they saying too much or engaging in "cheerleading" on a regular
basis? Too often, repeated attempts to assure you that "everything
is just fine" can be a clear sign that trouble is looming.
What are you hearing from your peers in other, similar companies
about the health of your company? It has been my experience that
it is often
the employees of a company who are the last to know when something
is going wrong. Of course, you will need to sort rumor from truth,
but keeping your ear to the ground can be very helpful.
You need not show your cynical side openly to others, especially
management, but you do need to evaluate every piece of information
you receive
along some simple guidelines.
What is the person trying to accomplish by giving you this information?
What agenda might they be trying to promote? Does their information
conform to what you know from other sources? If your information
is widely different from theirs it is time to do some further research.
We all might like to be able to believe everything our managers tell
us, but the truth is they have their own plans and agendas. Sometimes
they will be less than forthcoming with information especially if
it might make you reconsider your career plans. Excessive cynicism
can
cloud your decisions, but in today's high-tech industry a healthy
skepticism can help you to make the decisions that best serve your
career goals.
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