Balance

So, you’re strong, you’re focused, you’re capable, you’re achieving. You hit your targets, you play that corporate game, you feel in your bones you’re destined for great things at this company, and then boom. Slam. Pop. Wham. Ow. ‘Tis not so. Someone else gets the promotion you knew was yours. A new boss is brought in between you and your current supervisor. An area you lead suddenly, inexplicably, almost surreptitiously moves under someone else’s control.

Decisions you once made are now by consensus – does your opinion even get heard any more? All and any of these types of incidents at work happen to the best of us, and they happen all too often for the corporate world to look us respectfully in the eyes and admit. Hang your head in shame corporate world. These circumstances are demoralising, demeaning, humiliating, upsetting and utterly destabilising. Especially when delivered without explanation, pastoral care, sensitivity or alternative renewed direction/progression for the vulnerable, previously eager soul.

It’s such a tired, trodden, sodden old path

I have traversed the corporate realms from junior ad exec in my 20s to now a senior leader in the world’s largest comms network. Has it got any easier? Any less personal? Any less political?  Sadly, not one jot! It’s perhaps tougher at the top as it’s such a solitary plight. No gang to bitch with up here.  It hurts more. Reverberates deeply inside. It feels like more of a public humiliation. And life feels so much more precarious. There’s way more at stake up here. Job security, financial commitments, reputation – it all acutely matters.

There’s a delicate balance between the reflex response of sticking two fingers up at the mis-treatment and walking out, and the desire to remain loyal, ambitious in the current role, devoted to high performance, entrusting that the forces higher up do indeed still have your best interests at heart and want you to succeed.  The cynic in me knows alas in this game politics detrimentally and dominantly disrupt that which is fair and just.

If you’re not clear on your remit how can you perform? If you’ve been shifted into a new direction by the powers that be without overtly being asked to accept a new set of goals why would you perform?  If you see your career potential being blocked, where’s the incentive to give your heart and soul?

What is it that drives high performance and consistent employee engagement in organisations? It’s 100% clarity of organisational vision and purpose and a clear understanding of your own personal contribution to that vision.  Take the Netflix Culture wonder deck that Sheryl Sandberg cited as ‘the best thing to come out of silicon valley in years’. (Do Google it, it’s worth devouring.) The premise is:-

Explicit vision and role remit + 100% Trust and Freedom = Top Performance & Loyalty

The magic formula, now widely being adopted by laggard businesses around the globe. It works.

When Personnel Crises Occur

In my experience the most commonly seen flawed management of business leaders is when they fail to describe a new vision and/or role remit.  They shunt key players around like chess pieces without consulting/advising/directing/asking them. This is exactly when personnel crises occur. The manager feels the direct report is under performing, the direct report feels confused then demotivated by what they’re meant to be doing.  Clarity of role, with clear objectives and a personal development plan are imperative. As are regular check ins on how things are going. Feedback both up and down is essential.

7 Ways to Manage Your Own (temporary) Disempowerment

Back to how to navigate this when you’re the victimised chess piece and you need the financial security.  Take heed of the following 7 tips to stay calm, rational, progressive and sane.

  1. Stay factual and do not get emotional. Agree, apologise, present points of view objectively and always without emotion. Keep your cool and suppress the rage/tears/frustration bubbling beneath.
  2. Don’t make any assumptions. Seek clarity. Refer to contracts, objectives, any written documentation. Ask for written feedback, instructions, etc. No more assumptions.
  3. Keep HR informed – with clarity and without emotion.
  4. Play the game. Remember this is a game and games (and indeed life) are sadly not always fair. Get clear on what you are now meant to be doing, how your manager wants you to succeed, then deliver. Over index on happy, contributing, performance smashing you. Have fun!
  5. Respect your gut. Negative emotion is always a beautifully poignant signal that change is needed. Don’t fight, but take a deep breath and analyse the situation objectively, if now is time to move on, set positive wheels in motion to start a new chapter and get on with it (silently, subtly and whilst hitting those currently objectives of course).
  6. Channel any inner turmoil with creativity and kindness. The absolute best ways to alleviate stress are to focus on selflessly giving to others or with creative pursuits. So go and make a scrapbook of memories/gingerbread house/cake/etc and take it round to your sister/mum/dad/BFF/etc. You’ll feel amazing and be back in your happy place, where all those high vibrational frequencies will attract more joy and good stuff your way.
  7. Plan your exit. You don’t need to take this. You are worth more. If an organisation hasn’t and doesn’t value its people, it never will. Get out and find a new home where you can soar.

Good luck dear fellow game players. I would love to hear your experiences and if you agree with me.

Author(s)

  • Bianca Best

    Flourish with Bianca Best – writer, entrepreneur and manifestor dedicated to ensuring your life glistens with the work, love and vitality you desire.

    Flourish

    Hey! I'm Bianca! A writer, entrepreneur, mother and unshakeable optimist passionately devoted to ensuring your life glistens with the work, love and vitality you desire. Born with big dreams, a strong work ethic and fervent belief that life holds no limits, I’ve discovered how to unlock human potential.  Through my transformational ESCAPE™ programme, coaching, books, online courses, BB-TV, workshops, keynotes and retreats, I stratospherically catapult gifted individuals like you into the place you’re meant to be. I’m honoured to be a best-selling author and to work with leaders from Amazon to Snapchat, and to have personally learned wisdom first-hand from gurus such as Arianna Huffington. Blessed with abundance, I cherish 4 rapidly growing children, 3 businesses, and 1 English country home which is my creative and spiritual sanctuary. My life’s work represents a chronology of passions explored. From writing, to entrepreneurialism, to corporate leadership, to tech firsts, I’ve experimented, learned, grafted and always savoured the journey as much as the destination. Practice what you want to grow I’m fascinated by neuroplasticity and our ability to build skills that progressively enable us to achieve goals faster and easier. When we respect that life is about choices and consequences and choose concentrated cognitive focus, dreams become reality pretty quickly. Blend awareness of limiting beliefs, value systems, habits and behaviours with a personal definition of success, and you’ll strike gold.  The moment I clarify a goal (and I mean intricately define that tantalising something which has stimulated every cell in my body), and organise my habits, attitude and behaviour to thrust onwards towards it, giving it my unwavering attention, then life clicks into beautiful flow. I want this for you too! First Entrepreneurial Forays Coincided with 4 Baby Bests! After simultaneously blending a freelance writing career with exploratory post-grad advertising agency roles and stints as a presenter, I launched my first business in 2004 taking my creativity and resilience to new heights as I served global customers with a pioneering digital personalised gift company. I enjoyed an exhilarating decade learning that with the right focus, energy and vision anything and everything is possible. By the time I sold this business I’d welcomed 4 mini Bests confidently into the world too, including baby twins. What an unexpected (and time-management!) twist they gave to entrepreneurialism! I definitely live by the mantra “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” (and ironically still reflect on that first year juggling 4 children under 7 whilst expanding my company into an omni-channel franchise one of my most purposeful and joyful ever!)! Corporate Leadership Rigour I see life as a great big, fun experiment and every experience a moment of potential growth. With ‘intra-preneurialism’ now being invited into traditional business realms, I couldn’t resist a global leadership role in a large-scale corporate behemoth fusing my entrepreneurial passions with a legacy world. A truly invigorating opportunity! I’ve thus since set up a third millennium consultancy within WPP partnering with global brands such as Mars, CocaCola, Sony and Uber to accelerate digital transformation agendas amidst the volatility of today’s marketing landscapes. To say I love this work is an understatement, plus the output agendas and relationship dynamics all simultaneously add brilliant new depths to my coaching practice. Escaping the Whirlwind Decades back I suffered immune collapse repeatedly along my undulating, endlessly busy path and in June 2019 the World Health Organisation classified Burnout as a global epidemic. Too many of us have been, or are being, buffeted by life’s whirlwind at the expense of our mental and physical wellbeing. I created my science-based ESCAPE™ programme to combat exactly this. Through six powerful pillars I blend my certifications in coaching, hypnotherapy and NLP with my life experiences to empower ambitious individuals like you to thrive. It is possible to maximise impact without burnout and I show you how to respect your individuality and flourish. Which Brings Me To You Whether you feel stuck in a corporate rut, trapped in an unhappy relationship, constantly exhausted, overwhelmed by the sheer pace of modern life, frustrated by slow business growth, or beguiled by which way to turn next, I can get you moving, shining and smiling again. I’ll share every one of the mistakes I’ve made as I’ve fumbled and grappled and tripped my way through this game called life. Equally, I’ll share the ways I’ve succeeded in realising my own dreams and solving my own problems. It would be my honour to hold your hand through your next chapter and make that vibrant vision I know you hold in your heart a sparkly reality. I’ll give you the confidence to make decisions that are utterly transformational. You will up-level your life and become exactly who you’re meant to be. Let’s have fun together and make now the time you unleash your very best self!! Here’s to your future filled with the love, work and vitality you absolutely deserve! Lovingly yours, Bianca x