The Good, Bad and Ugly - and the Great!

Have you ever heard about this expression: good, bad and ugly?

That’s very common when we are analyzing a situation and become very popular in the corporate environment.

This week I would like to talk about Nick and Brandi.

Nick is a very successful Senior Manager of Operations who works for a big logistics company.

Nick's been working for this company for about 15 years and was promoted to Sr. Manager 5 years ago. He was thrilled that time and after ramping up the new role, the comfort zone was settled.

Suddenly, he got busier and busier and this was really good…right?

He was keeping his job and with no time to think about his career. Why does he need to worry about his career since he was employed?

So this was the GOOD.

Then completely out of the blue, he was terminated. And the GOOD became the BAD.

If you are unemployed, it’s painful. But wait, now you cannot invest in your career management, because you need to save money.

And then, the UGLY comes…time has passed by…it’s been 6 months and he starts to get very desperate and starts to apply for every single opportunity shows up.

Desperation.

That’s what is going on with Nick.

He desperately needs a job to fulfill house commitments and for the first time, he feels the missing part: the career planning. Taking control of his career becomes a real need.

Desperation is really the UGLY.

Now, let’s talk about Brandi.

Brandi is so excited, she opened a new business that mixes a snack bar and a space for adults to play games – video, table, cards and so on.

The start-up of the business's been very good. She is making enough money to pay the bills.

She is happy since everybody in the city is talking about her business.

This is the GOOD.

After 18 months, she starts to get concerned, while the business is still paying the bills, she doesn’t see growth.

A business that is not growing, is BAD.

After another 6 months, Brandi is starting to get desperate. The business is declining and its needed to take funds out from the savings account. Now, she needs to grow her business.

Desperately she needs growth.

And that’s the UGLY.

You don’t want to be either Nick with his career or Brandi with her business.

Firstly, you need to have full control of what’s going on.

The best way to do it is having a solid plan.

A goal, a strategy and most important a framework.

This is the GREAT.

If Nick had a solid career plan, when he was terminated, everything was fine. Because he had full control of his career and not his company.

He would know exactly his value at the marketplace and what’s his next career move.

Instead of looking for a job because his needs, he was looking for a job that fits what he wants! And that’s the difference.

If Brandi had a strategy, a framework to manage her business she was not desperate.

A business owner can take a business to success and also to the bankruptcy.

Mostly of business are closed in two situations: a) lack of growing or b) the owner wants a faster growth.

Let’s talk about it.

Why am I saying that business that are not growing will most likely die?

That’s simple. You get used to the same level of revenue and costumers. If your clientele changes, you are gone. If you lose your top costumers, you are gone.

Why am I saying that business owners that want faster growth can take their business to bankruptcy?

You don’t have control of the market demand nor your clientele, so inject more money on marketing, branding and additional personnel without have enough demand is waste of money. And wasting your sources creating more expenses instead of driving thru a detailed execution-oriented plan is very dangerous.

The GREAT is to invest time and effort to have a plan. To research and understand basics such as your client, location, experience desired, marketing and vehicles.

Investing all in, through everything is not an option.

Not taking control of your career, “outsourcing” it to your employer is not an option either.

Do not let things just happen.

Take control of your career and your business.

Plan it, do it, pursue your Success!

Register to our free webinar "Wake up for Success" and take your chance to win 4 hours of FREE advice with Career Ladder's Institute CEO Rodrigo S. Martineli

Rodrigo S. Martineli is the Founder & CEO of Career Ladder Institute. He is an accomplished global business executive with well-rounded experience built in an 18-year corporate career working in Fortune 100 companies and growing billion dollar enterprises.