My LinkedIn Success Story

I achieved a career milestone yesterday, my first talk at a professional conference. It went well. I channeled my nervous energy into enthusiasm. I shared anecdotes and metaphors and slides with more pictures than words. I saw myself quoted on Twitter and even had a few people tell me mine was their favorite session of the day. You wouldn't have guessed I was a rookie, unless you saw me photographing my badge.

So, how did I achieve this milestone? Two words... Or maybe it's one. LinkedIn.

I started using LinkedIn in earnest five years ago, when I was looking for a job halfway across the country. I wrote a detailed profile, joined a few groups, and connected with some strangers whose interests aligned with mine. It was on LinkedIn that I first spotted the posting that I called "the big bank job."

Nowadays, pretty much everyone knows that LinkedIn is helpful for job hunters. What I didn't know is how valuable it can be when you're happily employed.

I work in Internal Communications. We're a small team at a big company, and it's easy to feel like outliers, writers among bankers. But every time I go to a conference, I remember that we're not unique. Every big company has people like us. We tend to be alike: English majors, ex-journalists, storytellers who found a creative outlet in a corporate landscape. On our best days, we help bank tellers and cube dwellers feel connected to the company's culture and values. We have strong opinions on Oxford commas, Sharepoint, and most-hated corporate buzzwords (yes, no, and utilize).

We're all trying to solve the same problems. Why shouldn't we learn from each other? It's a non-competitive space. Customers don't see our internal communications. Employees don't study our intranet, compare it to a competitor's, and then choose to take their talent to the company with the prettier corporate news page.

I started following LinkedIn groups because I wanted to know what other communicators were doing. I started posting in them because I saw a space to contribute.

That's how I met Jane, a French consultant researching digital workplaces. She asked interesting questions; I answered them. She asked to quote me in her report; I got the proper permissions from my employer and said Yes. She invited me to Washington, DC to speak at this conference with her.

Last night, sitting around a dinner table with Jane and a dozen like-minded professionals from around the world, I remembered that there's a unique energy to in-person networking, an honesty and connection that flows from a bottle of wine and a shared passion for the work you do. Those connections can take shape online. They start with openness, curiosity, and intellectual generosity.

I'm writing this blog so perhaps it will inspire someone else to put him or herself out there. If you ever feel isolated in your job, you're not. If you wonder whether you can grow your career without changing jobs, you can.

Here are my tips for finding authentic connections online: Show up. Join groups. Be more kind than necessary. Listen to people before you speak to them. Add value. If people around you are being self serving and dull, fill the space with what is needed and be the person you would like to meet. Always, always show gratitude for those who help you along the way.

Never Microwave Fish in the Break Room (and other career advice)

1. If the question begins with "Can you?" the answer is almost always "Yes."

At a few pivotal points in my career, my managers asked me questions beginning with "Can you..." and ending with something that I'd never done before. "Can you write a business case?" "Can you lead a WebEx meeting?" "Can you prepare a SWOT analysis?" I said Yes each time, knowing that between the company's resources, Google, and Amazon.com, I could find the information I needed to learn those skills and complete the task at hand.

Through this approach, I've discovered my own talents and interests, as when my spontaneous offer to teach a class about payroll taxes led me toward a rewarding 3-year stint as a corporate trainer and instructional designer. In other cases, I've bumped against my limits - A painful sojourn with Microsoft Access taught me to cross "data analyst" off my list of prospective career paths.

I'm not saying you should be dishonest or oversell your experience, but most of us undersell our capabilities because we're waiting for someone to give us training or permission to acquire a new skill. Have courage in your own resourcefulness and take a request to do something new as an invitation to learn.

2. Sometimes you have to butter your toast with a screwdriver.

Have you ever been asked to do something using entirely the wrong tool? It's hard and it's awkward and tempting to just bail on the whole project or wait for the technology to be perfect before moving forward. That was how it felt 3 years ago, when employee social networking was new at the bank. We had a clunky old tool in which discussion forums required multiple clicks into folders and nobody had a profile photo. Because the outcome (connecting employees to each other online) was worthwhile, the core team of believers channeled our inner McGyvers and made it work, moving the project forward.

You won't always have the right tool to easily accomplish your goals, but if your goals are worth fighting for, you can still make progress through creativity and persistence. Butter your toast with a screwdriver. When you have the option, ask politely for a butter knife.

3. Never microwave fish in the break room.

Remember that you don't work alone. No matter where you sit, no matter what you do, the actions that you take have an impact on other people.

Also, fish smells gross.

4. I'm rubber, you're glue.

Remember the old playground taunt, "Whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you?" There's a grain of truth here that can serve you well in your career.

The things you say about other people reflect on your own brand. If you describe every coworker as stubborn, or difficult to work with, or other less tactful terms, those words are actually shaping people's perception of you. This is why you so often see authors giving glowing testimonials on one another's book jackets: If I describe someone else's work as innovative or captivating, then people will associate those words with me.

There's a mistaken perception that you have to cut down others to get ahead or promote your own brand - This approach can only take you so far, before everyone around you catches on that the common theme in all of your toxic work relationships is you.


5. Whether you choose to find fault or you choose to find possibility, you'll have no trouble finding it.

The simplest but most important lesson that I've learned in my career is that my attitude is my choice. I choose to believe in my strengths and those of the people with whom I'm privileged to work. I choose to give people the benefit of the doubt and take an optimistic approach to my life and work.

It's very easy to find faults in any complex system: A company, a family, a society. Focusing on the faults reveals more faults, and it quickly becomes a reinforcing loop. Taking an appreciative approach, and focusing on the strengths and gifts and possibilities in the workplace, is a much more rewarding and enjoyable way to spend one's career.

Also, salads make great lunches.

Work-Life Balance

As I'm typing this, I am hoping against hope that a certain sleepy toddler doesn't wake up. My 20-month-old son Felix woke up this morning with the telltale runny nose and eye gunk that said "Change your plans, Mom." I got him dressed in hopes that he'd perk up and we could send him off to daycare - but when I felt his forehead, I knew that all bets were off. And so I'm home, in my living room, listening to the quiet house and sitting in silent awe of my own life and the delicate thing that we call "work-life balance."


I used to hate the phrase "work-life balance," and I insist it's a false dichotomy. Work is very much a part of my life, and my personal life informs and shapes my professional perspective.


But the more I think about it, especially now that I have two small human beings in my care, the more I understand that it is a balancing act as complex and awe-inspiring as anything you'll see in Cirque de Soleil.


I have a theory that I call "The Rule of 4." There are four great endeavors which can consume an adult's energy:

1.Working
2.Going to school
3.Caring for children
4.Maintaining a home life

Most emotionally healthy adults can reasonably expect to do exactly two of these things well at any given time. You can focus on three in short bursts - e.g., finishing up your degree while working and having kids, but only because you know that it's only one semester, you have a fridge full of Red Bull, and nobody minds that your house looks to be three days away from a Hoarders intervention. The Rule of 4 is also a great excuse to rationalize hiring a housekeeper.


My days are very full. My alarm goes off at 4:30, and I often wake up fairly certain that I forgot something. Is it pajama day at school? Are there field trip permission slips to turn in? Did I bring my laptop home last night? Do I have a meeting that requires me to dress more competently than usual?


When I was 25 and childless, I would never have believed that I'd wake up at such an unholy hour and maintain a cheerful attitude to boot.


And yet, somehow, it balances. Some days, I feel like I'm stacking plates while riding a unicycle, but I grab more of them: Swimming lessons? Why not! Piano? Sure! Of course I can fit in trips to the gym and make a digital scrapbook for my mother! Perhaps I'll take up yoga and Pinterest, too, while I'm at it.


I was marveling at this today, while I was dialed into a conference call with Felix's fever-warmed head resting on my lap, Yo Gabba Gabba! playing in the background. I muted the phone and said "I love you," and for the first time ever, Felix said "Love you" right back.


There is a formula for this, I realized, and it's both simpler and more complex than my Rule of 4. It's love. Love (and my alarm clock) draw me out of bed and give me the energy for the people in my life - those who are related to me, and those with whom I work. Love makes it a no-brainer that I had to stay home today, and it's there in the trust that I have with my manager and my team, knowing that the work I'm responsible for will get done, when it needs to get done. Love also gives me the courage to say hard things, like telling my 5-year-old "I can't play with you now, I'm working" and know that she'll forgive me because I will keep my promises and play with her later.


I won't pretend that I was as productive today as I would have been in the office. I'll probably be online for awhile tonight, and may have to scramble a bit to meet my to-dos for later in the week. But I'll approach that work with love, enthusiasm, and gratitude because it meant I got to be here today. And that, to me, is work-life balance.

The Rhythm of Career Development

Last week, I had the exciting opportunity to be part of a panel on career development. Here are some of my speaker notes:

It's important not to confuse career development with career progression. Career progression is something that you can influence, but also depends on a multitude of factors. Career development, on the other hand, is within your control. You can tell your career is developing if you can look at the work you're doing today and say to yourself, "There's no way i could have done this a year ago." If you're smarter, braver, or more connected than you used to be, then you're moving forward, regardless of your job title.

I approach career development as a constant cycle of listening, learning, synthesizing, and sharing information. In this process, you're also building relationships around the knowledge you acquire and share.

Here's my ideal rhythm of career development activities:


Daily:

• Be in conversation with interesting people. Do this in person and online. Approach your interactions, inside and outside of work, with an open and curious mind.


• Say Yes often. You'll learn more, and people will like you more.


• Keep an ongoing list of things to check out when you have time: Book recommendations, websites, magazine articles that you hear about in passing.

Weekly:

• Make time to read. Go through the list of articles or books that you've been compiling. Spend a half hour reading a blog, news site, or forum that pertains to your area of interest and development. Scan the headlines and click into the articles that speak to you. In my line of work, I draw a lot of value from the corporate communications information on http://www.ragan.com/ and the technology news on http://www.mashable.com/.


• Share something. Whether it's on your work blog or Facebook or a friendly conversation with a coworker, pass along a bit of knowledge or insight that you've learned and think that someone else would appreciate knowing. As a bonus, you're building your brand as someone who is insightful and generous with your knowledge.


• Send recognition. Set a weekly calendar reminder (mine is on Friday mornings) and think through all the people you've worked with this week who might deserve thanks or recognition. My company has an online program that lets us send e-cards and buttons, but a simple e-mail or wall post will suffice. It takes a few minutes to send a nomination, but the positive impact can resonate for years.

Monthly:

• Dig a little deeper. Attend a webinar (there are many excellent free ones out there), download and read a white paper, or listen to a TED talk (http://www.ted.com/) or podcast. Take a community education seminar in your neighborhood. You can do this alone or enlist a teammate and enhance your learning by sharing and discussing it.


• Create something. Career development isn't just about soaking up knowledge - it's about synthesizing and sharing that knowledge for the benefit of others. For me, it's this blog. I'm not sure who will read this, but if someone draws value from any of these words or ideas, then I have created some good in the world, and that feels like career development to me.


• Make a difference for someone. Reach out and do some mentoring. If you think it's too early in your career to be a mentor at your company, volunteer with Junior Achievement or see if your college has an alumni/student mentoring program. Mentoring isn't the only way to make a difference. Sometimes it's taking an hour of your day to help somebody with a task that's nowhere near your job description.
  

Once or twice a year:

• Change your scenery. Bust out of your daily routine and go to a conference or seminar in a different city. While you're there, forget about the day-to-day and immerse yourself in the learning experience. Take copious notes and be prepared to present and/or blog about it when you return to work.


• Set a goal that scares you. Whether it's writing a book, running a marathon, or earning the job of your dreams - you don't have to tell anyone what it is - but keep it in your own mind, and think of what you could do today, next week, and next month that might help you get there.