Learning Curve

I last lived in Cape Town in 2006. I was there for my four years of university, and two and a half years of work. Sitting around a dinner table at a conference with some colleagues, a job opening in Joburg was mentioned. I hadn’t been in my current role long enough to be bored. Most roles have a learning curve. A time when you are finding the toilet. A time when you start getting the hang of things. A time when you hit your stride. I was still in the learning phase, but the Joburg role was appealing. I had been doing technical work, and the marketing role meant I would get to speak to human beings. I had finished my professional exams, and my buddy had a few to go. A joke that this would be a (brief) chance to be his boss, turned into (brief) reality. I loved Cape Town. That was not why I left. Life decisions are complicated, and full of trade-offs. 14 years later, I am plotting a return to the mountain. Still on a life-long learning curve. With a different set of trade-offs.

Building Bridges

Playing the Corporate Game involves not burning bridges. When it comes to interviews, reviews, and exit discussions, senior people will regularly bemoan the lack of honest, meaningful, feedback. Honest  feedback isn’t the same thing as true feedback. We are all projecting our stuff. So if your feedback is pointed, it is often a reflection on you. That is why people know to hold back. Otherwise they are exposing their bits. Honesty will get held against you in promotions, compensation, and the quality of references you are given. Many references simply confirm the work dates. Many “weaknesses” are “I am a bit of a perfectionist”. So I get why people don’t want to talk about their black lives matter experiences in white majority companies. They don’t want to be the idiot who takes the request at face value. Smart people know that when a boss says, “This is my view, but it’s your decision”. They mean, “Just do what you are told”, but want to lie to themselves that they can delegate. Corporates like delegating responsibility, but not authority. Few people will take responsibility for why we are having the black lives matter conversation. People will be honest when bosses stop playing games.