Stephen Pollan is an iconoclastic life coach and personal finance mentor. He’s also a lawyer. But I think the engraved sign on his New York City office desk offers the best description of what he does: “Professional Fear Eliminator.” Pollan, 83, meets with clients for 45 minutes to an hour to help them deal with knotty career issues they’re facing or fearing, from bouncing back after a layoff to dealing with a gnarly boss to squeezing out more money from a severance agreement. Often, his advice is provocative, unconventional and even blunt. 1.You believe employees need to understand that they work for their supervisors, not their companies. What do you mean? Companies are never aware of who you are or what you do. I’m more interested in helping you make your supervisor look good than making you look good. You should be more preoccupied with your supervisor’s status rather than your own. If your supervisor wants somebody to take on responsibility at work, you’ve got to look like you’re protecting his back and front. That’s your most important job. Then you’ll get recognition. 2.How should employees use their supervisors to keep their jobs and get ahead? Have a dialogue with your supervisor at least once a month. One type of dialogue is showing your gratitude for the professional growth you’ve received from their teachings. Go there and say thank you. That’s a good thing to do. Another positive thing to do: Come up with an idea for the company. Even better than that is coming up with an idea for your supervisor because that will make him or her look good. 3.What do you say to people who think their job is in jeopardy? Renew your vows at work and make a conscious, larger contribution. And show gratitude to your employer for your professional growth; expressing gratitude is magic. 4. You believe that someone who wants to get hired has to go about it without looking like a job hunter. Why? If you’re looking for a job, you have the lean and hungry look of a job seeker. When people see you, they think they’re in a hospital ward. People looking for jobs are treated as second-class citizens. Looking for a job has got to be a goal you keep to yourself and do incidentally. You could do it by getting face time with people, making presentations at trade conferences and networking there, maybe writing an article to show your expertise. You want to get other people titillated about you. 5.And you say the most important thing to do when you’re unemployed is to get a job — that it almost doesn’t matter what the job is. Unemployed job seekers get a quarter of the jobs that employed job seekers get. I don’t care if you’re a soda jerk, you’ve got to be doing something. When you go on a job interview and you’re asked, “What are you doing now?” and your response is “I’m looking for a job,” that’s not good. You want to say, “I’ve got a job and I’m looking for one that’s much better.” |
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