Do you feel like you’re underachieving because you are just stuck where you are and can’t get out?

Byron (not his real name) feels like this. He was doing well for a long time. A graduate of one of the top HR schools in the U.S. He had been the compensation manager for a shoe company with operations in several countries. He hit a series of problems with his boss, getting a string of “be a team player” talks, and decided to get an MBA while in his mid-thirties. He came out and started working in Kansas City as the manager of executive compensation for a large corporation. After a couple of years, a shake-up in the leadership left him out in the cold. He’s been struggling to find decent work in the years since, finally settling into what he would call a boring job with a government where he was recently passed over for a promotion to a job that is two levels below where he used to work?

What happened?

The most common answer, and one that undoubtedly will sooner or later pop up in this thread, is “He should be working harder!”

Nice thought except that it’s ridiculous. Byron rode the Bike Across America ride, the one where if you don’t get done within the allotted time each day, you’re done. And figuring out your own way home. He did it: twice. This is not a quitter nor someone who flinches from hard work.

Nor is he lacking in either skills and knowledge (shown by prior work and education). And if you’re someone who worries about CIP, I coded his interview at 5H while the others in the class pegged him at 6M. He was 42.

So, I ask again: What happened?

Glad I asked.
[Read more →]

Since I got so much grief from some of y’all for failing to mention the last one, here’s the news: a brand new MacUpdate Promo bundle is available. You get some great apps, plus the chance that they will unlock SoundStudio (probable), BannerZest (likely), and Parallels Desktop (possible but don’t hold your breath), all for US$64.99. In my opinion, the licenses for the core apps make it worth the price.

Not a dog in the bunch here. Great job, MacUpdate!