Malin Liden, Vice President, Global Field Marketing, SAP
14 May 2018
I consider myself ambitious. I work hard and the expectation I have is that my efforts will translate into interesting career opportunities and growth. At the same time, life has taught me the hard way that what happens at work is not what matters the most in the end. In a strange way, it has helped me look at career planning in a different way: A game that is fun to play when you win, but that can also suck when you’re simply given a poor hand.
Spending time with the people you love is what makes you sustainably happy. Because let’s face it, success at work is not always within our control, so if a great career is our only source of happiness we’re in for a steep fall. We can work incredibly hard, make all the right moves and it won’t be enough. I’ve experienced the most challenging part of my career right after my biggest success. That’s how a game works, it is not always logical. You get a manager that just does not support you, sponsors that you spent years building relationships with leave the company, or something happens in your life that throws you off a career path that seemed to only know the upwards direction. In those situations, it helps to think of career management as a game that is fun to win but that you aren’t betting your entire life on. Fortunately, there are ways to influence your luck to win more often. Here are my top 5 tips for sustainable career success:
1. Work hard – One of my favorite quotes is from Swedish skiing superstar Ingmar Stenmark. He won all there is to win on the slopes in the 70’s and when he was asked by a reporter if he considers luck a part of his success he said: I don’t know a lot about luck but I’ve noticed that the harder I work the luckier I get. It’s frustrating when you work hard and you don’t get rewarded. But anyone who generates real and measurable results for the business will eventually have opportunities. Simply because those are the players everyone wants on their teams. Some people will build careers on less tangible things, but that does require more luck. Getting things done that matter to the business is always the best career investment.
2. Do the right thing – A great mentor of mine always said to people who sought his advice on how to manage a sensitive or political situation: Do the right thing, you know what it is and it will pay off in the end. It’s often tempting to think in a tactical way, trying to figure out what move will help me expand my team, increase my influence, support my career. But it helps to bring it back to the bigger picture: What’s right for the business and for the customer. That’s what we should do and it is usually very clear what it is. It may not pay off immediately, but it will in the end.
3. Find a purpose – We tend to look at rewards and recognition in career moves and monetary compensation, but when you don’t get that as an immediate result of your accomplishments, it helps a lot if you’re doing things that are truly meaningful. I take great pride in the tangible things I know I have done for the business, people that I know I helped in their careers, and strategic initiatives I have supported, that I know will yield long term positive results. So, chose your next assignment wisely, not just based on what you think it can do for your career in an immediate next step, but based on how it contributes to a purpose that is personal to you.
4. Be strategic – Don’t go where everyone else is going and wonder why it’s such a crowded space. Find a developing area with big potential, learn fast and help your organization take advantage of it. Once it’s mature, move on and find the next one. That’s how you stay relevant and with very little competition around you. The key words here are strategic thinking and lifelong learning.
5. Be kind – There are few things I dislike as much as only being kind and respectful to the “important people”. Power structures change and it ALWAYS pays off to be kind. It doesn’t cost a thing, there is no risk, only upside. Plus, it also makes work and life a lot more fun.
As an active mentor I often talk to people who are frustrated because they are doing all the right things and yet they feel stalled in their careers. My own experience makes me even more convinced that playing a successful game requires BEING ALL IN (no risk, no reward), BEING PATIENT (wait for the right hand) and HAVING A SOLID INNER COMPASS (never losing track of what’s important). There are no guarantees for a straight career path, but this formula will pay off in opportunities and growth.
I’ve had a great career working for some incredible people, but I am also thankful for the few downhill rides I have taken, as they provide very valuable learning experiences. When the best year of my career was followed by the least rewarding one, I could have been frustrated about the poor hand I was given, or do the best with the cards I had to play. I chose to engage in a business area that wasn’t going to take me to my ultimate career goal, but that needed my help, working towards a positive outcome for the business, not for me personally. At the same time, I engaged in initiatives outside of my job description that I was passionate about, that helped support diversity and inclusion in our industry while allowing me to learn new things and nurture my network. In short, I used the time wisely while I waited for the the right hand of career cards to make my next move.
What’s your recipe for career success? How do you turn challenging experiences into new opportunities?