Week 04, 2024 - Diary of a Revenue Engineer - A big one…
What I Thought…
This post is most likely going to be a big one. Not necessarily in terms of content length, but potentially in terms of subject matter and scope.
It’s also my hope that it’s entirely devoid of bitterness, for reasons which will become apparent.
Indulge me a little, and let’s bask in it’s light whilst I regale you with the surprising shit-storm that this week turned in to.
You see… about 3 hours ago I was made, like so many people in the tech industry right now, aware that my role may be redundant.
An HR Business Partner unexpectedly appeared in a routing 121 with my manager and the words “We’re going to have an uncomfortable conversation…” made my body react like there were sabretooth tigers leaping from the long-grass.
And, though the lawn does need mowing, this was of course entirely not the case.
However, my body reacted as if being attacked and that set off a chain reaction which changed everything.
I’d just been reading “Perform Under Pressure” By Dr Ceri Evans and it speaks to handling situations just like this. In fact, I’d just finished presenting the chapter that spoke about this very thing and the need to be strategic in moments of pressure in a recent leadership meeting.
And that’s when it struck me.
This wasn’t a cataclysm. It was an opportunity.
Everything had been leading me to this moment.
Without realising, I’d been preparing myself just for this, to capitalise on this brief window in time.
I’m not one to wax lyrical about manifestation, or the universe or angel numbers. Not through any cynicism, merely through a preference for different thought processes and actions.
However, I truly believe that the universe was preparing me for this moment, and I truly believe that whatever will come will be better.
Let me walk you through how everything I’ve been working on for the last 2 years has set me up to cope with this more effectively and who knows - maybe you reading this is the universe preparing you for what’s to come.
What I Learned…
So, here’s the start of my argument for an uncanny correlation of past actions setting me up for this moment and this opportunity:
1 - Perform Under Pressure: So, as I mentioned, I’ve been reading this book which is almost all geared to having tough conversations and keeping on top of your bodies chemical reactions to acute stress. It was a booked suggested by my manager months ago, the person has since made decisions on my role. In the moment, I used the framework to switch from “Panic!” to “Strategise…” in a way which has already served me well.
2 - Radical Candour: Again, Masterclass coming into it’s own (feel like I’ve gotten my money’s worth for this already and we’re two months into the year). I LOVED this course, though it was a bit trying at times and some of the roleplay was a bit janky, I took a lot from it.
My main takeaway was a structure for feedback and praise which I think has been lacking in my own professional career and one I think we can all benefit from implementing in our personal and professional lives
“You already know how to be Radically Candid because you know how to care personally and to challenge directly. compassion is empathy plus action. Relationships are core to your job.”
3 - ERA 1996 Rocks: I’ve also become rather uncomfortably familiar with the Employment Rights Act of 1996 due to recent events. This was unexpected in terms of timing and need, but also in terms of admiration.
There are certainly things to fix about the world and things we need to tackle, but there are some incredibly laws and acts in the background that really have our back.
I don’t know who was involved in the making of this Act, but thank you so much for putting it in place and protecting people all over the UK since 1996.
It does make me wonder - what other awesome pieces of law are out there, protecting me from things right now without my knowledge?
What I Built…
4 - Scrubbing up the old CV: Well of course I used this as an opportunity to test things out. I did two rounds of an ABC test and I found that black and white, standard CV’s without images get more traction. In fact, the more I put into the CV in terms of design, the lower the response. I’d love to understand why, but I have to thank CANVA for it’s incredible service in saving me time, helping me make things look beautiful and scrubbing up the old CV for job applications again.
5 - Good, great and better: I also started reading “Good to Great” by Jim Collins this week, which came at an excellent time as I started to try any find my next great company.
I did start to build relationships and traction with some amazing companies (who also had the best recruitment flows BTW… interesting correlation!).
To that end, I’ve started the recruitment process with some really innovative and interesting B-Corp organisations. If I get the job or not, I don’t know… but the organisations are really interesting, transparent and open. So I feel comfortable that if I didn’t get the job, the right person would.
How I Lived Longer…
6 - Endurance Milestone: I ran 7.5km this week. Sure, no ultimate marathon round the corner but this was one of the first big milestones for me because I SUCK at running. Even with all the HIIT work I’ve been doing, it was a major battle of the shins and the brain I can assure you. I battled through however, and feel all the better for it.
7 - Embraced what I didn’t want to: After hearing about how doing things you don’t want to may actually increase your health-span, I attacked all the things I didn’t want to do this week.
A good thing as I’m now going to have to do a LOT of that I think.
How I Stayed Happier…
8 - TM all the way baby!: So I’ve mentioned and written a great deal about meditation already, but after stumbling across transcendental meditation in a podcast and in a book recommendation I must say it holds great power to personal calm and happiness.
For me, on my neophyte journey into meditation, meditation is the logical response to the question “What do you want to fill your life with - focus and happiness, or stress and worry?”. The answer was clearly delivered in a few TM sessions and I’ll be doing more of it going forward.
Final Thoughts…
So - how exactly did all of this start building towards a coping mechanism for the unexpected randomness of this week’s outcome? Here’s how.
1 - Control your responses in potentially triggering situations and make good decisions.
2 - There is a process for feedback to help people grow and to provide praise and structure.
3 - There are mechanisms and acts guarding you from injustice right now if you’re willing to continue learning about them and apply them.
4 - Don’t lose sight of your value or skill set, leverage them to make a better life.
5 - Great opportunities are out there, many companies are making money and doing good - and the great ones are focused on people.
6 - Fitness, especially the internal mind discipline it builds, help you dig deep and perform in uncomfortable places.
7 - Attack the things you don’t want to do but have to, that’s not only the key to a long life, but a happy one.
8 - Choose what you want to fill your mind with and build the emotional muscles that help you do that.
So - I’ve been in training for this moment without ever realising it.
I’m more capable and valuable than I ever have been.
I’ve been forced out of my comfort zone, yes.
But I truly believe it’s for the best and that the future is brighter.
