Career Lessons, As Told by Taylor Swift

I don't know about you, but I'm feeling… like my social feeds are Taylor Taylor Taylor! Her current "Eras" tour has been, almost literally, sweeping the nation and no matter your music preference I think we can agree Taylor is objectively enjoying a ton of career success right now. Her songs reverberated in my head as I recently reflected on my own career path and I couldn't stop finding relatable themes in her lyrics that are clues to how she reached this point. So below are some valuable Professional Life Lessons... punctuated by Taylor Swift lyrics.

I'm the Problem It's Me

The original lesson that allows all others to follow. We must be willing to recognize our responsibility in every outcome and misstep. This doesn't mean you're a monster on the hill, still give yourself grace. However, there is always something to learn from our part in a situation. If we are willing to recognize when that part is bigger than we're comfortable with, we can take control of that negative situation and turn it into a hit!

We will all receive some level of criticism in our lives and here is where I've recently become a pretty big fan of Taylor as a person. As someone who receives a ton of feedback, both negative and positive in her career, she's found a healthy relationship that allows her to discard the criticism that isn't helpful to her (like comments on her body) but find truth and learning in some that can be (certain songs or behaviors not being received well) regardless of whether or not that criticism is delivered fairly. The next time the haters hate, hate, hate.. before you shake it off, ask yourself if there is anything valuable under there.

Beyond feedback being directly given, we can give ourselves that gift by reflecting on how we've handled past situations and ask ourselves what we could have done differently. Even if it wouldn't have changed the outcome, what could we have done, knowing what we do now, that would have made us more accepting of the outcome? Simply put, don't get older and never wiser.

Karma is Your Boyfriend

My love for the song "Karma" was ignited immediately because most often Karma is used as a negative word for the repercussions of someone's gross behavior. This flipped that script and celebrates *good karma* which is a real and valuable force in the realm of networking. Networking, done well, is as simple as building others up and keeping your side of the street clean. That doesn't mean being a doormat, but you can lend your talent to others without expecting a direct return other than practicing your skills. That creates a wave wherein you've practiced a talent, strengthened your brand and displayed your value, publicly at times and privately at others. Those focused on the debts owed to them or nervous about their indiscretions coming around to get them can't enjoy the breeze in their hair on the weekend, but when you approach your network by adding your value to a community, you can navigate your career with the relaxing thought that should challenges arise, you've established your place in a community that knows and supports your talent. Me & Karma vibe like that.

Best Believe You're Still Bejeweled

There will be times in our lives when we are underappreciated, under-utilized, unable to shine. This could be due to unfortunate leadership or culture or objectively it may just be circumstance that isn't working in our favor. 

If you find yourself being held down, Taylor gets it when she sings "putting someone first only works when you're in their top 5". If a company's culture or leadership doesn't have it's employees in their top priorities, top performance has little to no chance of meeting potential. On the other hand, companies and teams can prioritize its' employees and still find themselves not needing or understanding every talent afforded to them. Extracting value from talent is smart, but if you're a cook in a tech organization.. you can't depend on them to find you a kitchen.

In either case, if you find yourself dulled, the biggest mistake here would be believing that to mean you are no longer a gem. As a previous Director of mine put it, "we are all diamonds, multi-faceted and unique". When those facets are scratched, dirty or in the dark, we may be convinced it was cubic zirconia all along. Or… we can reclaim the land, find a new setting and polish up our talents. Take time to rediscover your different attributes and invest in ways to strengthen and re-apply them. When you find the right lighting, you can walk in the room and make the whole place shimmer.

This is Why We Can't Have Nice Things.

Listen, life is more fun when you are open and generous, and I believe in living life that way. But if trust is broken.. learn to enforce your boundaries. Standing up for yourself doesn't have to be a big, loud event. It can be simply and powerfully shaking your head, and locking the gates. 

Sometimes You Need a Getaway (car)

PTO, Vacation Time, Mental Health Day, Sabbatical… Call it what you want to, but call it when you need to. Burnout is real and it's a real B (not a baller). Not only can it take down your productivity and harm your career, it can take much longer, and much more effort, to recover the deeper you're in it. We work to make a living which means support our life, hopefully one we envision for ourselves. To sacrifice part of that life is a kink in the bike chain that pushes us forward. So when your body and mind need a rest, give it some love. Go in Exile. Silence your emails and your social media for a few days. Your creativity will flourish when you do! You may find yourself singing "No body's heard from me in months, I'm doing better than I ever was".

Finally, Embrace Every Era

Taylor's current tour is a celebration of all the career moments that have led her here. The ugly, funny, sweet, embarrassing, and the beautiful. She's claiming them all and reclaiming some. Her albums have genre-hopped and with each she's grown as an artist, a brand and a person. Sometimes you just know when it's time to go. Especially with how quickly things can change in our world, not only do we not have to stay on one path, we likely won't get to. On more than one occasion you may be pushed (either externally or internally) in a direction you didn't plan for and may not be comfortable with yet. It's easy to feel concerned in those moments that leaving means you've wasted time on the wrong path, that this new path may not be right or that you're not as prepared as the others on this path. Thank your past and trust that as you look back on your career journey you'll find an invisible string threading it all together.