Sensing a Pattern Here
Quick. What’s the next number in this sequence?*
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 . . .
The human brain, while prone to damage and even more prone to distraction—look, a squirrel!—is actually quite adept at a few things, like for one, recognizing patterns. And we’re not talking about picking wallpaper swatches or matching a jacket with a tie. Rather and instead, we’re talking about seeing and responding to patterns of numbers, of art, of human nature.
Or of business.
There’s no doubt what you’re about to see you’ve seen before. OK, maybe you haven’t devoted the time to dissect and deconstruct them, but it’s close to a mortal certainty that when you read through them that someone will pop into your head as the subject—or is it the object?—of such cautionary tales.
Don’t agree?
Let’s see.
CRASH AND BURN
Pattern: You leave a job you’ve held for 10-plus years, only to get fired after a few months at your next gig. And after a few weeks at the one after that.
Reason: Couple of them. The first is you think that goodwill, like your 401k balance, follows you to the new company. When it fact, it’s more like your health insurance or your stapler or your work wife:
It stays behind.
You have to understand that whatever you did before, no matter how imaginative or amazing, means nothing. As far as the new employer is concerned, it never happened. Like it was all a dream. You’re born-again and starting anew. And you have to build up your bonafides one day and one decision at a time.
Another possibility is that your quirks, while charming and humorous to those who know and love you, are annoying and offensive to those who don’t. Not that you should not be yourself; however, it’s better to ease and tease your way into the big personality reveal, particularly if you happens to have a big personality.
Don’t give ‘em the Full Monty until you’ve been there a while.
FALSE POSITIVE
Pattern: Every time you have a great job interview, you never hear back.
Reason: This seem paradoxical, but it’s actually the opposite. It’s quite, uh, doxical? Once the interviewer realizes you’re not right for the job—and this, as with blind dates, occurs quicker than you think—the conversation downshifts into something more casual, more friendly. This happens because people are polite and they don’t want to just give you the bum’s rush out the door. So they chit. And they chat. Where are you from? Where did you meet your wife? Do you enjoy, whatever, Pink Floyd or pickleball?
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And it goes from banal to worse.
Of course, you think you’re killing it. But the person at the other side of the desk is actually just killing time. Running out the clock. Dean Smith, four-corners, 1970s college basketball-style.
Now this is counter-intuitive, but you’d much rather have it contentious. We’re not talking chair throwing or mo-fo’ing, but you gonna wanna have some healthy friction. In a real interview, where you’re being taken seriously as a candidate, expect a little disagreeing. Many times the interviewer will come after you with a little chin music to see how your respond. Will you shrink and shirk, or will you step back into the box and dig in.
So, what should you do if you find yourself “friend-zoned,” so to speak?
You need to push back. Challenge the interviewer. Latch onto something said that you disagree with, and go all Devil’s Advocate up in their business. Show your combative side. Of course, you can’t yell and scream and bang your shoe on the desk like a crazy person. But you have to—repeat, have to—break up this kumbaya moment before it kills your chances for the job.
Because it will.
REPEAT OFFENDER
Pattern: OK, you get fired or riff’d or downsized because of some deficiency in your work-related performance—how's that for a euphemism?—only to luck into another job and a few months down the line and . . . get blown out for the exact same reason.
Reason: Recidivism isn’t just for convicts. So many times you will see people get a second or a third (or a seventh) chance to fix some glitch in their personality, and they just can’t bring themselves to doing it. It’s like a curse, and they don’t know how to double-double-toil-and-trouble their way out of it.
This is where you need a trusted friend. Someone to cover your six, your blind spot, to show you the flaws you can’t see or refuse to see. Usually, it’s something correctable: Rude communication style; disagreeable personality; chronic complaining; mediocre effort.
Buddy up with a co-worker, a life coach, a mentor. Anyone with the fortitude to say when you’re straying off course. Self-correction is just too difficult. Lot of the time, it’s like your floating in space and you can’t tell where you are or where you’re going. And hey, all pro athletes pay good money for a set of eyes to make sure nothing is astray with their shot, their swing or their stroke.
Or their psyche.
Get yourself the same for your career.
*The next number is this, the famed Fibonacci Sequence, is 21. You just sum the previous two numbers each time. Viola!
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Founder & CEO @ FormFree® | Patented Blockchain Data Driven Intelligent Lending
2yFibonacci also teaches us that nothing ever goes in a straight line 🙏.
Gaming Consultant
2y21...Fibonacci Sequence ☺️
CMQ/OE | Sr. Reliability/Quality Engineer | Supplier Quality Engineer | Compliance Engineer | New Product Development
2yWe can also say the same thing about companies- As I have worked on my own personal improvements- each company I have worked for followed a pattern of choices that lead to detrimental outcomes- whether it’s being bought out and integrated or sold off to venture capitalist, or just not recognize the limitations of their organization in expanding too quickly.. Many times the economy or tradgedy breaks the backs of unfeatered Risk with a economic downturn causing investors to abandon ship leaving great work high and dry… These patterns also become recognizable and have alerted me to brush off and revise the resume and seek safer harbors. I have learned much from the concepts this article speaks of…. And have incorporated it into my ongoing career strategy …. I wish companies and C- level types would also take head in this wisdom…
CRO | Stanford GSB | Enterprise AI/ML | SaaS Sales | GTM Strategy
2yHi Roger Snow I specifically liked the ‘Healthy Friction’ is proportional to ‘Higher quality conversation’ part.
Field Service Manager at Scientific Games
2y21