Number 4 of 52 Lifelong Communication Lessons: Select, don't settle
January 26, 2015 |
| Vancouver street photographer, Foncie Pulice (George Diack, PNG Archive) |
The
year was 1979.
Margaret
Thatcher is elected Prime Minister of England. There is a nuclear accident at Three
Mile Island. Famed Vancouver street photographer Foncie retires and takes his
last photo.
I
was working at the Heart Foundation (now Heart and Stroke) doing special events
and corporate fund raising. Our Director of Public Relations was retiring and I
was eager to take on the role. After the interview process it was just wait and
see. It is a tad awkward when you are the internal candidate. You see the
external interviewees coming through the door and speculate like crazy about
your credentials and theirs. I had worked my way up in the organization and
while I had managed the PR for my events, I still had a lot to learn.
The
decision day finally comes and I am booked to meet with my boss that afternoon.
I have a good indication I will get the job but know there is never any
guarantee. Around 11am that morning I
get a call from one of our Board members. He tells me to meet him down the
street for a coffee and not let anyone know what I am doing.
Such
strange behaviour from this man. He had been a mentor to me. With a military
background he was a stickler for protocol. He made me read books about the army
so I would understand hierarchy and play by the rules – not one of my strong
points. I was quite taken aback by this
clandestine meeting but off I went, as commanded.
When
I arrived he said he had been on the Board call to discuss my appointment as
the new Director. Woo hoo, I just about jumped out of my skin. I was so
excited. “But,” he said, “they are not going to give you a salary increase.
They know how bad you want the job and that you don’t have all the experience
needed so they are going to only offer what you make now.” I said I did not
care. I just wanted the opportunity to get the experience. “Whoa,” says my
military man who has just broken every protocol by sharing this info with me,
“you are going to decline the job.” What?! How could my mentor even suggest
such a thing? That is when I learned the art of negotiation. In the next 15
minutes he briefed me like a drill Sargent on exactly what to say.
That
afternoon, feeling like I was going to barf, I did as he said and told my boss
I could not accept the job without a pay increase. As I left his office, his
mouth agape, I wondered if I had just made the dumbest move of my career. Turns
out it was the best move. I got the job, the salary increase and was on a new
playing field with my boss.
Communication
lessons: Trust your mentors, don’t settle for less than you are worth and break
protocol sometimes when it feels right.
Fast
forward to 2015. Think of the people who break with protocol and make the world
a way more interesting and fun - Tim Minchin, Richard Branson and Chris Hadfield.
The next year we visit will be 1960.
The next year we visit will be 1960.
Posts
4 comments
An excellent lesson in both self-worth and strategic positioning. And -- you have paid your mentor's great advice forward - your ongoing mentorship of me is so appreciated and enjoyed!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ruth! It is mutual mentoring...
ReplyDeleteSaw Margot's Facebook post and dropped by for a look-see. What a great post and reminder especially about not settling for less than your worth -- I think it took me until my third employment change to embrace that idea. Hope all is well in your world. Larry
ReplyDeleteLarry - so great to hear from you! Hope all is good in your world. Found your blog so will follow you now.
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