Have you been distressed lately about the economy, your job or your boss? If so, you wouldn’t be alone.
When times are toughest, most of us tend to wait out the storm rather than seek out other, perhaps even riskier opportunities.
In his new book, Bulletproof Your Job, author Stephen Viscusi says that your “primary objective” at work is to protect your job because it is “your most valuable asset.”
Forget the financial crisis; the issue is more primal than that. “Here’s the cold hard truth: If you don’t click with your boss, all that merit and pedigree won’t get you anywhere when your job is on the line,” writes Viscusi. “What really matters is what your boss thinks about you.”
Viscusi’s job-protection strategy leverages four basic principles:
- Be visible
- Be easy
- Be useful
- Be ready
“Here’s the bulletproof truth,” he writes. “If your superiors don’t see you or know who you are, you’re very easy to let go.” I haven’t discerned the difference between “cold-hearted truths” and “bulletproof truth” but I like the confident way Viscusi sells his points.
On the topic of visibility, Viscusi concedes that perception is more than half of the battle. “You don’t actually have to pull all-nighters twice a week to show how committed you are to your job,” he assures us. However, he says, it’s important to work longer hours than your boss. Bummer!
Viscusi is a recruiter who is described on the book jacket as “America’s workplace guru.”
However, it doesn’t appear that Viscusi is big on work-life balance. For instance, he recommends that if your company offers a nifty workout facility … “whatever you do, don’t get caught using them.”
In fact, Viscusi offers a bit of politically incorrect advice that some may view as literally sucking up to your boss. If they smoke, take a smoking break with them. It’s good bonding time.
One controversial opinion he espouses are that career coaches are for sissies. “If you need a career coach, you don’t have a career!” he proclaims. Doesn’t that strike you as an odd sentiment to read in a career management guide?
Viscusi contends that many readers “don’t know how the meaning of hard work.” He suggests that you “work hard, go the extra mile and don’t complain.” Good luck with that.
Thanks so much for reading this so I don’t feel compelled to.
Facetime? The economy is crazy and companies are trying to figure out how to innovate and his answer is… Facetime? Really? Seriously?
Facetime is a ‘boomer’ mantra constructed because there are so darn many of them – they had to be “visible” all the time just to get noticed. I’m sorry but the bulletproof points outlined seem a bit outdated.
When managing highly effective teams and creating innovation – the answer is NOT facetime, etc.. The answer is figuring out how to create positive change and work ourselves out of a job – not charge ahead toward job security. I honestly can’t think of anything more boring or unfulfilling.
To the quote about hard work: “don’t know how the meaning of hard work.”…“work hard, go the extra mile and don’t complain.” I say: It’s not my problem if I’m twice as efficient as the person next to me who needs “facetime”. I choose to work smart, produce high quality, show people how to think differently, and make sure I create success for others. That’s the impression I want to leave with my boss – and his boss.
Career coaches are a fantastic tool if used properly – especially for women in the world we work in. Who the heck else is going to advise women on how to succeed in the boys’ club? The boys?