Before You Thrive, You Need to Survive

In my last role, I had one particular person with whom I partnered with regularly. Regardless of the nature of the problem we were working on, he inevitably entered problem-solving through the proverbial front door: existing frameworks, models, and methodologies.

In contrast, I usually entered through anything but the front door. At best, I went in through the back door or clamber through a basement window and headed straight to the proverbial kitchen to learn what was really going on. Only then would I think about any frameworks and methodologies.

But why did I find myself in a pattern that had me avoiding what seemed to be the path of least resistance? The answer was simple. I don’t trust the front door. In the past, when I had entered through the front door, I found myself in a precarious position, surrounded by rules, protocols, and jargon that I had never heard of.

Frances Frei would call these “secret rules.” These rules are second nature for people who have come of age within specific social structures and organizations. But if you don’t have that exposure, these rules can feel intimidating or make you question your intelligence.

This realization could have been demoralizing. Instead, it was liberating to realize how many people, knowingly or unknowingly, are experiencing the same thing. Imagine if we came together to overcome these inequities, save our sanity, and maybe even change the corporate game.

As part of my next chapter, some incredible women and I are starting an initiative called “Surviving Late-Stage Capitalism.” It is a community for women and non-binary folks in the messy middle of their careers.

While there are many resources for women in the early and executive career stages, it’s time to create an intersectionally aware community and companion resources that support the increased complexity that often arises in this career stage.

To help us better understand which topics and tactics would be most helpful to this community of women, we will be doing two things this summer: 1) launching a podcast to help get the conversation started and 2) engaging in conversation and eliciting feedback via LinkedIn.

If you’re one of the many women longing for more community and support, please join us on the journey and follow our page.

If you are a current coaching or consulting client, don’t worry! People, Process, Things is not going away.

If you or your organization are interested in engaging our services, coaching, and consulting, availability is opening in August. Follow me or the People, Process, Things LinkedIn page for updates.