Know when to 'hold em', and when to 'fold em' Article #37

Know when to ‘hold em’, and when to ‘fold em’

Have you ever wondered why you stayed in a job for so long? Maybe you ran a project that was not going anywhere? Perhaps you waited around too long for that long sought after promised promotion? Well, read on because we are going to explore the pros and cons of hanging in or letting go!

The well-known country singer, Kenny Rogers, recorded a song The Gambler and I always remember the line, “you gotta know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away…"

There are times when knowing when to “hold ‘em” is a good strategy. For example, you get restless under the scenario of a poor boss but a new boss is just around the corner, promising a new start and a much better working environment. In this instance it makes sense to wait out the bad boss. Being patient, creating your own future and turning in good performance are signs of people who manage their careers in a thoughtful way.

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As for knowing when to ‘fold ‘em’, you have to be as good as a tracker, adept at reading the signs that indicate that someone or something has passed. For example, are you being cut out of crucial meetings? Has your boss been telling you that sales are down? Have key people not been returning your phone calls? Any or all of these things might be signals that it is time to move on.

Letting go is one of the most difficult jobs we face in life. Just think of the time when your first child went off to school for the first time.

If someone causes you to have to let go, for example an involuntary termination from a job, you have to allow yourself some time to grieve and to get over the feelings of regret, anger, and so on that often accompanying that kind of separation. With help and some good advice, you can work through the anxiety stage, perhaps even see that one door closing means another door opening, and turn your thoughts to moving on with your life and looking for new career opportunities.

As for some advice in managing your career, there are three things that you need to do. First, constantly re-examine your career and the progress you are making. Pay close attention to any performance discussions you might have with your manager. If suggestions for improvement are offered, understand that underlying the suggestions are concerns for your future effectiveness and by all means, heed the suggestions.

Second, always keep your resume up-to-date. This is an essential rule for anyone who has an interest in managing his or her own career. Too often, we let our accomplishments go unrecorded. Then, when the time comes to remember the successes of the past, we have a difficult time recalling them and writing them down in a resume.

The third piece of advice is to constantly survey the market for your skills and work hard to keep your skills current. Since the market is changing rapidly, your skills can become obsolete very quickly. It’s too late to upgrade your portfolio of skills when you are faced with being unemployed.

David Bratton is a Certified Management Consultant and president of Bratton Consulting Inc. in London. He also represents Drake Beam Morin (DBM), one of Canada’s largest career counselling and outplacement firms. He can be contacted at (519) 679-2774 or by email: dbratton@brattonconsulting.com.

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