The Scene:
I was asked to lead a workshop for a group of unemployed college grads participating in a program designed to help them gain work experience in their fields. The non-profit program’s leader had attended my seminar on Personal Leadership – the practice of managing yourself and leading others through initiative and example, even when we play no formal leadership role. The grads had just completed their first week of placements with volunteer host employers; the reports weren’t good, and she thought my insights could help.
Disappointed. Disillusioned. Defeated.
To kick things off, I had each participant share their experience so far. Two of the ten had a positive start. The rest? Frustration after frustration. Here are some of their comments:
- “I showed up on time, but the receptionist had never heard of me or the program. The person I was supposed to meet was ‘in a meeting,’ so after waiting half an hour, I left… and never went back.”
- “I thought I’d be doing lab work. Instead, I was stuck with data entry—tasks anyone could do.”
- “I was given busy work. No real contact with staff. No orientation. It felt like they had no idea what to do with me.”
- “No introductions, no tour—nothing. I had to introduce myself, and the whole time, I felt like I was in the way.”
- “I thought there would be an orientation. No chance…so I did introductions on my own, which was fine, but I was uneasy the whole time.”
The Victim Game
In response I introduced the grads to something I call The Victim Game – a mental trap where we believe we’re powerless in a situation when we’re really not. It’s a game we play unintentionally, of course, and it drains our ability to take action. (See Post #3: “Nobody’s Victim. Nobody’s Hero.” for more on the victim game.)
Our grads felt like their volunteer hosts held all the power in terms of how their work experience would go. “After all,” one said, “We’re just guests, aren’t we?” But I challenged them to see it differently, noting that they had all the power they needed to create the experience they wanted – if they stopped blaming and took total responsibility for their own success or failure. The key was to start systematically anticipating and pre-empting things that could go wrong, in order to ensure they turn out right. We did this using what I call a ‘pre-mortem’ – which simply means a post-mortem in advance.
Setting Themselves Up for Success
I asked them to revisit their complaints – not to dwell on them, but to reverse-engineer solutions. What could they have done differently by practicing personal leadership? What could they still do? Here are some of the ideas we came up with…
- Create a success checklist – Work with your career counselor to develop a list of questions and actions that will set both you and your host up to succeed.
- Make contact well in advance – Reach out to introduce yourself and discuss your questions as soon as your placement is confirmed.
- Request a meeting – Request a meeting live, online, or by phone.
- Ask about onboarding, touring and orientation – If no one is assigned to give you a tour and orientation, just asking the question may very well prompt them to arrange this vital step. (I noted that just by asking helpful questions, they can make things happen that otherwise might never occurred to their host.)
- Ask about their goals. Ask them about their expectations and desired outcomes.
- Do your homework. Research your host. Go to their website, their LinkedIn profile and activity and other relevant platforms. Look for their differentiators and mention your key findings in your initial call.
- Propose ways you could add real value. Based on your research, and skills and knowledge, point out ways you may be able to help them significantly during your time with them.
- Clarify your role – Ask what tasks you’ll be working on.
- Identify your point of contact – Know exactly who you’ll be reporting to.
- Prepare in advance – Ask what you can do before starting.
- Ask about learning opportunities – Ask if there will be opportunities for job shadowing or informational interviews. (Again, just the simple act of asking can trigger opportunities).
- Offer to sign a non-disclosure agreement – This shows professionalism and initiative.
The Turning Point
When I met with them again a month later all but one reported that they had managed to turn things around and salvage their placement. Which begs the question: Why weren’t they doing this in the first place? They had workshopped many other elements – resume writing, interview skills, workplace professionalism – and more – but not how to ensure their own success. Several said they felt intimidated by the authority figures they were dealing with. Others said they didn’t want to impose. All agreed they had just not thought of practicing personal leadership and using pre-emptive problem solving in this way. I think lowered self-confidence was a factor as well, given their lack of success in job search until now.
The Good News: All but one reported that their newfound competence in personal leadership had a positive effect on their confidence – which had a direct positive effect on their entire experience.
Your call to action:
If you’re planning a new initiative, of any kind, anywhere, why not reduce the luck factor by doing your own pre-mortem. One of our grads commented that it’s like getting to decide your own fate. Another said it’s like asking yourself, “Who holds the keys to your karma?” (Ohh, I like that.)
See you next week.
Neil
