The Working Ant

Remember when you wanted to grow up so fast because adults apparently had it all figured out? Look at yourself now, at whatever stage in life you may be. Are you at the beginning? Or are you near the end? These two questions can fundamentally change your entire experience of life. It's exceptionally challenging to close a door even when it might be the best thing for you. It also may be equall...

With so much on the line and so much pressure to preserve what you've built, it's so easy to be blindsided about opportunities that pass you by. When the competition is all about finding a new job or keeping the one you have, creativity gets killed and fatigue takes over physically. In times like these you must not compete over what everyone is after, but rather shift the mound of your thi...

Hello there Working Ant fans and subscribers, I've been feeling emotionally charged with so many imminent layoffs, economic uncertainty, and the power of bad becoming more prevalent now in the new year than ever before. It's hard to believe we're only in March, three months into the year, and facing a fervent reckoning with an unstable system and unreliable decision making that has led to a lot of...

One of my favorite quotes of all time by Marcus Aurelius, "Love the Discipline You Know and Let it Support You," has been around for generations in his best selling memoir "Meditations." I explore this quote and what it means for our careers. How did we come to love the work we do? Was it a forced love? Or perhaps a learned love over time?  These questions of our relationship with work are ve...

Likability remains one of my most talked about subjects here on the Working Ant.  Today let's dive deeper into the topic of Likability - specifically how 3 attributes  create lasting and authentic likability - Self Efficacy, Authenticity, and Opening the Doors of Childhood. The more likable you are, the more likely you'll close your next deal, nail your next interview, and build critical...

It's hard to believe but we all need a wake up call to what is the obvious, and that is, "What is your job?" In times like these it couldn't be more important and yet it's precisely in times like these that we struggle to define what we do outside of our title.  And you don't need me to remind you that your title says little about what it is you actually do and the value you bring to your rol...

I've often wondered why we consume so much of what doesn't move the needle or at best is neutral in contributing to our personal and professional development. Often times it's because the consumption of what is good for us simply isn't as "feel good" or compelling in relation to the necessity to change and grow. And yet, it bothers us when performance evaluations are inconsistent with how we view...

It's that time of year when feedback starts to trickle through. While feedback is so important towards our career, it also is a cause for anxiety and fear of rejection. What's most important is that we don't fall to the mercy of other people's feedback for our own well-being. Do not compromise yourself simply for the approval of others. This is the perfect time to understand that your greatest fee...

Happy New Year!! It's incredible how the new year has come upon us. Many of us feel compelled to make a decision - perhaps something that has been hovering over our minds for quite some time. And many of us want to make a decision knowing that something needs to change but have no idea how to do so. This episode of the Working Ant addresses these two scenarios with a very unconventional approach u...

One of the strongest forces of human nature is to be consistent with the identity we have developed for ourselves. This identity which has been built over the course of our lives holds within it our strongest values and beliefs about life and our experience of it - what we should and shouldn't do, what makes us proud, and most importantly, the expectations we have of ourselves. While there may be...

It's so easy to have passive, transactional conversations.   The plethora of short, surface-level interactions we encounter leave much to be desired if our goals are to pursue more meaningful connections with others.    Your ability to shift these conversations, irrespective of the level or circumstances of those you are speaking with is a tool that is seldom activated or utilized -...

This time of year, we reflect, we ponder, we anticipate, often hyper focusing on "If only..." in some form or another: • If only I had a larger paycheck • If only I was working on what I believe in vs. what I've been asked to do • If only I had more time! (Guilty) • If only my team was... • If only I made that decision There are SO MANY situations and circumstances where "If only" paired with "X"...

As we grow in our careers, our intelligence takes over imagination and yet it was imagination that got us here in the first place. Here's how to get your imagination back and recognize its key to your future.

Don't wait for the wind of fortunes to change your career path. Either you evoke an urgency for action, or become a sitting duck for others to take target at. Choosing the latter is not an option!

We celebrate other people's accomplishments but rarely do we ever tap into how they feel about them.  Transition having joy "from" to having having joy "with" another person's success and reap the benefits both in your relationship with that person, but more importantly, with yourself!

Chasing Care over Cure & the Expectancy Value Trap.

Are you on the right team? Are you learning from the right people? How obsessed should you really be with your work? Here's how to begin thinking about whether or not you're running the right race with your career.

Social loafing is real. Learn what it is and how to navigate your career around it.

It's a privilege to be back with you.

Inspired by a former manager, an over 15 year mentor, and a prominent technology leader here in the San Francisco Bay Area, this statement is perhaps one that lingers most with me as it has with hundreds of others I have had the privilege to coach.  Often one cannot find the words to structure thought when thoughts are currently battling for our attention.  What do we do? Do we take the...

Who ever said you needed to be in a position of power to influence a team, an organization, or your manager?  Most of us feel we need to show up wearing a white robe or have a specific title so people can listen to us when it couldn't be further from the truth.  Maybe you want your voice to be heard more often or feel you want to be fully respected and appreciated for the value you bring...

You see it all the time. Managers and leaders demand excellence.  Your KPI's, OKR's, SMART objectives, and so on, keep you on your toes and in the know of what gets you to the next level.  What's not measured is heart, passion, and intent.  There seldom is enough time to identify rising talent because we're too in the weeds trying to stay afloat. There is a way forward through this...

We all strive for a level of stability.  We wish for a sustainable, predictable lifestyle.  The hustle requires too much muscle and we tire out quickly expecting results, which when not apparent, make us default back to predictability and sustainability. Getting through the day is the obstacle in the way when you know things could be different for you.  What's worth the effort? The...

Need I say much more? We work so hard to get ahead and some of us can't seem to rise above the surface for air when it's already performance review time.  Wiping away the sweat, sitting upright in our chairs, deep breaths and in an instant the year has gone by. It's performance review time and with a stroke of a pen we're marked, graded, laddered, evaluated, and formally given a category of a...

*Know this: Whatever job or role you currently have that you don't believe adds any significant value to the company can in fact be transformed into an integral role that many depend on. *Understand: Perception matters.   *Realize: Most people will benchmark you off of feelings, not facts. If you're loving the Working Ant, please connect with me on LinkedIn and let me know!