Dennis Pennel (MD Ciett) sees a return “to the days…in which third parties took care of staff”. I agree. Dennis Pennel is managing director of the Brussels based international confederation of private employment agencies – see FT interview: Jobs Are Going Back To The Future
I believe careers are businesses and jobs are joint ventures and that within five years a significant proportion of senior executives will be “managed” by third parties as in sport an the arts.
Ciaran Fenton
The link below from the FT last week about negotiating severance packages prompts me to suggest that, particularly at board and senior levels, you should spend as much time ensuring a “good exit” as on the compromise agreement itself. Three things clients have found useful:
– focus on doing an extremely good and generous hand-over, even if you are feeling a bit bruised; make sure your exit does not adversely affect the business in any way and that your successor/interim speak well of “what you’ve left behind”
– draft your own exit notice
– thank people who have helped you and, if possible, make peace in some way with those who have not
FT: ‘How do I negotiate a good severance package?’
Ciarán Fenton
Here are the top seven issues I have encountered recently at CXO level (in no particular order):
– reputation: what does the market really think about my history and potential?
– chemistry: the deadly word that makes all the difference to those on the final short-short-list
– age: the elephant in the interview room
– annual reviews: at the top these appear to be flawed, at best
– the headhunter-process: it’s almost a lottery and honest feedback is hard to secure
– relationships at work: there’s always at least one going off the rails
– alumni programmes: higher ROI on people; a route to referred future business, brand enhancement, and motivation for those left behind
I have recently refocused my work on Leadership & Career Development (L&CD) at board level:
– aligning career strategy and business strategy
– finding new roles and business opportunities for clients
– maximising performance at work through IRM – Internal Relationship Management
Ciaran Fenton
Luke Johnson’s recommendation of “For Better or For Work” in the book review section of the FT raises uncomfortable questions. In particular some of my clients who are senior leaders or entrepreneurs say that they would prefer to be at work all day rather than go home. They feel slightly “down” when not at work. I feel that this is about “control” and wonder if it is about the difficulty of negotiating needs in environments where you’re not the boss? If that is the case, then in the new economy with increasingly “flat” organisational structures where the power of the boss is diluted, adult-adult “need negotiation” rather that diktat will become as important at work as at home.
Ciaran Fenton
