Career Intensity: Business Strategy for Workplace Warriors and Entrepreneurs

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Introduction

Take Charge of Your Career

Your career is what happens while you are moving from job to job. Often, you’re content to accept your performance reviews and take your cost-of-living increases and move through your career believing that this modicum of success is the most you can hope for. On those occasions when thoughts creep in that something’s missing, you tamp them down and remind yourself to be grateful for what you have. If you’re lucky, though, a monumental event wakes you up from your self-induced coma and forces you to realize that there are more opportunities available to you. You can provide more value to the people you serve, you can make more money, and you can have more fun at the same time. My wake-up call came in 2001.

My final job in “my old life” was as a vice president (a title later changed to general manager) of Marriott’s ExecuStay brand in New York City. My team and I took a non-existent business and transformed it into a superstar that outperformed every other unit in the company. We had grown ExecuStay from less than $1 million in annual revenue to over $50 million in just three short years. I often wondered if the business skills I learned there or in any of my other positions during my 15 years in the hospitality industry would translate into success in other industries. Late in 2001, I was given the opportunity to find out.

The events of September 11 were catastrophic to everyone in New York. The loss of the lives of our friends, business partners, and clients was staggering. In the weeks that immediately followed that tragic day, it was impossible to foresee the full impact that the terrorist attacks would have on the economy of New York and of the United States. Once we regained our footing, we began to realize that our business would be hugely impacted by these events. Because ExecuStay was dependent upon relocation and long-term travel to New York, full recovery wouldn’t be possible until businesses once again embraced New York City. No one knew how long this would be.

In the immediate aftermath of September 11, our corporate housing business was devastated. Over 30 percent of our apartments were inaccessible due to their proximity to Ground Zero. Within three weeks of the attacks on the World Trade Center, 80 percent of our residents had decided they wanted to live somewhere else. I understood their feelings. We were all worried about the possibility of additional terrorist attacks. The standard rules of business did not apply. We were in uncharted waters.

Faced with the mounting expenses of running a labor-intensive business with a rapidly declining revenue stream, we began to reduce costs. That involved laying off the people who were responsible for our success. In a few short months, we had reduced our staff by two-thirds. At the time, I dwelled on the people who would be out of work and the impact that the layoffs would have on their families.

Once the business was stabilized, I realized that I was at a point where I needed a change. I could no longer come into work every day and face the constant reminder that the business we had built and that was once great had been torn from us. At the same time, I knew that my sadness and anger was nothing compared to the people who had faced the horror of losing a loved one on that terrible day. I recognized that I had an opportunity to do something different with my career. I’d always wondered if the skills and knowledge I had accumulated during my years in the hospitality industry would translate into success in other businesses. In demolishing a business I had helped to build, fate had presented me with the opportunity to find out.

Marriott was a long-time client of The Gallup Organization. In November 2001, I began a dialogue with some of those who were involved in recruiting personnel for Gallup. In early 2002, an opportunity presented itself for me to join the company and lead the startup of the Manhattan Division of The Gallup Organization.

Over the past 20 years, I have taken my business experience and education and applied it to help create a climate of continuous improvement in the projects in which I was involved. During that time, I learned about the determining factors of success in many different industries. As a result, I helped many of these businesses develop processes of continuous improvement that would ensure continued success for the future.

As I reflected upon my own career and how I had been pulled from job to job, it dawned on me that I wasn’t following a particular plan. Companies had strategies and continuous improvement models that helped them chart a path toward success, but there was no such model for individuals. I began to focus on the ways in which the factors of business success were applicable to my own career path. I learned to view the world through the eyes of executives and customers in some of the world’s best-run organizations. As a result, I formulated and implemented personal strategies of Career Intensity that led to the modest success I now enjoy.

From the moment I made the decision to apply principles of Career Intensity to my own life, I never looked back. They have spurred me to take control of my career and to gain more satisfaction from the work I do.

In the chapters that follow, I’ve outlined the theory behind Career Intensity and have provided you with actionable strategies to set your own standards of excellence, channel your passion, and create career opportunities. In the process, you’ll learn how to create a personal brand that will enhance your career, control others’ perceptions of you or your business, and convince others to adopt your ideas.

The first task you face as you read through this book is to decide what resonates with you. Which aspects of your career are you motivated to improve right now? How quickly can you start? If the strategies I’ve outlined fill you with excitement and enthusiasm, you’ve already taken a giant step forward. Hope is not a strategy, but it is a fuel that can propel you a long way. The stories and examples provided here are designed to help you picture actual people making a difference in their careers. You should envision yourself in the shoes of those folks. Everyone is different but we are all human. If they were able to accomplish amazing goals in their careers, then you can too.

If this seems like an emotional appeal, you are correct. As you read on, you will find that emotions play a dramatic role in our lives and in our career successes. You will learn how to look for and leverage the emotions you feel in the decision-making process. You will also learn the value of appealing to the emotions of others in setting a personal marketing strategy and communicating with other people.

Winning over hearts and minds is a phrase that we have heard many times. On your journey, you will learn how to win over the hearts and minds of others. First, though, you need to win the battle for your own heart and mind. Your commitment to make a difference in your own career began when you picked up this book. It will continue on as you work through some of the ideas that I will share with you. You can implement the strategies contained in the suite of tools available at www.careerintensity.com. However, the process must not stop there. It must carry through your entire career.

The most important thing to remember about your career is that every day presents an opportunity to add something new to your personal portfolio. Every day, you have the opportunity to increase your personal equity. If you have the courage to market yourself and the desire to push forward down the path of continuous career improvement, you will be rewarded both financially and intrinsically.

The principles of Career Intensity are applicable whether you’re an entrepreneur at heart or are more comfortable working in a corporate setting. You’ll find that putting these principles into action will lead to dramatic results. Not only will you manage your own career, but you will also create your own destiny.