Negotiating Your Career During Times of Change
Insights taken from WIN Summit 2017 sponsor GE Capital’s presentation
WIN Summit was fortunate to host Stacey Hoin, Executive Vice President of Human Resources at GE Capital, as a speaker at the 2017 Summit. In 2015, GE announced it was divesting itself of much of GE Capital in order to return to its core manufacturing role. Stacey’s role, and that of her department, changed overnight. Below are insights gleaned from Stacey’s presentation offered at WIN Summit 2017, that are helpful for anyone during a time of personal or career change.
“As you face change, you must become more comfortable with ambiguity.”- Stacey Hoin, EVP HR, GE Capital
1.Consider your priorities. Your core values will remain consistent over time, but what you consider most important among your values may change over time. There is no work/life balance anymore — it is just life- all the many parts of your very complicated life. Your life is made up of home, health and well-being, family, work and career, social relationships, economic security, learning, transportation and mobility, environment and safety, community, leisure, and spirituality. Examine all the parts and think about your values- what are your top priorities now? Your values will help determine what is most important to you.
Take a step back, and think back to ten years ago. What were your priorities then? What were your hopes for the future? Are you where you thought you would be? Use this reflection to help guide you for thinking ahead.
No matter where you are or what you are doing, when you find yourself at a crossroads, it’s crucial to take the time to reexamine your priorities, and ensure that the choices you’re making are true to yourself and your needs. Face the change head on, and make sure you are focused on what your current priorities are. They may have shifted since the last time you thought about it and this is your opportunity to reevaluate them and let them guide you.
2. Look at what is possible. As you face change, you must become more comfortable with ambiguity. Your life and career can be headed in all kinds of interesting, fun, different, and challenging directions, when you learn to become comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Look for opportunities and challenges. Know that something that is hard may not be all positive to start with- that’s why they call it hard. It could end up being really great.
3. Cultivate relationships. We all know that networking is important, but sometimes networking is more about relationship building. Networking tends to be more superficial, Relationships are two-way streets- there’s a give and a get. You know what you want to get, think about what you have to give.
As you think about networking, be purposeful about it. People will want to build a relationship when you are offering what you have to give.
4. Make communication transparent. Times of change can cause great upheavals. Employees need to know their company is being honest with them, Employers need to know their employees are being honest with them. Open, honest, and transparent communication are critical for everyone to maintain their credibility.
On a more personal level, after you’ve identified your priorities, say what you want and when you need it. As you think about your career goals, think about what you want and make sure you are communicating it clearly.
5. Take a risk. Being transparent and saying what you want, can mean taking a risk. Put it out there. Say it. If you don’t say what you want, how will anyone know? If you do not ask, you aren’t even giving yourself a chance.
If you’re concerned that you will be shut down or shut out for saying what you want, there is a cultural issue at play. If the culture of your workplace is not open and inviting, you need to think about changing that culture (or possibly, changing the workplace).
Do not shortchange yourself due to your fears at times of change. This could be the opportunity you’ve actually been waiting for.
The WIN Summit is presented annually by The Negotiation Institute. TNI has been providing training solutions to companies across the globe for over 50 years. Under the initiative of incoming TNI Chairman, Jack Simony, WIN Summit was launched in 2015 to empower and educate women through the Art of Negotiation. For more information on the WIN Summit, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Make sure to visit our site and register for the 2018 WIN Summit on May 2nd, 2018 in NYC.
