Good Careers at Bad Companies
14 hours ago
- #career-development
- #workplace-dysfunction
- #professional-growth
- Most companies are dysfunctional in significant, non-obvious ways, so building a career often means navigating these environments rather than avoiding them.
- Companies are categorized into two types: those 'going somewhere' (or already successful), offering pedigree and high pay, and those 'going nowhere,' where dysfunction is common and career growth requires learning to survive and solve human-caused problems.
- In 'bad companies,' career success focuses on building reputation, gaining experience in handling dysfunction, and forming relationships, rather than achieving traditional metrics or deliverables.
- Survival strategies include avoiding common mistakes, respecting change management limits, avoiding ego, over-communicating, keeping promises, managing reputation, and avoiding blanket application of management philosophies.
- Dysfunction can create opportunities for progression by taking on extra responsibilities ('eating dirt'), but it requires strategic choices to avoid exploitation and leverage such experiences for career advancement.
- Recognize 'unserious people' who complain but avoid solutions, and instead, support 'serious people' who care deeply but may struggle in dysfunctional settings.
- Fixing bad companies is often impossible due to executive dysfunction; instead, focus on making local contributions within your control, which build skills and relationships.
- Moving on from bad companies is crucial to avoid burnout, learning bad practices, and stagnation; exit when you've extracted most of the learnable value.
- Avoid burnout by setting boundaries, taking time off, and leaving toxic environments, while maintaining ethical standards to prevent losing yourself in political games.
- Find a company-role-skills match where your abilities are valued, rather than contorting yourself to fit a dysfunctional environment, and be willing to move on when needed.