Advice is free, but not all advice should be taken. During undergrad, I had a handful of professors who made points or statements about life, career or the future that resonated with me heavily. I would say the most important lesson that comes to mind most often and has, in large part, shaped the way I make most of my professional and personal decisions is to ask myself “is the juice worth the squeeze?” before moving forward with any decision. Is the effort and resources allocated worth the potential outcome. Is what you put in worth what you’re going to get out of it or accomplish?
I wondered what other notable encounters and advice resonated with my coworkers. I also wondered if the advice that resonated most with them was because it was the best advice they’ve received or because it was the worst. So I asked them. I decided to chat with some of the team and ask about some of the major “mile markers” in their professional journeys and we thought we would share it!
Here is what Andrea Hurtado, Director of Marketing and Employer Branding, had to say…
What is the best advice you have ever received in regards to professional growth?
Give more than you take and focus on performance over searching for opportunities.
The opportunities show up when you perform.
What is the worst advice you have ever received in regards to professional growth?
Don’t rock the boat – while the advice was well intended, it was poorly given. Now, I’m not saying that rocking the boat is a good thing, but the idea that you should never rock it, is a terrible one. I’ve come to appreciate and learn that the most important component is in understanding when to rock it, and how. Innovation, growth, and development (to name a few) are often times sparked by a rocking of some sort. So while I understand the intention, I think it’s poor advice unless you’re willing to go into more depth as to why and allow for exceptions.
What is the best and worst advice you’ve received about work/life balance?
Best
You can’t do it all, and that’s okay. The perception, due to a multitude of factors, that we can be amazing at all times in all facets is such a set up for failure. And we are often bombarded with messaging that it’s a matter of discipline, wanting it bad enough and focus. I call bullsh*t. We are human beings, not machines. The reality is that we can growth hack ourselves to an extent. So yes, discipline, desire and focus are important and will absolutely help you be the best, but they will not make you a superhero. So learning to prioritize what matters to you individually and building around that… so compromising for the sake of growth, sanity and happiness is a thing. A really good thing. I’ve also found that the most successful people I know… do this quite well. Correlation or causation, I can’t say… but does it matter?
Worst
It doesn’t exist. Yes, yes it does. Work/life balance became a poignant topic for a reason. Even most recently studies are coming out about burn out and other issues attributed to this chasing of everything. While I understand that we want to live in an ideal world of everything flows and there should not be separation, I think that’s unrealistic and possibly counterproductive for many individuals.
What is the best and worst advice you have ever received? What is the most valuable business lesson you have learned? Share with us your most notable piece of guidance via our socials or contact our Marketing Specialist, Trisha Patel at [email protected]!