Humble brag alert! My oldest son got his first full-time job as a Wisconsin State Park Ranger. Now I get to lecture him with a whole new category of Dad Advice: navigating job transitions. You’re welcome to listen to me lecture him, but if you can’t, I’ve included my source material in the first article.

Whew! The mid-terms are over. Personally, I needed a few more days of political ads before feeling ready to vote. Sometimes you’ve just got to go for it. The second article explains how Bruised Camels do politics differently, and why we don’t need to discuss them in this newsletter.

Journey On,
~Mark

Mark King
​Mark@BruisedCamels.com | LinkedIn​
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​Business – Career

Career Crash Landings

Boeing research shows 49% of fatal airline crashes occur during the landing. Coincidentally, when you land a new job, Harvard Business Review gives you a 49% chance of underperforming. But…there’s hope and solid research to help you (or the person you just hired or invested in.)

Timing Is Everything: What Happens When a New Manager Takes Charge is a classic from Harvard Business Review. Written in 1985 and refreshed in 2007, the article looks at the timing of changes made by new senior managers. Author John Gabarro surveyed American and European organizations with sales from $1.2 million to $3 billion, including turnarounds, normal situations, failures, and triumphs. He shows a predictable pattern and a correlation to success that you should understand.

It’s Who You Know: Of course, you knew that. People skills and networking make or break careers. But how specifically do you use those skills in a transition? How to Succeed Quickly in a New Role: Five Ways to Build a Strategic Network examines this question. A Babson professor and two Workday and Amazon Web Services executives surveyed 100+ companies and talked to 160 executives. The result is human centered guidance for both people in transition and for company onboarding programs.

Speed reading tip – Skip the great resignation intro and start reading at the heading “The Fast Mover Strategies.” Also, if you’ve run out of free HBR articles, email me. I have a totally legal backdoor for you.

You Need a Plan: Michael Watkins’ The First 90 Days gives you the tools you need to build and implement that plan. Written in 2003 and updated in 2013, it’s still relevant and practical. Watkins summarizes his advice this way:

To overcome…barriers and succeed in joining a new company, you should focus on four pillars of effective onboarding: business orientation, stakeholder connection, alignment of expectations, and cultural adaptation.

Transitions are inevitable; success is not. I hope these resources help you stick your next landing.

Jesus – Life in Culture

Let’s Talk Politics at Work

A whisper of political discussion at work can bruise you. Fear not! I’ve got you covered with two great resources. And you’ve got two years to prepare for the presidential election.

Citizens of the Kingdom First. Andy Stanley recently released Not In It To Win It: Why Choosing Sides Sidelines the Church. I think this quote sums up the book nicely.

“The moment our love or concern for country takes precedence over our love for the people in our country, we are off mission.”

The book promises to help you:

• Take a stand with a posture of humility and understanding, rather than with a fear of losing something.
• View politics through the lens of faith. Learn curiously, listen intentionally, love unconditionally.
• See how the life of Jesus and his teaching applies to modern-day challenges in a fresh way. The “biblical” stand may not be what we’ve been taught.

Stanley did two 45 min. YouTube videos that present the core content of the book.

Keep Politics in Its Place. My mom taught me not to discuss politics in public. A touch cautious, but author Bob Talisse thinks she wasn’t totally wrong. He recently released his book Overdoing Democracy: Why We Must Put Politics in Its Place.

Here’s a long-form podcast interview with Talisse from The Art of Manliness (Apple | Spotify). Talisse will help you lovingly, but philosophically tell the political zealots in your office to take it elsewhere.

While you’re at it, checkout The Art of Manliness podcast. Host Brett McKay has a Classics degree, power lifts, was a lawyer, projects a Teddy Roosevelt inspired, Oklahoma rooted attitude, while sporting a truly OG mustache. I believe he’s Morman, at least by upbringing. So, his vision of manliness has a foundation of classical philosophy and Judeo-Christian values.

The Kitchen Drawer – Christmas

Gifts for the Bruised Camel Who Needs Nothing – Part 1

“What do you want for Christmas.” My wife Tina hates asking me this. I stare blankly at her attempting to come-up with something. I certainly do not need anything. And I’m quite certain Bruised Camels don’t either.

So, to help out Tina, your spouse, and your kids, I’ve assembled some gift guides for the next couple editions.

Up first, Dad-ware Your Kids Can Buy You. Most kids want to get you a gift that’s more tangible than a Starbucks gift card. Here’s a couple ideas with links in the images. (Not affiliate links. It’s free advice and you get what you pay for.) Look for Mom-gear next edition.

Bruised Camels comes out every other Hump Day
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