Two truths and a lie

*** Disclaimer: This is not about my current employer. It is about all companies everywhere. ***

I’d like to play a game with you. 4 rounds.

Round 1 – “Two truths and a lie”. Winner gets $50. I tell 3 facts about myself. 1 isn’t true. You pick which “fact” is a lie. If you are fastest, you win $50. Oh, did I mention you are playing against my wife & kids. Spoiler alert: My wife wins fifty bucks.

Round 2 – I have a very important task to get done. The person whom I choose will get $500. You are playing against two of my current teammates. (Instead of spoiler alert, guess who I choose. Not who I should choose, but who do I choose?) Hmm. Although you sound like a great person, I don’t really know you, and this task is important. I know my teammates, their skills, which ones I can trust. Hmm. Easy pick. Better luck next time. Don’t give up. The next round is a biggie.

Round 3 – I need some advice. The person whose advice I pick will get $5000. Woo hoo! You are playing against my best friend and my big sister. Again, the winner of this round isn’t “who should I choose?” it is “who will I choose?” I think you see where I’m going with this.

I apologize for messing with you like that, but I’d like you to consider something. This is how business works too. Your career opportunities are heavily influenced by your ability to establish trust, reputation, inspire confidence, etc. Imagine you are the greatest programmer, DBA, SWA, project lead, manager, etc. but don’t get noticed. How long will it take to build trust, get recognition? Because without it, you won’t be moving up and your organization won’t make the best use of your skills. They are more likely to stick with a known quantity.

If the company where you work has changed from “all in-person” to “all remote”, you might be noticing a trend among folks who have been hired since March 2020: The turnover rate for “new folks” might be disproportionately high and they might seem less-engaged and less satisfied than the rest of the staff. If you don’t see it, try taking a closer look. I’m not saying it is 100%. I’m saying you might find it is higher for staff who have only been remote at your company vs the folks who remember-what-it-was-like-when-everyone-was-in-the-office. You might think your company is handling this really well, but consider if you’re just an optimist or if you are honestly looking close and contemplating what is actually occurring and where it is leading?

Final round – Two truths and a lie. The reward for this will affect the future of your company and possibly your career too. Ready?

• Relationship-building is crucial to business
• Trust is hard to establish
• There are no compelling business differences between working in-person vs remote