I recently came across this little gem from Thomas Frank, video creator and writer.
Whether you’re looking for your next job or starting a business, I think this concept is worth considering.
Building requires more risk, uncertainty, and lots of trial and error, which can be frustrating, but also exhilarating! Maintaining is more predictable and allows you to generally operate with an established structure. You’ll want to take this into consideration if joining a start-up. Everyone is generally in building mode whether their specific role dictates it or not.
Working behind-the-scenes doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t get recognized for your work, just that your name won’t always be attached to the work that you do produce. Some people are totally fine with this; others, not so much. Recognition means people will likely know what you do, what you’ve contributed, and you’ll generally be more front and center in your career.
And I like to think of solitary vs. social as more than just how much people interaction you have each day. It’s worth thinking about in terms of whether you prefer to be an independent contributor and generally only responsible for your own work (solitary). Or, do you want to lead a team or be involved with customers and clients, and generally responsible for other people and their work (social)?
Most Force Multiplier roles fall into the maintaining, behind-the-scenes, solitary categories; while most entrepreneurs and executives fall into the building, recognition, and social categories. Which may be just one other reason these two roles make such a dynamic duo!
But if you feel tension as a Force Multiplier or executive, it may be worth thinking about what qualities you prefer and if the role (and company) you’re in aligns with those preferences. If not, it may be time to make a change.
What qualities of work do you prefer? What would you add? (Personally, I’m a combo of building, behind-the-scenes, and 50/50 on social and solitary.)ard way? Hit reply and let me know. After all, we either win or we learn. And both help us grow!
– Hallie
This Week on the Blog
The Executive Assistant Flex
Here’s something for you to think about this week: Why are Executive Assistants often expected to flex “up”, but Chiefs of Staff are never asked (and in fact, are usually encouraged not) to flex “down”? Is it back to a conversation of value? Or a lack of understanding about the Executive Assistant (and the Chief of Staff) role? If so, let’s change that narrative once and for all.
Weekly Top 5 (Podcasts!)
- Boundaries are a pretty common topic in today’s work world, but this episode of The Mel Robbins Podcast really reframed boundaries for me. Boundaries can protect your time, energy, and mental space, and yet for so many of us, boundaries are hard to make and almost impossible to keep. Renowned psychiatrist Dr. Pooja Lakshmin is sharing the 3 surprising signs that you lack boundaries and how to take control to reclaim your life. I also loved the conversation about real self-care and agency.
- Need to say “No” to your executive, but not sure how? Megan Long, host of The Right-Hand Partner, explores the challenges of handling a CEO’s myriad ideas and how to transform them into actionable plans. This episode will empower you to provide valuable input, prioritize initiatives, and collaborate effectively with visionary leaders without sacrificing their unique strengths. Say yes to saying no!
- We’ve got three powerhouse women on this episode of WorkLife with Adam Grant. Many people believe that success depends on gaining power, but it turns out that status is a more sustainable path to accomplishment and impact. Adam Grant is joined by Survivor star Parvati Shallow, organizational psychologist and author Alison Fragale, and Chynna Clayton — former special assistant to Michelle Obama — to break down the best strategies for gaining and maintaining status at work, building stronger relationships, and getting promoted.
- In this episode, of Huberman Lab, Dr. Martha Beck, Ph.D., a Harvard-trained sociologist and one of the world’s foremost experts on personal exploration and development, shares specific frameworks and practices to tap into your unique and deepest desires, core truths, and best life direction—all elements that comprise your authentic self. She also explains how to align your work and relationships of all kinds with your true self and how to embrace the discomfort and process of leaving unhealthy relationships. By the end of the episode, you will have learned numerous practical tools to access your best self and live a richly fulfilling life!
- Humans are a social species, and so it’s not surprising that we care a lot about what other people think of us. It’s also not surprising that many of us stumble when we try to manage others’ views of us. On this episode of Hidden Brain, organizational psychologist Alison Fragale explains why that is, and offers better ways to win friends and influence people.
Book of the Week
I love a memoir (particularly when written by strong, creative, entrepreneurial women) and Ina Garten’s book, Be Ready When the Luck Happens does not disappoint.
Ina brings you along to Washington D.C., Paris, and, of course, the Hamptons, where she combines her love of cooking, design, real estate, good friends and good ingredients.
After reading this book, I wanted to plant a garden, buy imported olive oil, and renovate a farm house. But, I settled for making her baked ziti recipe instead (for now). How easy is that?
For an even more immersive experience, check out the Audible version, read by Ina.
FROM AMAZON: In her long-awaited memoir, Ina Garten—aka the Barefoot Contessa, author of thirteen bestselling cookbooks, beloved Food Network personality, Instagram sensation, and cultural icon—shares her personal story with readers hungry for a seat at her table.
Here, for the first time, Ina Garten presents an intimate, entertaining, and inspiring account of her remarkable journey. Ina’s gift is to make everything look easy, yet all her accomplishments have been the result of hard work, audacious choices, and exquisite attention to detail. In her unmistakable voice (no one tells a story like Ina), she brings her past and her process to life in a high-spirited and no-holds-barred memoir that chronicles decades of personal challenges, adventures (and misadventures) and unexpected career twists, all delivered with her signature combination of playfulness and purpose.
From a difficult childhood to meeting the love of her life, Jeffrey, and marrying him while still in college, from a boring bureaucratic job in Washington, D.C., to answering an ad for a specialty food store in the Hamptons, from the owner of one Barefoot Contessa shop to author of bestselling cookbooks and celebrated television host, Ina has blazed her own trail and, in the meantime, taught millions of people how to cook and entertain. Now, she invites them to come closer to experience her story in vivid detail and to share the important life lessons she learned along the way: do what you love because if you love it you’ll be really good at it, swing for the fences, and always Be Ready When the Luck Happens.
