Of course, not every assignment will be a perfect fit, but must be capable of doing a good job. As outlined in the stepping stone process of career building thus far, each assignment improves the executive's marketability. It is therefore extremely important to recognize that it is not advisable to choose an assignment where you estimate you have a better than average risk of failure, since in almost every case is perceived as being only as good as his or her last assignment.
PERFORMING DUE DILIGENCE
Portable executives should perform a great deal of research on any company, potential partner, or strategic alliance prospect before making a commitment. As for potential clients, one should seek to find out not only how one's a skill can be employed, but also whether it is the type of company will feel comfortable working with. While defining the assignment, it is important to address and answer questions that might affect one's ability to complete the assignment. As management consultant Beth Pierce says:
A prospective client may tell you that the company's computer system is functioning smoothly when, in fact, it is not. At the same time, the client will describe a project in which your work product will, to some degree, be de pendent on an accurate database, adequate system con figuration, and reasonably problem free application software.
As to joining with others in alliances, one should also be sure to check their references.
TRY OUTS
If you are not sure whether you should enter into a given employment arrangement as you create your business, arrange for a tryout period or consulting stint in which you are expected to accomplish a highly defined task. Open ended tryouts don't always work, but those that are mutually beneficial-such as Paul Up ham's strategic alliance with another executive who handled sales-provide a good way for both sides to come to understand each other before making a long term business commitment. Flexible recruitment options such as these have been known to lead to long term positions, but again, needs to remain aware that lifetime employment arrangements are an option only for a very small minority of workers today.
Assessing the Career Value of Every Assignment
I should clearly define for him or herself what a given assignment or job offers. Will it increase your skill base? Offer an opportunity to apply your skills in a new or different way? Is it a logical step to the next assignment you want to take? And, finally, is it primarily a way to earn money or an assignment that offers growth?
Since the responsibility for career success is always in the hands of, considering and answering these questions in advance will help the executive elect assignments that are clearly aligned with their overall career goals and will possibly help to avoid moving in the wrong direction.
The searching and business creation process is lifelong. As a portable executive, you will continually expand your core capabilities, and thus constantly expand the challenge of future jobs and assignments. As you reach a more senior position and gain more experience, the nature of your work relationships will change, but the individual process of growing-creating your own job and determining the best matches for your attributes and core skills- never will. And while the internal process of electing to be self directed offers some frightening considerations, ultimately, self directed portable executives find they do not miss their former dependency. When Lawrence Smith returned to his own consulting business, he said:
After I was back into the bureaucracy, I reached a point where I just didn't want to do that anymore. Emotionally, for the last year and a half, I wasn't a happy camper. The environment of conserving, administrating, and refining things that brings out the best of bureaucracy... Well, I'm more of a guru. It's stifling. The team effectiveness is diminished. It is a "Simon Says" game in which there is only one Simon. I'm delighted to be back doing what I'm doing.
Once you have adopted an attitude of self direction, learning to negotiate and accept responsibility for the practical aspects of operating as a portable executive-even within a large organization-is no small task. The next section of this book is dedicated to addressing the practical problems and concerns of being part of our rapidly emerging, flexible workforce.
