5 More Ways to Avoid Getting Thrown Under the Bus

I went to visit a friend at his workplace and was witness to the new college Summer interns at work. They were sweet as can be and as useful as a pet rock. These kids lacked initiative. Aside from doing a Google search, they simply had limited tools to get a task done. Every delegated assignment required a large degree of handholding. Every five minutes there was a new question about what “to do” next. If not being kept busy, they were content to do nothing. Though interning, I was informed they were completely comfortable calling-in sick, or requesting personal time off. All of this and Summer was yet to officially begin! I could see the managers’ frustration building and it was my cue to exit. I walked away thinking these kids are NOT ready for the real world. They better have a trust fund or be working for Mommy and Daddy post-college.

In reviewing my experiences, I have a long history of being thrown under the bus. I was never as green as these interns but I was naive alright. I am writing a sequel to my first post for the these interns and anyone who is interested in learning from someone else’s experience.

If you have ever been human road kill, you know the view from the side of the road sucks. There you are standing on Life’s highway hitchhiking while opportunity goes cruising by. You can scream, shout, pout or cry but what’s done is done. Learn your lesson and go one step better, don’t let it happen again.

In my first post, I covered a few basics.
1. Act Right.
2. Always remember to C.A.R.E.
3. Have an Agenda.
4. Get out of un-ethical environments.
5. Don’t make investments in people with an unproven history. (This one isn’t black and white.)

Here are the additions to the list…

6. Be Excellent.
Be excellent at what you do. There is money exchanging hands for services rendered and the more money being exchanged the higher the risks. Get the education you need from various sources. Be the smartest person in the room. You can then plug the holes in your own insecurity. Learn to answer your own questions and ask only the important ones.

7. Trust No One.
This is only cynical if you are a cynical person. If you were to consider that no one is going to protect you or catch your fall, would you do better work? My guess is YES. Start with that presumption and be thorough. Be your own hero.

8. Delegate.
If you are overextended, delegate responsibilities to other people. Sometimes you may need to hire temporary help. Do it. Be specific about your needs.

9. Get your work done early.
Create a deadline that is at least a day or two before you need to turn your work in. This way you can fix a “last minute problem” with time to spare.

10. Always have a backup plan.
Life isn’t fair. People don’t always do as they say. Get accustomed to it and don’t live by expectation. Even with the best intentions things go badly. Suck it up. Move forward. You can cry about it in privacy or express it in therapy later. Toughen up. Learn to be resilient.

Light and dark co-exist. It is foolish to believe in one and not the other. Balance out your desires.