In this episode, I share my personal story of a very small thing that prevented me from achieving an important goal. I also explore why hard work and increased effort may not be the best solution.  Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please subscribe to “The Not Your Parents' Workplace Show” and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Spotify The Not Your Parents' Workplace Show is here to help you grow your career and thrive in the new world of work. For more career growth tools and content, visit nathantanner.net or subscribe ..read more

In this episode, I share the story of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, and how having too little discretion led to Hamilton's death and too much discretion destroyed Burr's career. I also discuss what we can learn from this tragedy and the importance of discretion in our own lives.  Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please subscribe to “The Not Your Parents' Workplace Show” and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Spotify The Not Your Parents' Workplace Show is here to help you grow your career and thrive in the new worl ..read more

The days of going to school, getting a degree, and being done with your learning at graduation are long gone. If you’re banking on what you learned in high school or college to carry you throughout your career, you’re in for a rude awakening. The workplace is more dynamic than ever and new technology is accelerating that change. To thrive in today’s world of work we must constantly learn and constantly grow.  So, what do we do? In this episode, I share three concrete ways you can make learning a competitive advantage in your career. I also share the future of The Not Your Parents' Workpla ..read more

Too often we avoid having difficult conversations because we tell ourselves it's just not worth the effort. Nothing will change. We tell ourselves that our manager or whoever’s involved doesn’t care about us and that there’s no point in speaking up. Often it’s easier, and quite frankly safer, to believe these things rather than to take action.    While no one likes having difficult conversations, when we avoid them, we trade short term discomfort for long term dysfunction.    In this episode, I share why it's critical to have hard conversations, a framework for guiding thes ..read more

Anger is something we all feel at times but left unchecked it can cause irreparable damage to important relationships and harm our career. I've found that a simple tool—what I call an "unsent angry letter"—can help prevent raw emotion from getting the best of us.   Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, and countless others have mastered the art of the unsent angry letter. Doing so allowed them to act deliberately and consciously rather than out of frustration or anger.    In this episode, I share why you need to master the unsent angry letter and how doing so will help you become ..read more

The most popular career advice out there is that you should follow your passion. Do what you’re most passionate about! Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life! You hear it all the time. While well-intended, I’ve found this to be the worst career advice that's out there. In this week's episode, I'll explore why, and discuss three practical things you should do instead. I'm Nathan Tanner. I'm a Silicon Valley-based HR Leader, I’m an executive coach and author, and I’m the Host of The Not Your Parents’ Workplace Show. The Not Your Parents' Workplace Show is here to help you g ..read more

Mentorship is critical to career growth and the benefits of mentorship include faster promotions, salary growth, and increased job satisfaction. But finding the right mentor can be challenging and it's not always clear how to build an effective mentoring relationship. In Episode 6 of The Not Your Parents' Workplace Show, I cover why mentorship matters and five ways you can unlock the power of mentorship in your career. 5 years ago I published Not Your Parents' Workplace. In the book, I wrote about the challenges I faced in 2008 when I had a front-row seat to the largest bankruptcy in US histor ..read more

I don't know about you, but for much of this COVID period, I've been in survival mode, learning on the fly how to cope with this new reality. But recently, I was challenged to look at things from a different perspective.    Rather than merely survive during this period, what if it were possible to truly thrive? What if it were possible in one year to look back and say that we experienced more personal growth and were more productive during this time than any other in our career?     Over the past few weeks, I've come to believe that, while difficult, holding a new pers ..read more

Being bold is important in all aspects of our lives, but it’s especially critical in our careers. I learned this lesson firsthand when my friend Ned’s boldness and creativity helped him find his dream job.   In Episode #3 of the Not Your Parents’ Workplace Show, I walk through why fortune favors the bold, share the story of how Ned landed the job, and provide two tips on how YOU can be bolder than ever.   5 years ago I published Not Your Parents' Workplace. In the book, I wrote about the challenges I faced in 2008 when I had a front-row seat to the largest bankruptcy in US history. G ..read more

What comes to mind when you hear the word "networking"? If you're like many, you think of an extreme extrovert at a cocktail party or networking event, glad-handing and dishing out business cards to everyone in sight. Ughh. We know networking is important, but does it have to be so painful? In the second video, I share tips on how to network in a more focused and authentic way, as well as how to build a personal board of directors.     5 years ago I published Not Your Parents' Workplace. In the book, I wrote about the challenges I faced in 2008 when I had a front-row seat t ..read more