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Survivor: CSO Longevity

How I've managed to keep the same job for more than a decade

Of course, it's better to not capsize in the first place, and that's where going with the flow comes in. In a fast-flowing river, a kayaker is at the mercy of the current unless he knows how much to float along and how much to fight. If you just float, expect to go wherever the river flows, often into rocks and over waterfalls. If you paddle too much, you'll wear yourself out before you reach your destination.

Likewise, when faced with career survival, one must go with the flow on a great many things, including management strategies, philosophies and styles. Some managers will delegate everything and provide no direction; others will micromanage. Some managers are focused purely on cost and don't want to spend a dime; others are insistent on meeting deadlines at any cost. These are cases where it might not matter so much to do things your way. You just have to go with it.

But there are other times, of course, when you need to take control of your destiny. Personally, there are some issues that I couldn't and wouldn't adapt to, such as differences around ethics or legalities. Those are the times to paddleâ¬and hard.

Survival Strategy 2:

Play to Stay in the Game

Just because I've been at this job more than a decade doesnâ¬"t mean there havenâ¬"t been perilous moments. I can think of several points in my career when it looked like the deck was hopelessly stacked against me. There was one time when a member of the new executive inner circle took a dislike to me and actively tried to torpedo me and my career. During another period, I worked directly for what can only be termed an equine posterior. In each of those cases, strong resistance on my part would have been terminal. I had to hold my ground to some extent just out of principle, but I had to give more than resist. After all, if you fail to stay in the game, you can't possibly win.

I liken this approach to judo, where you use your opponent's momentum against her. You move to the side a bit, get out of the line of attack and give a little shove to your assailant. You donâ¬"t act as an aggressor, but you don't just stand still and take a beating either. It's more about throwing your opponent off balance. It's a passive sort of resistance.

I seem to have an innate tendency toward fight rather than flight, but I've learned over the years that the most important consideration is that you live to fight another day. Retreat is not necessarily a cowardly approach. Very often it's the smartest thing you can do.