So WHAT SHOULD an estrogen colleague or minion do when faced with Tom or Sam’s alter ego Sparky?
That answer is … it depends. For the most part, it is safe to simply ignore the spotlight grabbing doppelganger. A stealth estrogen eye-roll to other estrogen witnesses can alleviate some of the frustration. However, if you need this Tom or Sam as a corporate ally you may not only have to put up with his doppelganger but also maybe even occasionally have to feed his spotlight desires. From time to time it may be in your best political interest to give the spotlight to that doppelganger … throw him a bone … ask him a question … look for his advice … turn the spotlight over to him … For the sake of staying in his good graces. Understand that if you do this too often or too obviously for a Hi Test Tom, he’ll know that you are kissing his testosterone keister and it will only backfire on you. Super Sales Sam will eat it up. So it does become important to assess which type of doppelganger you are dealing with. Another word of caution; Consider the trade off between throwing the spotlight too often in Sparky’s direction against the fallout you might face from your estrogen peers. They will know immediately when you are ‘brown nosing’ and will be even less happy if you over encourage Spotlight Sparky to perform.
That answer is … it depends. For the most part, it is safe to simply ignore the spotlight grabbing doppelganger. A stealth estrogen eye-roll to other estrogen witnesses can alleviate some of the frustration. However, if you need this Tom or Sam as a corporate ally you may not only have to put up with his doppelganger but also maybe even occasionally have to feed his spotlight desires. From time to time it may be in your best political interest to give the spotlight to that doppelganger … throw him a bone … ask him a question … look for his advice … turn the spotlight over to him … For the sake of staying in his good graces. Understand that if you do this too often or too obviously for a Hi Test Tom, he’ll know that you are kissing his testosterone keister and it will only backfire on you. Super Sales Sam will eat it up. So it does become important to assess which type of doppelganger you are dealing with. Another word of caution; Consider the trade off between throwing the spotlight too often in Sparky’s direction against the fallout you might face from your estrogen peers. They will know immediately when you are ‘brown nosing’ and will be even less happy if you over encourage Spotlight Sparky to perform.
There is one lesson, however, we should take from Sparky. When he steps into the spotlight, he is usually prepared. He knows his material and has his message generally well crafted and practiced. And he believes in the soliloquy he is performing, which always goes a long way towards sounding confident and polished with your audience … even if they are rolling their eyes. It is not bad practice to step into the spotlight. The bad practice is in continually trying to grab for it. You will need to be in the spotlight as you continue to build a career and advance up that corporate ladder. So take the lesson from Sparky worth taking … be prepared, know your material or message, believe in what you are saying, and practice if possible. You’ll want to sound genuine, comfortable and confident when the spotlight is yours.
According to the German folklore, when one sees their doppelganger it is usually an omen … a forewarning of their eminent death. Well, for the record there has never been a death directly attributed to a Spotlight Sparky doppelganger but there sure have been a lot of estrogen eye-rolls!
And my next post will start a new topic ... ever wonder what it would be like to wear the white shirt?
And my next post will start a new topic ... ever wonder what it would be like to wear the white shirt?
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