From My Inbox: How To Excel @ Work

‘One regret I have is never learning how to more than “proficient” in Excel’ – Minda Harts

This career reflection of Minda’s (pulled straight from page 114 of her book The Memo) caused me to bust out laughing, as my early career strategy was the polar opposite: never be excellent or even borderline efficient at Excel.

Let me explain.

Back in 1994/1995 when I was a newbie attorney in Toronto, I was assigned to work on an urgent matter. Ok, not urgent, it was an unforeseen, THIS MUST BE TURNED AROUND NOW crisis for the client, which meant the team (senior partner, junior partner, senior associate, and me, the punk) needed to work around the clock over a weekend to be ready to head into bankruptcy court on Monday morning.

Oh, some more facts on the team before I continue:

• Senior partner = old white dude
• Junior partner = middle'ish aged dude
• Senior associate = younger than the junior partner dude
• Junior associate = younger me

So there the “team” is, working away on the Saturday afternoon, fueled by urgency, adrenaline and caffeine. I was working in a conference room with old white dude partner – getting old-school mentorship as I watched, absorbing the master of his craft at work drafting every line of the pleadings, listening in on every client strategy call etc.  -  when the junior partner and senior associate wandered in, arms full of paper, seemingly benign smiles on their faces. Addressing the senior partner, they asked:

“Is Kelly busy?”

(staging reminder: I was in the room!).

I froze.

Is Kelly busy?!

Use your eyes morons – or ask me if there is some confusion (which in hindsight I’m relieved they didn’t address me directly, because at that people pleasing high-water mark moment in my career, I probably would have chirped ‘how can I help?’).

But old, white dude senior partner (who had seen it all – so yes, there is a benefit to having grey hair and experience) - chimed in.  But for a quick sideways glance at the two of them over the edge of his reading glasses - he did not look up from the document before him, responding to their “Is Kelly Busy?” inquiry with this zinger:

“If you two idiots were not smart enough to book a secretary for the weekend, you better learn how to type and fast. Kelly is not here to do that work for you.”

I froze again – and when my brain defrosted, I thanked the old white dude (after the other two slinked out of the room) then thought to myself: if Plan A is to have a strong supporter who really and f'g truly has got your back, what’s Plan B?

My Plan B was IGNORANCE.

I would not become proficient in word processing (as it was then called) or Excel or dialing-up conference calls or online legal research - and if I did know how to do those things in a reasonable way (yes, I took typing in Grade 9 so I am quite good at that) I was not going to let on that I was. Remember, this as in the 90’s and anything “admin” was still looked upon as “women’s work” in the office. And women’s work was undervalued as much then as it seems to be now. I’d gone to law school, passed the bar, and was a lawyer, so as far as I was concerned, I was being paid to do lawyering (along with the reasonable grunt work associated with that). I was not there as a poor stand-in for a legal secretary (we called them that, back then, and they were amazing, talented, and made our legal lives so much easier).

This was a proactive career strategy - and it worked well for me because it worked for the era, along with the profession I’d chosen and office environments I was working in. Rather than becoming proficient in “admin tasks”, my skills development strategy laser focused in other directions because, like Minda, I knew then, as now, it is critical to invest in your own career development.

Fast forward to 2004 when I switched careers and became Manager of Professional Development in the NYC office of a global law firm.

Oh my gawd!

The number of times associates whinged, whined and complained about skills development programs – ones they were required to attend, the ones they wanted to take but the firm wouldn’t reimburse them for etc. etc. Then, as now, all that goes through my head is:

It’s your damn career! Go invest in it!

Last time I checked, you get to keep all the information you tuck into your head – to use where you work now, to take along to another employer, to apply in a new career or venture. Why on earth would you balk at investing in yourself??? 

You are your own best investment, so I'd strong suggest you proactively make wise investment choices.

p.s. Having a strong network is always a solid plan, and should be prioritized at all stages in your career. Download Chapter 2 of my next book and figure out what your networking support system looks like.

Need more?

I'd recommend listening to the BYDN podcast episode Intentional Career Development–With Sherrell Dorsey - it's a classic, then when you're done digesting all those career nuggets, pop over to Youtube to listen/watch "Transforming Your Career Through the Power of Networking" (REINVENT-ABILITY podcast).

Still need more?

Check out "Investing in Yourself: Personal Development for Financial and Personal Growth" (Inspired Money podcast), "Building Your Personal Brand Through Authentic Connections" (Branding Room Only podcast) and How to Leverage Relationships to Power Your Next Move (Build The Damn Thing podcast).