All posts tagged career

Interview – Corporate Harlequin

Interviewer (I):
You have worked in the corporate environment for many years and were recently made redundant following an organizational restructure. As one of the best-known global Corporate Harlequins, what advice can you give to those that want to follow in your successful theatrical footsteps?

Corporate Harlequin (CH):
My corporate mentor, William Shakespeare, best summed up life in the corporate office with the following accurate words;
“All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts”.
The corporate office is indeed one big stage with many actors playing in different scenes that cover a lifetime of theatrical employment.

Interviewer (I):
So where does being a Harlequin fit into the corporate office?

Corporate Harlequin (CH):
I have mastered my trade over many years. I have worked with many impressive managers and colleagues, and unfortunately some less so. The key is to select the various traits of these individuals that you can craft and utilize as your own. You then consolidate these skills into a vibrant costume of many colours, each colour signifying your abilities, wit and business prowess for all the corporate world to see.

However, you must have a fundamental set of values that you abide and live by in your corporate acting career. This is where many Corporate Harlequins fail, are shamed and are eventually expelled from the stage with their career in tatters never to work again. An actor should never tolerate unethical performance. If you see it in a coworker, or a manager, call it out and push them off the stage, regardless of how important they may pretend to be.

Interviewer (I):
What’s the next Corporate Harlequin acting role for you?

Corporate Harlequin (CH):
I am proud of the many colours in my flamboyant Corporate Harlequin costume which eagerly hangs in my business wardrobe ready for the next scene in my working career.

As you know, I’m in a unique position compared to most Corporate Harlequins as I have the luxury to pick and choose the next corporate plays I want to be involved in. I do have a few auditions lined up and am confident that the right Corporate Harlequin role will match my experiences and skills.

Life is for acting, that’s why I’m a Corporate Harlequin, and very proud to be one.

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by Steven Cramer on January 13, 2026  •  Permalink
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Posted by Steven Cramer on January 13, 2026

https://thinkingfuturethoughts.com/2026/01/13/interview-corporate-harlequin/

Is it time for an ‘Age Coup?’

Age. It’s a complex thing, the importance of which seems to change frequently depending on where you are in your life.

It is said that age is just a number; so why in the Western world do we commonly characterise everyone according to their year of birth? Sure, there are many sound, well researched legal and practical aspects that both should and need to be adhered to, but why is age such an important factor in the workforce?

When you are at Primary School, those who you knew in High School seemed very worldly and sophisticated. You saw your parents as old and out of touch with the worldly and social needs of your own generation, not to mention your grandparents, who fell into the absolutely ancient classification.

But consider how your age perspectives changed when you yourself entered the workforce for the first time. All of a sudden you saw your parents and others with an increased number of years under their belts as wise and possessing a valued experience, and some you even gave esteemed oracle status.

In the business world, people in their early twenties are typically deemed to be naïve and lack the requisite knowledge, whereas people in their sixties or seventies are seen as being ready for retirement and quickly put out to the vast unemployment pasture.

I believe it’s high time for a long overdue ’age coup‘ where an individual’s mindset and willingness to learn and/or mentor those around them should be the main criteria, instead of how old they are on their employment contract.

To accomplish this, we need to redefine the term ‘age’ and replace it with a combination of a willingness to learn and to share experiences, regardless of whether obtained in the workplace, or via life’s complex journey.

However, to do this there needs to be a mindset change within the corporate world, particularly with in HR where age is commonly seen as just a start or finish date of employment, not a potential indication of longer-term value.

Yes, it’s time for an ‘age coup’ as there are many willing participants keen, able and wanting to join the revolution.

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by Steven Cramer on December 2, 2025  •  Permalink
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Posted by Steven Cramer on December 2, 2025

https://thinkingfuturethoughts.com/2025/12/02/its-time-for-an-age-coup/

Your Masterpiece Signature

June 2 2010 - Paint Brushes

I recently had the good fortune to visit an art exhibition highlighting the impressionist painting works of the master artist Monet. It was just awe inspiring how Monet worked with various paint colours which when viewed from a short distance looked like discrete paint brush strokes, however when observed from a few paces away, the colours merged to form a stunning homogenous landscape.

With this in mind, let us consider the vast and complex array of personal and professional skills, together with the unique attributes which we have developed during the various stages of our lives and working careers. These are like Monet’s individual colour brush strokes on the painter’s canvas. The masterpiece is created when they are merged and utilised creatively with that touch of innovation!

The opportunity to mix these individual “paint” skills is unlimited and they can be applied to numerous personal and business endeavours characterised with your own “painting signature”, just like those of Monet.

The key is not to focus on the detail, but to behold the bigger picture. After all, we are all priceless works of art!

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by Steven Cramer on July 24, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Steven Cramer on July 24, 2013

https://thinkingfuturethoughts.com/2013/07/24/your-masterpiece-signature/

Be a large Goldfish…not a small one

Gold Fish Bowl Jump 089/365 [explore #150]

It is said that a goldfish when placed in a fishbowl, or larger watery space, will grow to a size that is suitable for that particular swimming environment. The larger the amount of available water volume, the greater the opportunity for the goldfish to increase in size.

This got me thinking….

Many employees have worked for quite a while in the same job role where they have fully mastered their position and are now regarded as the expert within their business organization. In essence, they are the “goldfish in the fishbowl” where they have grown to their maximum size potential.

However, what if they were moved into a new role, or transferred into another business division, or leave and join another company? They would still have the experiences that they had established and fine-tuned in their previous role, but they would now have greater opportunity to expand their vision, skills and learnings in the next one. This would be like the small goldfish being placed into a much larger bowl where they could now grow into a more impressive and bigger fish.

The key is to not let your current fishbowl size limit your thinking and career potential, but to always looks for the many free flowing streams that will lead you to a larger and more impressive fishbowl or pond (or even an ocean) where you can swim freely and get bigger!

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by Steven Cramer on July 11, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Steven Cramer on July 11, 2013

https://thinkingfuturethoughts.com/2013/07/11/be-a-large-goldfish-not-a-small-one/