Don SpetnerI Found a Spreadsheet with the Salaries of All My ColleaguesMy wife attends a yoga class twice a week. Sometimes, when her mind wanders and she fixates on classmates who are more proficient, the…Aug 12Aug 12
Don SpetnerBiggie Smalls had it right: Mo Money, Mo ProblemsI spent a lot of years studying my industry’s annual salary survey to see how I measured up. I would look at the different regions and…Apr 19Apr 19
Don SpetnerStop Avoiding Conflict at the OfficeWe all have career regrets. One of my big ones is that for many years I avoided conflict. I had a hard time navigating difficult…Jan 12Jan 12
Don SpetnerCorporate Life is SufferingThe first noble truth of Buddhism is that life is suffering. I’d like to widen the scope and say that corporate life is suffering.Jun 27, 2023Jun 27, 2023
Don SpetnerHere’s Why Executives DerailI’ve watched a lot of smart, talented, colleagues derail over the years, particularly at a senior level. One executive was among the best…Jan 28, 2023Jan 28, 2023
Don SpetnerOur Brokenness is Where the Beauty Comes FromI was an executive recruiter for 12 years, and as a result, I probably sat through close to a thousand candidate interviews. I spent hours…Jun 1, 20221Jun 1, 20221
Don SpetnerThe Power of Being Kind, Over the Power of Being RightI interviewed a candidate for a chief of staff role at a large healthcare system recently. One of the questions I asked her was “what…May 6, 2022May 6, 2022
Don SpetnerBlowing the Job InterviewIt’s hard to gauge the outcome of a job interview. As an executive recruiter, I had candidates call me and excitedly report how well an…Dec 9, 2016Dec 9, 2016
Don SpetnerWhy am I Dialing in on Vacation?During my headhunter days, I helped recruit the Chief Communications Officer for Yahoo!. It was a difficult search, the company was going…Nov 19, 2016Nov 19, 2016
Don SpetnerCareer Advice: Don’t Freak outI help a lot of young people who are trying to navigate their careers. Nephews, nieces, cousins, children of friends, and friends of my own…May 20, 2016May 20, 2016