It's no surprise to see Halah Touryalai's post yesterday welcoming former Bank of America Merrill Lynch executive Sallie Krawcheck back to Wall Street so soon after she was fired at BofA amid restructuring back in September. See Look Who's Back: Sallie Krawcheck Gets the Goldbug.
According to Touryalai, Krawcheck just joined the advisory board of Gold Bullion International, a precious metals trading firm, putting her in the right place at the right time to make yet another power move on Wall Street.
Why no surprise?
Because Krawcheck knows what to do during the second 24-hours after termination.
Here's what she told Marie Claire Magazine on Taking the Fall in response to the question what she'd done the day after the day after she was fired.
I went into pitching mode and reached out to colleagues I hadn't heard from and to a select number of Bank of America board members to say, "I am not reaching out to complain, whine, or second-guess.
I would appreciate the opportunity to hear from you what I could have done better." It's important to wring every bit of personal development out of every experience.
via Sallie Krawcheck Interview - Women on Wall Street - Marie Claire.
That doesn't just take class - that takes courage.
How many of us ask to hear the actual truth of any matter that even possibly involves criticism of our performance.
That's right. Exactly zero.
No one. No how. No time.
That's why there are so few winners out there - male or female.
How'd I do?
You talked too much - if your mouth is open you're losing, one of my mentors told me after a particularly difficult (and I'd thought, pretty darn brilliant) oral argument in a mega-millions lawsuit.
Of course I wanted to hear how brilliant I was. Of course I was not only disappointed by this answer, but pretty steamed that all I ever heard about my courtroom performance was criticism.
He was right, however, and it was a lesson I never forgot. I passed it along to my associates and I hope they're still passing it along to their associates today.
In fact, I pass it along to my negotiation clients.
What's the most powerful negotiation tool? I ask.
Silence. If you're talking you're losing, I say. Later, after the deal is closed, I'm told the one thing my clients best recall is that single phrase.
If you're talking you're losing.
So it is that repeat power players approach termination as an opportunity to improve their performance.
It takes as much courage for them to do it as it will take you.
You're not risking your life, only your ego. So go ahead, pick up the phone and say "what could I have done better?" the day after the day you've gathered your friends around you to remind you how great you are.
Just a little bit of pain for a huge potential gain.
Go get 'em ladies!
