Understanding Workplace Limitations: Career Advice from an Expert

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In this episode, Dennis provides essential career advice focused on understanding and navigating limitations in the workplace. He introduces a concept adapted from the Marine Corps planning process, defining limitations as a combination of constraints (things you must do) and restraints (things you cannot do). Using relatable examples, such as homeowners association rules and professional scenarios, he emphasizes the importance of recognizing and asking about these limitations to avoid trouble and maintain a successful career. The episode concludes with a teaser for the next topic on personal limitations and a call to action to check out his book, "Find a Job That Fits Your Life."

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hi folks.
Well, the old jarhead is backto give you great career advice,
career advice that I guaranteeyou will help you and if you
listen to what I say, you willhave a better career.
It's just that simple, Iguarantee it.
So let's get going on today'spodcast.
And today I'm going to talk toyou about an important subject

(00:28):
that a lot of folks are notaware of Yet.
These things constantly getpeople in trouble, and in
trouble is rarely somethingthat's good for your career.
So listen up, as the oldjarhead lays out something you
need to hear.
So today's podcast is aboutlimitations.
Okay, I don't know what you'reexpecting to hear, but you're

(00:51):
going to get limitations here,as per the Marine Corps planning
process that I have adapted tobe good career aiding advice.
So what are limitations?
Well, one of the best ways toexplain them is that they are
made up of two parts.
One is constraints, the otheris restraints.

(01:16):
Okay, so this is how you needto think about them Constraints
are things that you need to do,and restraints are things that
you need to do, and therestraints are things that you
cannot do.
Go over that again.
Okay, restraints, okay, thingsthat you cannot do.
Constraints things that youneed to do.

(01:37):
See how I reversed the orderthere just to kind of make you
think Okay, so we all live withthem, right?
So if you live in a homeowner'sassociation, a house in a
homeowner's association thatdictates how your property is to
be maintained, you have aconstraint, such as you must mow
your lawn weekly.
You may also have a restraintsuch as you cannot leave your

(01:59):
empty trash cans in front ofyour house after the trash has
been collected front of yourhouse after the trash has been
collected.
See, pretty simple, huh.
But let's take it a littlefurther.
Okay, let's take it and talkabout why they're important to
your career.
Because if you're not aware ofyour company's or your boss's
limitations on you, you couldend up in trouble.

(02:20):
Let's say, for example, yourboss says to you that she wants
you to go to a big conference inLondon.
Your first thought is yay, Iget to go to London.
But there may be limitationsthat you need to know, and if
you're not told them, you needto ask.
You need to know and if you'renot told them, you need to ask.

(02:41):
Okay, for example, oneconstraint might be that she
wants you to attend oneparticular seminar during the
conference, or maybe that youmust submit a travel expense
within a week of returning home.
A restraint could be thatyou're not allowed to fly
business class or that youcannot expense alcohol purchases
during your trip.
The point here is that if youviolate any of the above

(03:02):
limitations, you could findyourself in hot water with the
boss, and that's not a goodthing.
Now you're thinking to yourselfshould you have been told these
things ahead of time?
Yep, but things don't alwayswork out that way.
The point here is that ifyou're not and you're not sure
what to do, then instead ofguessing, you need to ask what

(03:22):
your limitations are.
Don't just leave it to chance,right?
That's not a way of runningyour career.
If you don't know, make sureyou ask.
Well, that's it for now.
I hope you learned something.
Next week, I'm going to discusspersonal limitations and how
they impact your career.
I'm going to discuss personallimitations and how they impact
your career.
It's going to be great.
So don't miss my be theultimate podcast next week and

(03:46):
pick up a copy of my book.
Find a job that fits your life.
It's on Amazon, bunch of places.
Uh, it's really great.
So thanks for listening.
Bye, thank you, thank you.