Bob's Your Uncle

I once lived in England for five years as an expatriate, and during that time my team took great pleasure in confusing me with English words that held little meaning for an American.  Often times I could repeat the words back to them but still didn't understand what the term meant.

As the Brits often told me, we speak the same language, but we don't.

One example that stuck with me is "Bob's Your Uncle."  Within the UK it's a common phrase that means "and there you go," but like so many colloquialisms finding the root cause was a challenge.  It took me almost two years to find someone who could explain where the term originated.

Easy Peasey

Two hundred or so years ago there was a high ranking Member of Parliament (Robert, Lord Salisbury) who held great sway (political influence) across the British Empire.  This was a powerful man who also believed in nepotism, and so it was not unusual for even his distant relations to find themselves in favored government positions.

Such office holders with familial connections held positions of power, influence and easy living.  Over time the phrase was born, that everything would be fine (easy peasey) as long as "Bob's your uncle."

And That Applies How?

Which got me to thinking about a message I had received a few weeks ago from a recent graduate who wanted to make a career in HR and specifically compensation.  The inexperienced questioner asked a very basic question; a question often asked by those just starting their careers.  "How can I achieve success in my chosen profession?"   He wondered whether there was a blueprint, a map, or a guide of sorts to keep him on the straight and narrow.

Of course there are no rules, no instruction manuals or pointed arrows guaranteed to show the way to career success.  The experiences of those who went before you are varied and distinct in so many ways, usually a compilation of diverse career choices, working for particular supervisors who influenced for good or ill, differing type and operating style of employers, and of course the series of unanticipated head knocks (lessons learned from mistakes made) that one gains over the length of a career.

What happened to me may not happen to you, I thought.

So I condensed my experiences, preferences, personal work philosophy  and gut instincts into a set of generic principles that could (or should) provide a solid platform of suggestions for anyone interested in career success, whatever the chosen profession.

Below is the essence of what I sent to that recent graduate, reflecting my thoughts for how a compensation practitioner can be a success.  It's not a complete list, the specific applications can sway in the wind along with the reality of personal circumstances, and the concepts broad enough for individual interpretation.

• Understand your company:  You need to know at least the basics of the business operations where you work.  What are your products / services and what advantages do they offer a customer?   Don't remain stuck in your office / cubicle, but get out there and learn about the business.

• Understand the facts:  What is the business environment your organization operates in, and how competitive is your reward program?  What story do the metrics of your organization tell you?   What issues do you face with payroll, turnover, morale, engagement, etc?  Sadly, all too many practitioners start and stop here.

• Understand your management: Who are these people and what are their management biases?  Learn the perspective that they bring to making HR and compensation decisions. Know them and get them to know you.

• Understand your goals: If you don't know the pathway you're on, then any road will do. So learn what defines success at your organization and strive to support efforts in that direction.  Make sure you have goals that are integrated with the larger picture.

• Mix, stir and bake at 350 degrees until done!  Take all of the knowledge gained from the above, combine it with your own skill sets and experience, then work diligently at making a difference,  every day.

And there you are!  Follow these suggestions in your chosen career and everything will be fine. 

Bob's your uncle.

 Chuck Csizmar CCP is founder and Principal of CMC Compensation Group, providing global compensation consulting services to a wide variety of industries and non-profit organizations.  He is also associated with several HR Consulting firms as a contributing consultant.  Chuck is a broad based subject matter expert with a specialty in international and expatriate compensation.  He lives in Central Florida (near The Mouse) and enjoys growing fruit and managing (?) a clowder of cats.

Free Digital Photos image, "Orange Arrow," by Stuart Miles

Comments

[Jacque Vilet]

Good steps to follow and I can't think of anything to add.

P.S. Thanks for providing the origins of the phrase "and Bob's your uncle". A lover of British comedies, I have heard the phrase but not even my British friends could tell me how it began!

[Chuck Csizmar]

I've got plenty of them, Jacque (British phrases, and some I still use - like car park instead of parking lot.

[E. James (Jim) Brennan]

As George Bernard Shaw said: "England and America are two countries separated by a common language."

Time spent living in certain sections of Canada can also ease the transition.

[Tony Bergmann-Porter]

Mind the gap, eh?

[Dave Johnston]

When I was an expat in the UK, I was talking to my firm's partners about how US employees lacked an understanding of workers compensation coverage. I said, "None of them know how to get treatment when they are injured whilst on the job". The room exploded in laughter, and I thought perhaps I had misused "whilst". It was three days later before someone explained to me what "on the job" means over there.