Remote Career Development: Brendan Griffith On How To Advance and Enhance Your Career When You Are Working Remotely

An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis

FOMO — Not everyone can travel out of town or out of state to meet-up with colleagues. Instead, identify a group of professionals you’re connected with locally and schedule recurring happy hours or lunches each month.

Career development is the ongoing process of choosing, improving, developing, and advancing your career. This involves learning, making decisions, collaboration with others and knowing yourself well enough to be able to continually assess your strengths and weaknesses. This can be challenging enough when you work in an office, but what if you work remotely? How does remote work affect your career development? How do you nurture and advance your career when you are working from home and away from other colleagues? How can you help your employees do this? To address these questions, we started an interview series called “How To Advance and Enhance Your Career When You Are Working Remotely”. As a part of this interview series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Brendan Griffith.

For nearly 12 years, Brendan has helped to create and execute integrated communications programs across a broad range of local, national and international clients. He has worked in diverse industries including professional and financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, real estate and retail, among others. While specializing in strategic media outreach and executive positioning initiatives, Brendan’s experience also includes managing corporate crises/issues, fostering improved employee communications, developing and implementing social media strategies, and providing financial communications and investor relations.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. What is your “backstory”?

I am currently a Senior Vice President at Reputation Partners, a national strategic communications and public relations firm based in the Midwest, but my backstory starts much earlier. I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago before heading to Illinois State University to study public relations. After graduation, I moved back home for a year and worked at Fishman Public Relations, where I focused primarily on delivering media placements and results for national and global franchise brands. After a year and a half, I joined Reputation Partners in 2011 and ‘the rest was history.’ I initially worked in our downtown Chicago office for about six years before moving to Wisconsin and working from our Milwaukee office. Today, Milwaukee is home where I live with my wife and two-year-old daughter (and soon to be another little one joining our crew).

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

Although ‘interesting’ isn’t necessarily the right or best word to describe it, the pandemic has been one of the more impactful things to happen to my career. My wife and I were moving in March 2020 on the weekend prior to the country shutting down. I can remember leaving work not knowing I wouldn’t return to the office. Overnight, everyone was suddenly in the same situation of navigating uncertainty and figuring out how to best manage (and make things work in) this new work style/environment. The resulting hybrid model that I now experience (and so does the rest of our team at Reputation Partners) ultimately had a positive impact on my career and life, as it gives me more time with my growing family, as well as allows me to be more intentional/collaborative with my teams — whether in the office or virtual.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

My first job out of college was working at one of the leading PR agencies that specializes in supporting national and global franchise concepts. Every Friday, a small group of us would go out to lunch together and we would brainstorm which restaurant to go to by circulating a group email earlier in the morning. If I was the one kicking-off the email thread, I would typically have some fun with it — include a meme or GIF, link to a funny video, add some sarcasm, etc. One Friday, I drafted my humorous email (the meme I chose that day was the crying James Van Der Beek from Dawnson’s Creek), quickly auto populated the email addresses of everyone in the group and hit send. The only problem with auto-populating the email is one guy in our group had the same first name as the owner/CEO of one of my clients. I was mortified when I realized the mistake, but luckily for me, the CEO had a sense of humor and simply replied with, “Thanks for the invite! Really wish I could join, but I’m out of state. Have fun!” The lesson: Everyone makes mistakes, but ALWAYS double (and even triple) check the recipient(s) and content of an email before sending.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

One of my favorites is an Aristotle quote that says, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” I feel people confuse this with seeking perfection. That is not the case. No one is perfect and that especially applies to me. Rather, I view it as setting a bar — or a standard — for yourself that you try to repeatedly meet or exceed as often as possible. How you repeatedly act or operate — whether that is your work or how you treat people — defines you. It isn’t a one-time thing.

What advice would you give to other business leaders to help their employees thrive and avoid burnout?

Advice is never a one-size-fits-all, but, for me, so much stems from creating a supportive and open culture and environment. Like many aspects of a company culture, it is easy for leaders to say they are advocates of these cultural characteristics, but whether they put them in to practice is another story. By creating a supportive environment, employees feel comfortable to ask curious questions, try new things and make mistakes without fear of feeling dumb or letting someone down. This allows space for employees to grow their career and ultimately thrive.

Additionally, establishing an environment where open communication and feedback is not only encouraged, but expected, empowers employees to share issues they may be facing — including factors leading to burnout. The sentiment I always convey to the teammates I manage at work is that if I don’t know something is wrong, I can’t help find a solution. Without a culture that promotes open communication, issues — big or small — aren’t raised.

Ok, let’s jump to the core of our interview. Working remotely can be very different than working with a team that is in front of you. This provides great opportunities, but it can also create unique challenges. To begin, can you articulate for our readers a few of the main benefits and opportunities of working remotely?

1. You can work anywhere — When all you need is a laptop, anywhere (literally, anywhere) can be your office for the day. There is an extraordinary level of freedom that comes with this. While many individuals choose between working from their home or dropping into a coffee shop or co-working space for the day, being able to work from anywhere even extends to different cities and states. Planning a long weekend trip away? Work from your AirBnB so you’re ready to kick-start the trip sooner. The possibilities are endless.
2. Better work-life balance — There is an increased level of flexibility in working from home and/or remotely that helps create a better work-life balance. Simple things (and in some cases, simple pleasures) such as a coffee meet-up with friends; taking a break for an early afternoon walk or at-home workout; or even knocking domestic ‘chores’ off your list such as doing a load of laundry or quickly mowing the lawn are all things remote workers can accomplish on any given day. And while some might think this is cutting into typical working hours, always remember that remote workers are just reallocating the time they previously spent commuting to and from work.
3. Increased productivity — The ability to create and work in an environment that best suits your preferences and makes you feel comfortable can drastically increase productivity. For some, this means setting up shop at a co-working space for the day, while others may prefer to put on headphones and listen to their favorite music from the comfort of their living room couch. Whatever the preference, being able to cut out distractions (and yes, this even includes colleagues randomly dropping by your office/desk just to chat — which can be nice some of the times!) and focus on your work can allow you to accomplish more in a shorter period of time, which also helps with work-life balance.

Can you articulate for our readers what the five main challenges are regarding working remotely?

Everyone is different (personality, preferences, etc.) and how one person navigates working remotely will differ from someone else. While not the only five challenges, the hurdles that come to mind especially apply to individuals who exclusively work remotely and aren’t able to take advantage of a hybrid work environment (or one where employees are able to come together on a recurring basis to meet, collaborate and socialize — as is the case with Reputation Partners).

1. Isolation — Working by yourself all day every day can be isolating, especially on days where you might not leave the house due to a hectic schedule or inclement weather.
2. FOMO — If you are a remote worker for a company that has a core group of employees in one or more central locations, missing out on happy hours, team lunches, etc., could give you a lingering feeling of FOMO.
3. Zoom/Teams Fatigue — While even in-person employees have Zoom/Teams meetings throughout the day (both with internal teammates and clients/customers), if virtual meetings are the only option, fatigue will certainly settle in after looking at a video screen for several hours per day.
4. Professional Development — Unless a company makes it a priority and is committed to the growth of its employees (or even provides financial resources to pursue professional development opportunities — that’s what Reputation Partners does), professional development can become difficult for remote employees as they may miss out on opportunities their in-person colleagues.
5. Access — When you’re remote, more coordination and scheduling is often required to interact and meet with members of your team. This can stifle impromptu interactions and ‘access’ to colleagues, potential mentors and leaders at your organization.

Based on your experience, what can one do to address or redress each of those challenges? Can you give a story or example for each?

1. Isolation — Make it a priority to get out of the house (or wherever you’re working) at least once per day, and aim to grab coffee with a friend, new connection or someone in your local community a few times per month. An added bonus: By grabbing coffee or meeting up with connections, it also helps to expand your personal and professional network.
2. FOMO — Not everyone can travel out of town or out of state to meet-up with colleagues. Instead, identify a group of professionals you’re connected with locally and schedule recurring happy hours or lunches each month.
3. Zoom/Teams Fatigue — Sometimes it feels as if taking calls via phone (or off camera) is now frowned upon, as if meetings have always been conducted via Zoom/Teams (insert sarcasm and an eye roll). Unless the expectation has been explicitly set by a manager, consider taking some calls (if/when appropriate) via phone or off-camera and go for a walk while you talk. This is a perfect way to be productive while also grabbing a 30 minute break outside.
4. Professional Development & Access — Whether it is one of your main managers/supervisors at work or someone you’ve identified as a mentor, make it a priority to schedule recurring meetings so you can connect with the people that are most important to you and your development. While the cadence of these meetings is up to you, aim for weekly or every other week. Also, don’t be afraid to connect with any and all individuals at your company where you might have limited interactions — it’s always better to be able to put a face to a name when working together.

Let’s talk about Career Development. Can you share a few ideas about how you can nurture and advance your career when you are working from home and away from other colleagues?

1. Proactively Check-In — You never want to find yourself in an “out of sight, out of mind” position by working remote. While it might seem simple, proactively touching base with your account/team leads or primary manager can do wonders for your development. Specifically, it shows your teams and managers that you’re someone who is on top of things, eager to drive work/projects forward and is always ready to take on a new task/opportunity, schedule permitting. Ultimately, it shows your team that you’re dependable and trustworthy (they never wonder about the status of your work), and those are two qualities needed for a teammate to be given proper growth and development opportunities.
2. Align Yourself with an Advocate — We all have different types of working relationships, ranging from mentors to the teammates you might go out to lunch with or vent to if you’re having a tough day (or they’re the first person you go to with a positive ‘win’). These are all advantageous, but it is just as important to identify and meaningfully connect with someone within your company who will serve as an advocate for your development and growth. Oftentimes, this is a more senior member of the team who can ensure you are given level appropriate development opportunities to try out new skills. Similarly, it might be someone who is responsible for your performance reviews and can work with you to identify your strengths and address areas of improvement — and ultimately advocates for your promotions. For some, the person they align with fits both descriptions — that’s the sweet spot.
3. Advocate for Yourself — This is something all employees should do, but for anyone working remote, it is especially important to be your own advocate. You (and the team that supports you or works with you) will have various ‘wins’ — don’t be afraid to share those with key decisions makers within your company so it doesn’t go unnoticed. Similarly, if you’re participating in a professional development course/event/etc. that will benefit you and the work you’re able to deliver for your company, share that great news. While you should always be mindful not to overly boast, there is nothing wrong with making your teams and managers aware of the positive contributions you’re making from afar.

Can you share a few ideas about how employers or managers can help their teams with career development?

I am a firm believer in not overcomplicating things, and this applies to career development. While simple, my guidance to managers is to have every interaction with your people be meaningful and make it about them. Our days are busy and schedules can be hectic, so making the most of your time with your team is critical. Whether a scheduled regroup or an impromptu conversation, find ways to see how the individual is doing personally, check-in on how their work is going, and try to find way to share some guidance/direction surrounding something they’re dealing with professionally. This creates personal touch points (and builds camaraderie) and learning opportunities for your team. Additionally, make career development about them. Yes, an employee that continues to learn, grow and develop naturally benefits the company, but the focus needs to be on the individual — what do they want to focus on, where do they want to improve, how can you help them meet their 1/3/5-year goals? It is a false (and unrealistic) expectation that employees will be with you forever, but while they are, it should be your goal as a manager and leader to do everything possible to help someone grow.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

I would not be surprised if the idea that floats around in my head exists in some capacity. Nevertheless, I would love to see a more broadly organized and impactful program that exposes disenfranchised or impoverished youth (especially at an early age such as grade school and middle school) to various career opportunities they can strive for when they get older.

Here’s a quick back story that will lend itself to this idea. When I first moved to Milwaukee, I joined Big Brothers Big Sisters and was a Big Brother for three years to two boys (8 years old and 11 years old) who lived in very low socioeconomic conditions. One day when I picked up the boys, the youngest was extremely excited because his class traveled downtown for the day to visit a local bank — he got to talk to a banker, go inside the vault, etc. Both visiting a bank and even going to downtown Milwaukee were things he had never done before. He had never had this sort of exposure, and that is common for young kids growing up in impoverished areas and environments. My wish would be to find a way to fix this. Not through a typical job/career fair, but rather through a movement that brings together youth organizations that historically reach these kids (i.e., Boys & Girls Clubs, Big Brothers Big Sisters, etc.), as well as local companies and their employees across all industries and professions (both professional and trade/skilled), to create an immersive experience that exposes young kids to all the different opportunities they can aspire to when they grow up. Sometimes opening someone’s eyes to what could be is a powerful force that instills hope and a realization that there is something more than the environment one might find themselves in.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

Anyone interest in learning more can check out Reputation Partner’s website at www.reputationpartners.com or my LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjgriffith/.

Thank you so much for the time you spent doing this interview. This was very inspirational, and we wish you continued success.

My pleasure. Thanks for allowing me to share!

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Remote Career Development: Brendan Griffith On How To Advance and Enhance Your Career When You Are… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.