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- Schlepping
In simplistic terms, the Yiddish term ‘schlep’ means drag. It’s typically associated with tedious or undesirable work. The connotation is generally negative.
That said, schlepping is not only necessary; it can be a game changer for your career.
Several years ago, I read a blog post by legendary Silicon Valley investor and entrepreneur Paul Graham. It was the first time I was introduced to the term schlepping, yet it was consistent with one of my personal philosophies - most things worth doing are hard.
I like Venn Diagrams. Sometimes, there’s no better way to describe a concept.
So, as it relates to your career, I’d encourage you to define schlepping as the intersection of valuable things nobody wants to do.
In a world where it’s challenging to stand out, this is a surefire way to do just that. Technology, in many ways, has led to an intense desire for instant gratification. As a result, the list of things people don’t want to do is growing.
That’s good news. Assuming you are willing to put in the work. Now, you need to filter for things that are or have the potential to be valuable. And that’s the most challenging part here.
Let me provide you with a couple of examples.
Managing the Medical Benefit
While at Humana, I spent most of my time as a Clinical Oncology Pharmacist. That was my title, but I got to do many things. Honestly, it was one of the best parts of the job.
Early on, I was asked to help lead the clinical strategy behind managing medications billed on the medical benefit.
It’s not like I was in the position to say no, and I was eager to have such an important role, being I was so new. As I was getting up to speed, it became evident that I was asked to serve in this capacity because others loathed many things that came with the opportunity. Basically, “Nobody else will do this, so we need you to do it.”
The learning curve was steep, but it didn’t take long for me to realize the value to me and the organization was immense.
While managing the Medical Benefit is table stakes now, it wasn’t at the time. My learnings made me a valuable target for several Medical Affairs and Market Access teams within the pharmaceutical industry. I unknowingly embraced this opportunity and developed a unique and marketable skill set.
Meeting Planning
Now for a more recent example. Late last year, I was asked to co-lead the strategy and planning for the US Medical Team at our National Meeting.
After a quick look in the mirror to ensure I didn’t have the word “sucker” emblazoned on my forehead, I got to work. This is another example where I was probably a bit naive regarding the amount of work it would entail.
Unlike the previous example, the value or importance of this work wasn’t immediately evident. In retrospect, I probably whined about this more than I should have. It turned out to be an incredibly valuable experience.
In parallel with this opportunity, I moved into a new role. As I was getting up to speed and building the team, the meeting planning work came at the right time. It provided tremendous internal exposure to senior leaders and accelerated some of my onboarding in the new role. It also allowed me to establish credibility with those leaders quickly, which continues to pay dividends today.
Revisiting the blog post from Graham, he suggests that ignorance can help prevent ‘Schlep Blindness.’ In both examples I shared, an element of ignorance worked in my favor.
But what if you were to seek out schleps? Because, in my experience, schlepping should be embraced.
And what if you found something that others don’t want to do but that you enjoy? Now we’re talking. This is something that I will build upon in a future edition.
To some degree, this entire newsletter has been an iteration of the Navy Seal mantra, “embrace the suck.” While that mindset is one of enduring the inevitable hard times, I’ll go further and insist that you actively seek opportunities to schlep.
Let me know if this resonates with you. And please share examples of where this mindset has benefited your career!
Until next week,
Tyler
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