A handful of employees in the marketing rotational program at EMC, where I work, put together this really cool program called Lunch with Leaders.

As the name implies, an intimate group of 10 to 20 people get to have a conversation over lunch with a senior leader at the organization. The executive talks about their career path – as well as insights gained from looking back on it – and fields questions.

Several weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending a Lunch with Leaders session with one of my informal mentors at EMC, Polly Pearson. Polly’s held many titles in her time at EMC, but a unifying thread has been her drive to create and sustain an awesome culture.

Today, I’d like to share a few highlights from my lunch with Polly.

(These aren’t necessarily things Polly said directly – more what I took away from the talk)

Mentoring

Mentoring doesn’t always have to be a formal thing. In fact, some of the most rewarding mentoring relationships are the ones that happen organically.

I think my experience with Polly is a great example of this. I’ve never sat down and asked her to help me map out my career plan. But I do pick her brain about how to make cool things happen, because she’s been here for a while and has a great insight into how to get things done.

Do you have a mentor at work? Network your ass off and find one.

Think about areas of your business that you find interesting, and invite people to grab a coffee and chat about what they do. Keep the relationship going. And then when you want to try something new or different, or bounce ideas off someone, reach out.

It’s not necessarily easy, but it is pretty simple.

Think solutions. Not problems.

Identifying problems is great. It means you care enough to notice. But if you don’t bring solutions to the table, too, you’re just complaining.

When do you address problems, it helps to be mindful of relationships, and plan how you’re going to broach a topic. Getting people excited about fixing a problem (to use the cliche, “create ownership”) helps you make it happen.

Help your manager

Do you know what your manager’s goals are? You should.

Do something to help them complete their goals. If you can find a place where their goals and your passions align, even better!

When you start on a new project, make sure you ask the question, “How do you define success?” Then, start showing them examples of success.

A thought on career paths

Some people have very linear career paths. They know where they want to end up, and try to end up there in as straight a line as possible.

I think I have more of a general career direction. I start moving in one direction, and over time, I may find something else that unexpectedly catches my interest.

I’m still moving in the same general direction, but I may have shifted a few degrees. Do that a couple of times, and maintaining any sort of path becomes pretty difficult.

When you were a kid did you ever romp around in the woods? How much cooler was it to make your own path in whatever direction you were pulled in? That’s kind of how I approach my career.

After listening to Polly talk about hers, I confident that’s a great way to approach things.