Are you feeling stuck in a predictable career path? Do you struggle to make a strategic lateral move because you're afraid to lose status? In this highly Strategic episode of No Boxes: Just Verses, we go beyond the bios, beyond the titles with Melonie Parker, VP of Employee Engagement at Google. Melonie shares her authentic story of navigating a 17-year career at Lockheed Martin through lateral moves and the crucial decision to take a non-promotional role at Google to answer a personal question: Do my skills work in a new industry? Learn her mentorship strategy ("The Starting Five") and why your superpower shines through when you choose to Add In versus Fit In.

Melonie Parker is the Vice President of Employee Engagement at Google, leading global talent and organizational success strategies. With over three decades of experience, including 17 years in leadership roles at Lockheed Martin and serving as VP of HR and Communications at Sandia National Laboratories, Melonie is known for her innovative leadership and focus on culture. She is a proud graduate of Hampton University and serves on the boards of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and her alma mater.

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Key Takeaways:

• The Foundational Lesson of Service: Melonie shares the early lesson from her grandfather's country store: "always look at the person in the line, never look at the line". This perspective is the root of her focus on humanity and her approach to HR.

• Lateral Moves Over Vertical Status: Learn why she changed positions every two years for 17 years and why taking non-promotional lateral moves early in your career is essential for gaining the breadth of experience needed to be the most competitive executive later.

• The Starting Five Mentorship Model: Discover her advice on building a Board of Advisors that includes a mentor unlike you (to disrupt your thinking), a peer scream buddy (for safe venting), a personal cheerleader, and a professional coach.

• Add In Versus Fit In: Melonie reveals her crucial personal mantra for navigating new, challenging environments like Google: You don't want to fit in, you want to add in. Your superpower shines through when you contribute your unique cultural competencies and seasoned experience.

• The Generational Village is Everything: Melonie shares her personal story of having her daughter, Lauren, while at Hampton, and how her parents took Lauren in so she could graduate on time. This sacrifice led to a trajectory where her daughter now holds a PhD from Purdue.

Melonie’s journey is a powerful demonstration that success is built one strategic move at a time, supported by a dedicated community. Your current challenge is just preparation for your apex. Build your Starting Five, seek out a lateral move, and subscribe to No Boxes: Just Verses to guide your next strategic step!

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Theme Song: Pedal to the Medal by Martin Luther (Spotify | Apple Music)

Add In vs. Fit In: 5 Steps to Make Your Career History Your Superpower

Introduction: Why Your Resume Should Look Like a Puzzle

Have you ever felt like you had to shrink yourself or hide parts of your past just to "fit in" at a new job? We're often taught that the fastest path to success is a straight line, but the truth is, the most powerful careers look like a series of unexpected moves and wide experiences.

This article is for you if you're ready to stop fitting in and start adding in your true value. We're breaking down the wisdom of Melonie Parker, VP of Employee Engagement at Google, who built her entire career on strategic lateral moves and an unshakable community. You'll learn the five core steps she used to prove her skills work anywhere and reach the apex of her profession.

To use these steps, you must be ready to challenge your own thinking, especially the idea that you have to take the next promotion. This strategy requires courage to move sideways and faith that your steps are already ordered.

Here's what you need to be successful:

• Courage to Move Laterally: Be willing to take a non-promotional role if it gives you new skills.

• A Scream Buddy: You need a trusted person to vent to so you can stay calm and focused.

• An "Ordered Steps" Mindset: Trust that every decision is leading you toward your ultimate purpose.

Step-by-Step Guide: Your Strategic Ascent

1. Master the Foundational Lesson: See the Person, Not the Line

It's easy to get lost in the rush of work—the deadlines, the goals, the endless to-do list. The common mistake is focusing only on the "line" (the task) and forgetting the person involved. For Melonie, the core lesson came from her grandfather's store: "always look at the person in the line, never look at the line." This simple act of focusing on humanity is the root of great leadership and service. This early principle is what prepares you to lead global teams in a human way later.

Lead with Service

• Focus on the individual person involved in any task, not just the task itself.

• Know that leadership starts with humanity and understanding people.

• Your service mindset is what prepares you for global, high-level roles.

• Remember that even with AI, the human touch and eye contact are irreplaceable.

2. Change Positions Often: Choose Breadth Over Status

Most people only look for the next step up. The problem is that staying in one role too long means you miss out on crucial skills. The strategic approach is to change positions often—even every two years—and seek lateral moves. For 17 years at one company, Melonie changed jobs many times. This strategy gave her the broad experience (finance, communications, HR, legal) that made her the most competitive candidate for the executive level. The goal isn't just to be promoted; it's to be the most well-rounded leader when the big opportunity arrives.

Go Sideways to Go Up

• Commit to changing roles every two to three years, especially early in your career.

• Focus on taking lateral moves to gain new skills, even if they aren't promotions.

• Don't let the need to check every box stop you from jumping into a new challenge.

• Your breadth of experience is what makes you a competitive executive.

3. Build Your "Starting Five" Board of Advisors

When facing a big career decision, it's dangerous to rely on just one person, even your boss. The mistake is trusting that your manager has the full, big-picture vision for your life. The smart approach is to build a diversified Board of Advisors—your "Starting Five." This group should include someone completely unlike you (to disrupt your thinking), a trusted peer scream buddy (for safe venting), a professional coach, a mentor from your community, and a personal cheerleader. These people sit in rooms you don't and provide the wise counsel you need.

Diverse Advice Wins

• You need more than one mentor to guide your career.

• Seek out a mentor who is not like you to gain exposure to different viewpoints.

• Find a trusted scream buddy (a peer outside your company) to safely vent frustrations.

• Invest in a professional coach to mind your career in a responsible way.

4. Trust the Leap: Answer Your Own Hard Questions

It's tempting to stay in a comfortable, safe job where you are known. The problem is you might miss the chance to answer the hardest question you have for yourself: Do my skills work in a totally new environment? For Melonie, the safe play was going back to her old company, but she chose to move across the country for a new role at a major tech company. The strategic move is to take a job that specifically answers that question. If it works, you get promoted; if it doesn't, you go back with more knowledge. Either way, you win.

Order Your Steps

• When you feel restless, it's time for something bigger than yourself.

• Be willing to take a non-promotional role in a new industry just to answer your own question.

• Trust that your steps are ordered and that every leap, even a scary one, is leading you to your purpose.

• Doing uncomfortable things builds the confidence to do the next thing.

5. Stop Fitting In: Add In Your Superpower

When you step into a new, complex environment, the natural impulse is to awkwardly try to fit in with the new language and culture. The better approach is to consciously Add In your unique superpower. You don't need to be just like everyone else; you need to contribute what they lack. Your superpower shines through when you bring your maturity, seasoned experience (from your diverse past), and cultural competencies. This is how you are heard and understood, proving that your unique background is your greatest asset.

Your Superpower Shines

• Do not try to blend in with your new environment.

• Add In your unique competencies, experience, and different viewpoint.

• Learn the new environment's language so your contributions are heard.

• Your superpower is the result of your entire, unconventional career journey.

Your Next Steps: Girl On Fire

The big idea is that your success is a generational victory, built by a village and executed through strategic self-management. Every role you've held was preparation for your apex.

Here is your list of steps to implement these ideas successfully:

1. Phone a Mentor: Today, schedule a call with a person on your "Starting Five" who has a seat at a table you don't.

2. Plan a Lateral Move: Look at your skills and identify one new area in your company where you could gain critical breadth, even if it’s not a promotion.

3. Find Your Scream Buddy: Confide in one trusted peer outside your company who can be your safe person to vent to.

4. Practice Adding In: The next time you walk into a meeting, identify one unique perspective you can share that nobody else is bringing to the table.