I am positive that over the past week I have done some good. Have I done well? That is up for debate.
Let’s start with the easy part. What makes me so sure that I have done some good?
The first piece of evidence is a response I received to one particular blog posting. You see, it is difficult to gauge just how many people read the blog posts I send out multiple times a week. Sometimes it seems that my parents may be the only ones reading every word and even then only on the days when my mother’s discomfort with Facebook (where I post links to my blog) does not get the best of her.
It was the best kind of surprise, then, when a friend I do not talk with as much as I should, and did not even realize was a follower of my blog, jotted me a note saying that one particular blog entry helped him get through a frustrating day at work (see Cisco-The-Kid and Me, October 8, 2009).
This type of response is why I write the blog – I aim to share my frustrations, realizations, and ideas with others who are in a boat that looks awfully similar to the one I am attempting to sail (or attempting not to sink - depending on how you look at it). My hope is that sharing my ideas can help readers think about their own lives and their own careers in a slightly different way than they did before reading.
To receive confirmation that the blog had served its intended purpose, even for just one person on one day, was enough to validate my efforts. I had done good.
The second piece of evidence is the time I spent volunteering with a non-profit organization called Acing Autism that provides tennis clinics to children with autism. A friend introduced me to the program that he started with his wife, and upon seeing the athletes in action this past weekend, I am certain that there is no better use of my time. Again, I had done good.
There you have it – I blogged in a way that lessened the frustration of a peer and I helped children, who may not otherwise have had the opportunity, to feel what it is like to swing a racket. Even the most skeptical of people would have to admit that I had done good.
Then, at about the time my mother asked, “Are either of these money-making activities?” it hit me. My doing good seems to have come at the cost of my doing well. That is, as my blogging and volunteering flourished, my formal career remained in a bit of a holding pattern with no exciting job prospects in sight.
The question that jumped at me, when confronted with these two pieces of incongruent information, is whether it is possible to do good and to do well.
Does any job or career provide a person with the chance to promote the needs of others while, at the same time, providing him or her the opportunity to receive promotions that include the corner office?
And, if both outcomes cannot be met, is it more important to do good or to do well?
I certainly do not have the answer to this one. Even if I did, I don't think I would share it with the masses. I have done my share of good for this week. It's your turn.
For those interested, further information about Aceing Autism can be found at the following site: http://www.aceingautism.com/.
I am also accepting all donations. (Kidding...sort of)
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Your mother asked a key career question. My father, who's a believer in the "do what you love and the $$ will follow" career philosophy, would answer her with a "yes". I tend to agree with him, although sometimes doing what you love sometimes comes later in life after financial stability is attained. As a fundraiser I hear all the time about people who like their lucrative jobs but are truly passionate for the activities they partake in outside of work (e.g. aceing autism). I'm fortunate that I'm on a projected career path that should become lucrative in a few years, including a corner office.
ReplyDeleteDoing good and doing well are certainly not mutually exclusive. For literal proof, consider a career in philanthropy -- or fund raising/development/advancement as it may be called. But surely doing good is the more important, if not the more essential. Just noticed that the individual who commented above is also a fundraiser. Case in point!
ReplyDeleteMichael,
ReplyDeleteYou are very lucky. I agree that doing what you love will hopefully lead to earning a living, but I am not always sure that is the case.
A few people have brought up the idea of having a career and activities outside of work. This is one solution. However, given the number of hours we spend at work, I would much rather find a position, such as yours, that leads to both doing good and doing well.
CRH,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment.
I do think fundraising and development are both great examples of doing both good and well.
However, the truth is that these positions still very much focus on taking in as much money as possible(albeit money often used for a very good purpose) and not necessarily on doing well on a daily basis.
Additionally, as with most careers, but especially those in the not-for-profit world, it is difficult to do well financially.