Growing up in the nineties, you may have heard of a guy named Michael Jordan. You know, the basketball player who made long shorts, a bald head, and Nikes must-haves for every basketball toting kid in the world.
While millions of people spent their childhoods aspiring to be like Mike because of the Gatorade commercials, the Air Jordans, or the hangtime, I have a different reason for being envious of the iconic athlete.
I wanna be like Mike (I would also settle for being like Serena or Tom or Tiger – I am not picky) because he made his living in a line of work (i.e., sports) in which goals and measures of success are everywhere.
A basket is made or missed, a serve is in or out, a pass is caught or dropped, a putt is long or short - the goal is clear, the result is immediate, and success or failure is easily determined.
Yesterday I set out for a three mile run. In an amount of time I will not share with this audience (more than 15 minutes and less than an hour), I finished my run and felt good about meeting my goal. I had done something productive and I had bettered myself - in no time at all (well, if I am to be honest, it was a moderate amount of time).
I have left the office after more than one eight hour day only sure of the fact that I had successfully jammed the photocopy machine yet again. A game winning jumper or a 125 mph ace a jammed photocopy machine is not.
If I stand to be corrected and there are those of you who have created short-term goals that have helped you to be successful at your jobs, please pass along some tips. I clearly need the help.
Until then, I will continue to want to be like Mike. Why? In sports, games are played every week, if not everyday, and they are won or lost. I am a few years into my professional career and still have no sense of how to gauge my success. Am I winning? I would like to say yes, but the truth is I am not even sure how to determine the score.
Showing posts with label millenials. Show all posts
Showing posts with label millenials. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Betty White, Passing On My Left
The missing fifth Golden Girl in spandex shorts is the best way I can describe the person I saw in my periphery vision.
Let me explain. Like many twenty-something’s, I run fairly regularly. I fully admit that, especially on my more lethargic days, the speed of my running could spark a debate as to what defines a “run.”
As an ex-college athlete, though, while my foot speed has steadily declined, my competitive streak has persisted. The desire to win has served me well – in athletics, in the classroom, in business, and in not-so-friendly games of Trivial Pursuit with family and friends. No matter the activity, I do not go down without a fight.
You can understand, then, the combination of surprise and anguish that overwhelmed me when I realized that this older woman had not only caught me from behind, but that she was about to pass me. I am in no way an ageist, but if I saw this woman on the street, I would be more likely to challenge her to a game of mahjong than to a foot race. Here she was, though, pushing me to run faster and even more quickly dispelling the ideas I had about her lack of athletic prowess.
After my run I got to thinking about how I would have never known about this woman’s ability had she not, literally, run into me. How many people she deals with everyday, who may never see her run, are unaware of her ability?
Similarly, how many of us do not display our full set of abilities within our current jobs? How much more could we be doing, that we are not, because our jobs do not require us, or because others expectations limit us, or simply because our own insecurities hold us back?
From writing, to customer service, to marketing, to technology, to networking, to building client relationships, what potentially lesser known skills do you have that you are currently not utilizing in your job? More importantly, why are you holding back?
It does not matter if your business card says Vice President, Assistant to the Vice President, or Mailroom Guy, you can make the most of all of your skills and abilities. After all, if you do not, who will?
A Betty White look-a-like passed me during a recent jog. I am glad she did, though, because I know she is using every ounce of her ability and that is commendable. I am also okay with it because I am pretty sure that I have her number in mahjong.
Let me explain. Like many twenty-something’s, I run fairly regularly. I fully admit that, especially on my more lethargic days, the speed of my running could spark a debate as to what defines a “run.”
As an ex-college athlete, though, while my foot speed has steadily declined, my competitive streak has persisted. The desire to win has served me well – in athletics, in the classroom, in business, and in not-so-friendly games of Trivial Pursuit with family and friends. No matter the activity, I do not go down without a fight.
You can understand, then, the combination of surprise and anguish that overwhelmed me when I realized that this older woman had not only caught me from behind, but that she was about to pass me. I am in no way an ageist, but if I saw this woman on the street, I would be more likely to challenge her to a game of mahjong than to a foot race. Here she was, though, pushing me to run faster and even more quickly dispelling the ideas I had about her lack of athletic prowess.
After my run I got to thinking about how I would have never known about this woman’s ability had she not, literally, run into me. How many people she deals with everyday, who may never see her run, are unaware of her ability?
Similarly, how many of us do not display our full set of abilities within our current jobs? How much more could we be doing, that we are not, because our jobs do not require us, or because others expectations limit us, or simply because our own insecurities hold us back?
From writing, to customer service, to marketing, to technology, to networking, to building client relationships, what potentially lesser known skills do you have that you are currently not utilizing in your job? More importantly, why are you holding back?
It does not matter if your business card says Vice President, Assistant to the Vice President, or Mailroom Guy, you can make the most of all of your skills and abilities. After all, if you do not, who will?
A Betty White look-a-like passed me during a recent jog. I am glad she did, though, because I know she is using every ounce of her ability and that is commendable. I am also okay with it because I am pretty sure that I have her number in mahjong.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Breaking-Up Is Hard to Do
It hurts to be dumped.
No matter if the message is delivered via e-mail, text, tweet, or post-it, and no matter how right the dumper was to make his or her decision, the news brings with it feelings of inadequacy and resentment. The dumpee is left to consider why the time, effort, and energy put into the relationship were not enough to make it work.
Here is the million dollar question - would you go back?
I ask because I find myself in this predicament. I was recently dumped - by an organization.
Sure, it was an organization and not a man that dumped me, but everything seems very much the same. I was told in an uncomfortable conversation that it was not my performance, my professionalism, or my effort that led to the separation. No, the decision to cut my position was simply a business matter. In other words, it was them and not me.
Ouch.
I now find myself in my twenties, well-educated, professional, and, oh yah, laid off.
For those of you who have experienced a lay off or have a friend who has been affected by organizational cuts, have these changes made you think differently about the organizations and/or the industries in which these former positions reside?
My current job search has forced me to consider what I really want to do and who I really want to do it for. In my best case scenario, I hope to find a challenging and enjoyable position within the field in which I was most recently employed. However, I have moments when I think that being dumped once may be enough for me and it may be time to locate those other fish I have heard are swimming around the sea.
I wonder what you think - has the way you were treated, or have seen others treated, affected the direction of your career? In spite of my understanding that critical business decisions need to be made, and that these decisions are rarely personal, it is impossible to remove human emotions from the equation. As I look for my next opportunity, I am forced to ask myself if I would have the humility to return to the person (job / industry) who dumped me.
Maybe this feeling will pass. It was, after all, them and not me. Right?
No matter if the message is delivered via e-mail, text, tweet, or post-it, and no matter how right the dumper was to make his or her decision, the news brings with it feelings of inadequacy and resentment. The dumpee is left to consider why the time, effort, and energy put into the relationship were not enough to make it work.
Here is the million dollar question - would you go back?
I ask because I find myself in this predicament. I was recently dumped - by an organization.
Sure, it was an organization and not a man that dumped me, but everything seems very much the same. I was told in an uncomfortable conversation that it was not my performance, my professionalism, or my effort that led to the separation. No, the decision to cut my position was simply a business matter. In other words, it was them and not me.
Ouch.
I now find myself in my twenties, well-educated, professional, and, oh yah, laid off.
For those of you who have experienced a lay off or have a friend who has been affected by organizational cuts, have these changes made you think differently about the organizations and/or the industries in which these former positions reside?
My current job search has forced me to consider what I really want to do and who I really want to do it for. In my best case scenario, I hope to find a challenging and enjoyable position within the field in which I was most recently employed. However, I have moments when I think that being dumped once may be enough for me and it may be time to locate those other fish I have heard are swimming around the sea.
I wonder what you think - has the way you were treated, or have seen others treated, affected the direction of your career? In spite of my understanding that critical business decisions need to be made, and that these decisions are rarely personal, it is impossible to remove human emotions from the equation. As I look for my next opportunity, I am forced to ask myself if I would have the humility to return to the person (job / industry) who dumped me.
Maybe this feeling will pass. It was, after all, them and not me. Right?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
