Working Wounded: As Good As It Gets?
Oct. 28, 2005 — -- DEAR WOUNDED: My career is just so-so. I don't hate my job, but then again I don't love it either. Is this as good as it gets?
ANSWER: One of my favorite quotes of all time is from the famous comedy family the Marx Brothers. Chico Marx was once asked if he loved his brother Harpo. He replied, "No, but I'm used to him."
That seems to be the attitude that many of us have about our careers. We don't exactly love our careers; we simply learn to tolerate them. I believe that we spend too many hours working to operate on automatic pilot. So it's worth the time and hassle to find a job that is something about which you can be really passionate. I've listed a few questions to help you do this, below. For more, check out "The 5 Patterns of Extraordinary Careers: The Guide for Achieving Success and Satisfaction" by James M. Citrin and Richard Smith (Crown, 2003).
Do you appreciate your own value? There seem to be two kinds of people in the world: those who consistently over-estimate what they can do, and those who consistently under-estimate it. To me, the key to career success is to have a clear view of your strengths and the value you bring to work each day. This requires getting lots of feedback from the people you work with and for, so you can really understand your contributions. And humility has no place at work. You need a realistic view of what you bring to the table.
Are you benevolent? There are lots of people at work who look out only for themselves. It's rare to find someone who is benevolent and looks out for the good of everyone. Good guys and gals might not always finish first, but on average they're amazingly successful at work because they have a network of people who will look out for them. Do favors for people and you'll be surprised at how often they return the favor.
Do you overcome the permission paradox? I recently read that Amazon's highest award is called the "Just Do It" award, where employees are recognized for contributions made without their boss's permission. I'm not arguing for anarchy, but I do agree that it's usually easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.
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