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.
Do you focus on the urgent or the important? It's tough when stuff is coming at you fast and furious to pull back to decide what is really important, and therefore what should consume the majority of your efforts. At work the important should always trump the simply urgent.
Are you always a little bit hungry? I once asked a friend about his approach to business. He said that while many people were either satiated or famished, he always tried to remain a little bit hungry. This is precisely the attitude I try to bring to work each day.
The Marx Brothers turned their passion for humor into great careers. Use the tips above and you just might turn your passion into a successful career.
We'd like to hear your strategy for finding a great career. I'll give an autographed copy of "Working Wounded: Advice That Adds Insight to Injury" (Warner, 2000) to the best submission. Send your entry, name & address via: http://workingwounded.com or via e-mail: bob@workingwounded.com. Entries must be received by Wednesday, Nov. 2).
Online Ballot and Contest
Here are the results from a recent workingwounded.com/ABCNEWS.com online ballot:
| What is a boss's role when an employee is suddenly performing poorly? |
 To try to get to the bottom of the problem, 76.9 percent |
| To just deal with their work-related performance, 19.2 percent |
| No role, it's the employee's job to perform, 3.8 percent |
To try to get to the bottom of the problem, 76.9 percent To just deal with their work-related performance, 19.2 percent No role, it's the employee's job to perform, 3.8 percent Winning Strategy
Our winning strategy for dealing with a personal problem at work comes from L.K. in Boston, Mass.:
"I think that the key is to care about what is happening with an employee. Most companies I've worked for don't. They just don't care. If you want someone to give their heart and soul to the company, you've got to give them a reason to. Too many companies are a one-way street, they ask you to give but they give nothing in return."
List of the Week
Bob Rosner is a best-selling author, speaker and internationally syndicated columnist. His newest best seller, "Gray Matters: The Workplace Survival Guide" (Wiley, 2004), is a business comic book that trades cynicism for solutions. Ask Bob a question: bob@workingwounded.com or http://graymattersbook.com.
ABCNEWS.com publishes a new Working Wounded column every Friday.
This work is the opinion of the columnist and in no way reflects the opinion of ABC News.
To try to get to the bottom of the problem, 76.9 percent To just deal with their work-related performance, 19.2 percent No role, it's the employee's job to perform, 3.8 percent Winning Strategy
Our winning strategy for dealing with a personal problem at work comes from L.K. in Boston, Mass.:
"I think that the key is to care about what is happening with an employee. Most companies I've worked for don't. They just don't care. If you want someone to give their heart and soul to the company, you've got to give them a reason to. Too many companies are a one-way street, they ask you to give but they give nothing in return."
List of the Week
Bob Rosner is a best-selling author, speaker and internationally syndicated columnist. His newest best seller, "Gray Matters: The Workplace Survival Guide" (Wiley, 2004), is a business comic book that trades cynicism for solutions. Ask Bob a question: bob@workingwounded.com or http://graymattersbook.com.
ABCNEWS.com publishes a new Working Wounded column every Friday.
This work is the opinion of the columnist and in no way reflects the opinion of ABC News.