February 10, 2003
Holding the Keys
Warning: Possible Stuart Smalleyisms contained herein.
Over the last few weeks, I've been pawing through a number of magazines, books, online materials, and even hearing a great deal about "retooling" ourselves to remain competitive in the workplace. This sort of talk generally elicits a collective gasp from the cube-farm dwellers (or "crops" as Scott Adams says), who often share the concern that "retooling" really means something much more harsh, like possible unemployment. My immediate supervisor has been helpful in turning my eyes to solid reading material, resources, and in offering assistance in my increasingly focused "retooling" efforts.
So, The Question comes in many forms. Who Moved My Cheese? Who holds the Keys to Success? Isn't Good Enough "Good Enough"? Well, sorry to say, Cheese moves. The whole cheesestory is a good one, and a cautionary tale for everyone willing to fess up that it's easy to rest on your laurels and not push to excel beyond current abilities. And the painful results that occur if we sit on our duff and do nothing.
As hard as it is to see sometimes, the keys to success, my success anyway, are in MY hands. It's pretty clear that as "human resources," our workplace-applicable abilities are what are important, not just being a warm body in a chair. As far as I can tell, lots of people are living the good life, working along, keeping up, and basically are as shocked as I was when the news comes that it's time to change.
And, by the way, good enough is not good enough. It's not good to be professionally stagnant. Nor, truth be told, is it good to change just because someone says to do so, but change, in the positive sense, has to come from a reasonable self-expectation that "I can be better," to be better. To excel.
Behind the lack of desire to embrace change is, I fear, the overreaching theme of "how will I react and perform when I take the step out of my comfort zone?" I confess that I've ended most internal conversations by simply not answering the question. Now I have to answer it or I will be the only one standing when the proverbial music stops. I will not allow that to happen.
Good Enough. Smart Enough. Willing Enough. I feel that it has to go far beyond "good enough." I personally strive to be skilled at the things I undertake. The solution starts with approaching the change with enthusiasm and curiosity, not fear or anxiety. Am I talking myself into this? You better believe it. But you know what? It's working, and I'm discovering interests and abilities each day that are helping me along the path to making a successful transition to new and interesting work.
Posted by MEK at February 10, 2003 10:52 AM