I am the original crash-test dummy of careers.
Waiter, salesman, teacher… CEO (three times now), nonprofit leader…
My adult life has been rife not just with different jobs, but different careers.
As long as I’m getting “My Three Things,” though, I’m good. Very good.
What are “My Three Things”?
I worked with a really talented success coach for about a year. One
of our major points of focus: what do I want from my work? Through that
process, regardless of the title I had at the time, I identified the
three bedrock items needed for me to be happy in my work:
1. Human Interaction
I put human interaction first because I have never – literally, never!
– had a job that wasn’t heavy on the human factor. I love people,
interacting with them, working with them… we’re all social animals, and
I’m certainly no exception.
Please God, never put me in a quiet office and ask me to write code for you. I wouldn’t last a day!
2. Learning
Learning is also completely essential to me. I left teaching when I
felt I had learned all I could. I learned how to build a successful
business, then left it when I realized to continue on would entail doing
more of the same stuff, every day.
Learning is much, much more important to me than wealth, recognition, or anything else that work could provide.
3. Meaning
We all crave meaning in our work. If our company stands for something
important – life-changing diabetes treatment, green energy, customer
delight; taking down the Goliath of our industry – anything bigger than
stock price and wages, we’ll often thrive.
Meaning at work is essential for me; I know I’m far from alone there.
Those are my three things. Give me these three… and I’m happy. I’ll be fully engaged. My employer will prosper.
Notice we haven’t discussed money at all yet. That wasn’t an oversight.
Pay is not one of My Three Things.
Pay is important, of course, but several times thus far in my career,
I have held jobs that pay less than my family needs to get by because
the work provides me… My Three Things.
Most likely, your Three are different from mine. If you take work
because you’re desperate to move from Ramen before you get the rickets, I
totally get that. However, if you don’t have to take the first job, any
job, you can: please, satisfy your Three Things through that work, that
job.
As your career unfolds, there’s an outstanding chance that you’ll end
up leaving the position and employer. This will happen often as your
priorities, passions and life situations (including your savings
accounts) change. If you focus on your My Three Things as you progress,
however, your career is going to surprise and delight you.
What are your My Three Things?
Do you have a good handle on this? Is pay one of your three? A few
years ago, I would have listed pay, too: no one’s judging you. Just
think a bit about the bedrock issues behind why pay matters. Does high
pay mean security? Respect? Being able to afford a certain lifestyle?
No matter where you are right now, regardless of your current level
of work experience (or lack thereof) – the era of waiting in line for
your turn to lead is over (as much as a lot of old farts hate and deny
it). You’ll be leading sooner than you think, if you aren’t already.
So
here is one of the most important things you can focus on:
As a leader, what are my people’s My Three Things?
Only if you tap into people’s bedrock motivation will you ever
unleash their full brainpower. And in this brave new century, we are all
knowledge workers, every one of us. And when we understand our Three
Things, and the Three Things of those we lead and mentor, our careers
will fulfill us, no matter where we find ourselves.
Get started. Before your next day at work, or your next gig, discover your “My Three Things”.
by Ted Coiné
No comments:
Post a Comment