If you’ve selected the right job and are working in a ‘connected’ environment, and if you look forward to coming to work, than a surprising finding in a recent article by Ned Hallowell
the author of Shine, Using Brain Science to Get the Best from Your People, (Harvard Business Review Press 2011), reckons that it really doesn’t matter much what job you have.
Millions of people work in the wrong jobs and millions of people stay in the wrong jobs, not wanting to risk losing their positions; too lazy or too frightened to risk change.
At work, your goal should be to spend most of your time between what you like to do, what you do best and what adds value to the organisation. Is this you or are you one of the millions or so in the wrong place at the wrong time doing the wrong job?
Have a look at your Executive Team. It’s probably crammed with eminent and very talented Directors, and it is probably true to say that ‘they’ve hired diamonds, so that they can shine’ – in other words, the teams that they have hand chosen are expected to deliver exceptionally successfully marketing. Your Executive Team is counting on you to make them shine and most certainly, to make them look like a heroes too.
So how can you marry that expectation and still feel like you’ve selected the right job? How can you feel like you’re adding value to your organisation and you’re doing what you like to do and what you do best? Consider the following:
- Ask yourself what you’re best at doing – think about getting better at what you’re good at, instead of spending the next umpteen years trying to get good at what you’re bad at!
- What do you like to do the most? – It may not be the same answer as number 1. If your answer is something productive and useful, consider changing your career.
- How could your time be better used in your current job to add value to your organisation? – What are you waiting for –tell manager?!
- What do you most dislike doing? – Here are some real clues on what you should avoid. If you’re currently undertaking any of these tasks, this is a clear indication that you should ditch, delegate and/or talk to your manager.
- What do others say are your strengths and weaknesses? – People will probably mention skills that you don’t value enough. Listen to them. They will probably also mention weaknesses that you usually avoid doing something about. Be different. Tackle the good AND the bad.
Given the rapidly changing world where new is soon old, fast is slow, focus is fragmenting, policies have become platitudes and decision making is being taken by social communities we have little or no control over, it’s about time you took control of you!
(marketingmoves is a specialist IT recruitment company that recruits Only the best marketers.Only for IT and Telecoms.)
