How Wide Is Your Vision?
My wife was driving our car after she picked me up from the train station the other day, and as we were whizzing down the highway, I realized there was so much on this familiar route that I had never seen before — or at least never before paid attention to. Then I realized, that when I drive — when I’m in control of the car — my vision is only about as wide as the road. When I give up control, I see much more.
I’m not suggesting that you give up control of your career to your spouse or boss or anyone else. What I am suggesting, however, is that during times when you don’t have control — like when you’re in transition between jobs or when your current job isn’t what you want it to be — that you take the time to gain a broader perspective — to look for the things that you might normally miss.
For example, that could be an opportunity to work in an area you may not have considered. You may have always thought of yourself as a “major gifts maven.” Now might be the time to get to know someone in planned giving or direct mail. You may not end up doing that work, but the perspective — the view — can only enhance your career.
Right At Your Feet
I like hats. Typically I wear a baseball cap — it keeps that ever-increasing bald spot in the shade. But when I go on longer trips like vacations where I’ll be in the sun a lot, I wear my Minnetonka Airflow — a brimmed hat with a mesh crown that lets in air but protects from the sun.
When I bought the hat it was a bit big. The large size was kind of tight, and I didn’t want a hat that would pinch my head, so I picked out an X-large. But it turned out that because it didn’t fit well, I didn’t use it much.
Then on one vacation a few years ago I looked at my shoes. The solution for my head was right at my feet! That night I took the lace out of my shoe and strung it in the crown of my hat. Super! The hat is now one of my favorites — very useful.
So is there something about your career that “doesn’t fit”? Did you take your job knowing that it wasn’t quite right, but thought you’d work it out anyway? My guess is that if it doesn’t fit, it doesn’t work for you.
If that’s the case, before you throw out the job and hit the want ads, look for the simple things that could make a big difference. No, a shoelace isn’t likely to fix a career problem, but other simple things could help your job fit you — like a different approach to prospects or a new routine to your day. You don’t want to leave a great hat, or a good job, when a simple solution is right at your feet.
What’s Your Story?
Stories are powerful ways to convey information — especially when you want to tell someone about the importance of your mission and how their support can make a difference. Yes, you can say that you fed 200 families and saved the lives of 1,000 children, but those numbers pale in comparison to telling the story of one family, one child, and how your efforts made a difference in their lives.
So how does this work in your career? Do you need to start each meeting with “I graduated in 19—” to relate your “story”? No. In your work you didn’t tell the life story of the family that your organization saved; you gave specific details. In the same way, you want to take a highlight of your best moment: you want an “accomplishment story.”
An accomplishment story is a one page summary of one of the best moments of your career. It’s something you can talk about with pride or give as a writing sample. It illustrates the difference that you made, brings the statistics of all your fundraising alive, and best of all, reminds you of the difference you’ve make in the world. Yes, you raised a million dollars, but how do you connect that with the mission you served? Write an accomplishment story.
Dog Careers
While I was in Senegal I had a chance to observe a pack of feral dogs. This isn't something we would be able to do in the US. Where I live, unattended, un-owned dogs are seen as a serious danger, but in this part of Senegal there are probably a lot worse things to worry about.
As you might know, when dogs are left on their own they develop a social order. There's a pack leader and followers. Every dog has its place and is very comfortable with the situation. Once in a while they snap at each other, and sometimes one gets ahead or another falls behind, but overall, for the short time I observed them, it was a very stable community.
Do you have a place in your career community? Are you satisfied with being "part of the pack" or do you need to be "top dog?"
Being in the right role in our careers is significant to our overall well being. Quite a few people are in the wrong role. Have you been tempted by the prestige of leadership or felt forced into it for the money? Are you underperforming in your job, not because you can't do it, but because you find it seriously boring? Or, have you found the place for you — making progress in ways you never dreamed of before?
Finding your place in the pack is serious business. It probably took those dogs some time to sort it out. But now they work together — finding food, watching out for each other, and doing whatever else it is that dogs do when left on their own. They found their place. They're good at it. It's their career.
Risk Tolerance
This is another Career Action Step from Senegal.
While I was here I visited a friend of mine, Jon, who works for a Christian organization in Dakar. During my stay we probably had three or four meals together, and almost every time he gave me the option of eating venue. He said that almost all Americans who visit are very risk adverse, "making the 'sign of the cross' with their hands before eating any of the food that he would normally buy."
How risk adverse are you in your career? Do you look at a job or an organization and say "not for me" in favor of a more "upscale" alternative? I'm not suggesting that you pitch your lifestyle away on something that's obviously not right for you, or won't meet your needs, but are you drawn to "safe" jobs that are less challenging or, at least on the surface, don't offer much challenge?
It turns out that when I ate with Jon, I did well. In fact most of my trip to Senegal was positive, until the very end. On the last day I got sick — maybe from the only food I was eating at the time — at the upscale hotel restaurant!
