Over
the past two years we have experienced many changes. The stock
market tumbled when the dot.com bubble burst, ending the exuberance
of the 1990's. The shocking events of 9/11 forced us to recognize
that we are vulnerable to the terrorist attacks that are commonplace
in other areas of the world. We no longer feel safe. These events
placed a further strain on our economy and expanded the recession.
Corporate scandals with far reaching negative financial implications
accentuated the greed and lack of integrity in the top management
of several companies.
Some
of us lost our jobs or took reductions in income. For those who
invested in the stock market, our retirement savings have been
reduced. For some these events have meant downscaling our lifestyles,
and for others, that we need to work several more years before
we can retire.
Even
for those who have not suffered financially, it has meant taking
stock of what is important, being grateful for what we have, and
realigning our priorities. Like Dr. Zhivago during the Russian
Revolution, we now recognize that we need to re-evaluate the rules
we have followed for so long - the rules that define how we should
manage our careers and our lives - the rules that tell us how
we should define success.
Our
jobs represent a public statement of our identity that provides
a means of self-expression, status and structure to our lives.
Traditional thinking dictates that if people work hard they will
be rewarded with challenging work, fancier job titles and higher
salaries. But the nature of business, work and jobs has changed.
People can no longer be assured of making more money every year.
The lay-offs and downsizings with management that started with
the recession of the early 1990's continue today. More people
are competing for a smaller number of management positions. Many
companies that give raises in the current economy are merely adjusting
for inflation.
At
this time we can all benefit by re-evaluating what success means
to us. Perhaps for some it does not mean making as much money
as possible. For some it might mean spending more time with our
families - working less, rather than working more.
For
others it might mean being able to express creativity in their
work. For one client, who tearfully told me that her relationship
with God was most important to her, it meant reducing her 65-hour
workweeks to allow for regular attendance at religious services.
For some it means owning our own business. For others it means
finding employment in 2003.
One
client in mid -life, formerly the CEO of a start-up technical
firm, currently finds himself out of work with no comparable employment
in sight. Although he loves his chosen field, he questions what
he wants, and has difficulty becoming inspired. He frequently
fantasizes about owning his own business. We joke about "the
hot dog stand" venture. He can't tolerate the thought of
being an employee of some company, filling a narrowly defined
role. And he does not miss the stress and long hours that his
former CEO position required. But he misses having a sense of
purpose, direction and being thoroughly engaged in meaningful
work.
Another
client has been a successful consultant. But he plays only a peripheral
role in the development of the organization. He would like to
be more intricately involved in a company, so that he can influence
the direction and contribute more fully. Someday, he would love
to own several small gift shops and be able to leave the large
metropolitan area where he now resides.
An
accomplished attorney in a small southern town realizes he is
out of place in this conservative environment and wants to relocate
to a larger metropolitan area. Although he understands that he
initially may have to take a job in the legal field, he looks
forward to the time when he can explore work that more completely
draws on his strengths and is more fulfilling.
Recently
I got a call from a person who works for a large financial consulting
firm. She stated that she is no longer willing to work for a company
that asks her to compromise her values. She continues to be committed
to her colleagues, but is no longer committed to the company.
An
unemployed former CFO in his mid fifties realizes that his goal
is not to find "perceived" security with a firm that
will provide a salary and benefits. Instead of continuing to look
for a company to hire him, he now intends to rely on his own resourcefulness.
He plans to open his own public accounting office in a small town
where his services are needed.
These
people have several things in common. It isn't that they don’t
want to work hard anymore. They do. All of these individuals desire
a change in lifestyle that would allow them to work hard to achieve
their own goals in environments that value integrity. They want
more control over their lives and their work.
Defining
Success
How
do we go about defining what is important to us at this time?
How do we define success for us at this time in our lives?
There
are many ways to start exploring this process.
My
clients rank in importance a list of 18 values (priorities). I
also provide them with a balance worksheet to help them identify
areas of imbalance and to develop a plan of action steps to achieve
more balance, satisfaction and happiness in their lives.
I
offer my clients an exercise by Coachville.com that recommends
completing the following statement in three different ways:
"I
know how successful I am by how….."
Another
exercise is to identify the time in your life when you felt the
most successful and the happiest. Describe what you did during
these times and the common themes that recur throughout the best
times in your life.
Sometimes
we reach a point of no return, a point where we are just not going
to settle for work and a life that leave us feeling stressed,
unappreciated and unfulfilled. When that time comes there is no
turning back, and we must find the courage and determination to
move ahead. Like Dr. Zhivago, we need to commit ourselves to something
absolute, something that we feel in the core of our being - something
that will not change with the latest business fad or decline in
the stock market. Then we can define what we need to feel successful
and happy, and develop an action plan to get there.
