What Next?
Does this sound familiar?
Dear Seth: My company is filled with people (all of whom seem to be above me on the corporate ladder) who refuse to let us try anything new. Everyone at my level knows exactly what to do to save the company, but no one above us will let us. What should we do? -- Ethel Binder, Williamsville, New York Dear Ethel: What you're looking for is an insurance policy that will protect you against retribution if your plan goes awry. What you're waiting for is someone way up the ladder to tell you that you can launch a product or institute a cost-savings plan. You want their approval to free you from risk. That's not going to happen. Just do it. If you wait for approval, it means that you want someone to cover your backside if you fail. The people higher up on the corporate ladder are well aware of the risk that comes with trusting you and your bellyaching associates. If you and your colleagues screw up after receiving their approval, then it will be your bosses who get into the deepest hot water, not you.[1]
Perhaps you are reluctant to begin creating the work success you want. Decide to start taking action. That is the easy part. Now, it is up to you to make the decision to begin.
The chapter, “How Is Your Job Satisfaction,” contains a simple exercise you can use to determine areas where you might want to focus your efforts based on your perception of your current situation. Start with only one or two areas. The following chapter, “Working on Your Job Satisfaction,” contains a number of actions you should consider taking in order to start making improvements. Finally, “Additional Resources” lists references that might be valuable to you.
On the following page is a development plan template you can use to focus your energy on specific steps you will plan to take. Or, feel free to use some other format.
Now is the time to get going!
Remember, planning your career is up to you, not your firm. If your new career path doesn't work out, the results will be a lot more painful for you than for your firm.
—David H. Maister, True Professionalism
[1]Reprinted from the November 2001 issue of Fast Company magazine. All rights reserved. To subscribe, please call 800-542-6029 or visit www.fastcompany.com.
