Quit Your J-O-B!

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Friends,

We have to have filters through which we see the world.  Otherwise, we’d be overwhelmed by it all.  Our filters are unique, shaped by our families and cultures, our own predispositions, education and philosophy; and our filters are colored by our inner wells of hope and love, fear and hurt.  So, for example, you might have a filter this morning on email that frames it as, “an annoyance and a waste of time,” or a filter that frames the email  – okay, this is hard to imagine – so that you think: “Isn’t it great that all these people want to be in touch with me?!!!”

One filter that 99% of us share is:  “I want to have a good J-O-B.”  A job is like a big slot out there that we slide into, which we hope will fit.  We get the job, do most of it, and the check comes every two weeks.  Maybe one day we step up the ladder to a new box/job that we slide into to do what that  job description says. 

I think that basic filter of the J-O-B serves us poorly these days.  I like this view of earning a living better:  “I’m going to create so much value in the world that I WILL be well compensated.”   My activity to earn a living might include a job (or two), or a contract or two or three, or stuff I sell, or services, or a duplex I rent, or many combinations of these activities.  But it’s not a box into which I fit.

A friend of mine is a very successful entrepreneur who sold the business he toiled to build.  The company endures, employing over 40 people.  He and I were talking about J-O-B-s.  He said, “When I interviewed people, I would say, ‘Why do you want to work here?’”   Almost every time, they would say things like, “I need a job,” and “I like your company,” and “I’ve heard good things about your place,” and “I’ve always wanted to be in this industry.”  He said that almost never did he hear, “I want to work here because I know I can add value to what you do.” Or “I like what your company is all about and I want to make it better.”  They saw the company as a thing and the job as a thing.  As an entrepreneur he saw the company not as a thing but as a constant activity, risking, pursuing, calculating, creating, partnering, competing to make something better and the whole, profitable.  And he was looking for people who’d see the job not as a static thing to occupy but as a place from which to create, add value, find savings, and wow customers.  Isn’t the difference between the “thing” and the “activity” stark?

Michigan, in particular, is dying for entrepreneurs – within and without – to make us alive, to seize opportunities that exist in tough times, to risk, and to fight to make risks winnable. Filling the box of the J-O-B – especially when there are not enough jobs – will not be enough.   So…

I’d invite you to quit your J-O-B today.  And begin – or begin again – to examine how you can add value every day to others in their work and lives; don’t fill a box, but instead create something great.  It’s the heart of entrepreneurism: to create value for other people, for which they are happy to pay you in return.  It’s also the heart of the most important work we do – raising children; that’s not a job but an extraordinary activity of creation and Value adding!

Lead with your best self!

Dan

  • Tony,

    I do not see a clear relationship between the Dow and Nasdaq being up and a brighter economic future. Someone has to invest the free money being printed at the Treasury and given away to Wall St., Government Motors, et al. Manufacturing up???….Where? Housing up???… Where, but more precisely, what kind of housing? Apartments/section 8 make up the majority of that statistical basis, and we all know that those types of dwellings are not indicative of a strong middle class revival, but more are along the lines of socialist realities. In socialist/fascist countries, there is a miniscule middle class, a very decidely big jump in the vastness of wealth for a few, and a lot of lower class. Sort of the Patricians/Plebes of feudal times.
    Wall Street Journal may have certain philosophical leaning tendancies, but you certainly cannot discount the intelligent prose, and absolutely cannot lump that periodical in with zealot fools as you’ve mentioned as mouthpieces for the ‘right’ and ‘left’. Those folks on tv and radio are part of a fraternity/sorority that includes the likes of Howard Stern….all ‘shock jocks’….no value to me. I feel duped by this administration, and you can rest assured, I will NEVER vote for a candidate from the Big 2 again.

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  • In response to Mr. Mulhern’s response to Cass116,

    While I am not knowledgeable of the particulars of Cass116’s experience in state government one phrase that she used is something I have experienced that is repeatedly uttered “you don’t fit it.” I’m not sure who would want to fit in. The culture of state government and of agencies such as the Department of Human Services are such that if you’re an outsider, if you want to use your intelligence to think outside of the box, if you want to speak of best practices, it is not welcome or accepted…”you don’t fit in.” This comes from someone with an education, with experience in the nonprofit, private, and public sectors, someone young (and sometimes naive) enough to still think they can make an impact. I am not bitter but I am disappointed. I expected better. This is not a reflection of the character of the administration…it simply does not trickle down. Sometimes I wonder if the folks who have been around take bets on how long it takes a newcomer to state government to lose their idealism. I’ve had a number of people tell me that until you learn to just say okay, stop questioning, and do what you’re told without seeking further understanding you will continue to cause friction and discomfort in the work environment and it will only cause you strife. I’ve also been told by those who have been here upwards of 20 years that I’ve caught on too quickly and that it usually takes at least a little bit longer to become disillusioned. It is most frustrating and disheartening and something that I can’t even begin to comprehend or understand. Why wouldn’t an agency want to be respectfully questioned? Why doesn’t an agency understand that different viewpoints are valuable? Why are outsiders discounted and told that they just don’t understand? An agency with employees who feel listened to, who feel like they have an opportunity to make an impact are going to be far more valuable than those with broken spirits who can’t wait to sprint out the door at 4pm everyday. I’m not sure of all state agencies but I know a number of them that are in desperate need of a distinct cultural shift and until that happens…if employees of these agencies were to read this RFL and take it literally…there would be plenty of job opportunities in Michigan because a large portion of state employees would vacate their positions. People join state government to serve and they find that there is only to be let down when they attempt to vocalize the changes needed and necessary to not only ensure the health and well-being of the state agencies but of the citizens we serve. I’m aware of the value I can bring. I just can’t find anywhere that truly seeks anyone beyond someone who will just do what they are told and keep their mouth shut.

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