WHAT APPEARS TO BE
Can you imagine having a cubicle next to John F. Kennedy? Beyond the paparazzi, consider how business would get done.
According to a survey of 4,100 employees, the priorities of job seekers are:
- 60% Challenging & Interesting Work
- 58% Recognition & Rewards
- 44% Opportunity for Fast Career Growth & Advancement
- 42% People-oriented (SOURCE: Accenture)
Seems there’s a lot of people looking for what they can get. What happens when we wait for others to create the “conditions” that we desire? Perhaps Kennedy should have said in his famous address, “Ask what your country (read: company) can do for you!”
WHAT MIGHT BE
Far too many people have a default belief system that culture, the environment within which they work, is a bi-product of decisions made from up high. These are the victims you hear throughout the day lamenting long and poorly-run meetings, the lack of execution around them, as well as the victims and non-accountable people they have to work with. (How ironic!)
WHAT CAN BE
The wisest amongst us know that every time they interact with others, they determine the culture they function in. These are the people whom we never hear complaining. These are the people who pause before speaking and acting. These are the people who realize the cause and effect between their focus, their energy, their behaviors, and their actions.
These are the people who have everything the job seekers above are looking for because they create it themselves.
How do they do it? One question changes everything. One question changes the culture around them: What can I do?
That might be Kennedy in the cubicle next to me whispering, “Ask not what your company can do for you. Ask what you can do for your company.”
What is the difference between what “might be” and what “can be”? You decide.
The people are the organization. In fact, human capital is probably the most valuable asset. After all, the people are what create and sustain competitve & comparative advantages. Because we are the company, we should also ask “what can we do for each other” with the ultimate goal of being the best in the business.
Your comments resonate strongly. With the sort of approach you’re describing, an organization can literally drive the market. And at the end of the day, those who make it happen go home more satisfied than ever before.
Thanks for hanging out with the Tall Guys, Kirby.