I write this knowing that I am currently in the middle of my JobHunt. Well, actually, I’m hopefully very near the end of this one! So, I decided to add this disclaimer here at the top of this post. I don’t want this to look like I am addressing any specific previous employer of mine, nor do I want this to like like I have harsh expectations for a future employer. This is intended as a commentary of what I have noticed as I read and absorb and listen to plenty of information and then get glimmers of perspective that I want to share in some way. I hope this can be provocative and helpful…
I think Seth Godin’s post about Sheepwalking is not nearly harsh enough. I often see and hear strategies that take bright, articulate people and turn them into idiots and drones. Many times hiring managers don’t consciously think about the way they are behaving as something that sucks the life out of people. They don’t try to do that. Most often that thinking breeds and grows inside an organization, like an undesirable weed. It is often hard to kill those weeds.
One example of this is witnessed by watching hiring managers that do not yet understand how important it is to hire people that are smarter and better than themselves and then to encourage the success of those people - in whatever ways possible, even if it means those people become more successful by leaving the organization and leaving the position for which they were hired.
I believe that killing Sheepwalking is promoting great business. Doing that helps makes an organization more equipped to deal with today and to deal with tomorrow and also makes any organization more attractive for other bright, articulate people.
Saying what I think, related to killing Sheepwalking is not a solution. It is an attempt to be provocative and wake up some emotions. If it is possible to go from Good to Great, then (unfortunately) I also think it’s also possible from Mediocre to Totally Sucky. Look around you. Are your managers and teammates and associates trying to help everyone around them to be better?
What are YOU going to do about it?
Where would you want to work, somewhere that sucks the life out of you or somewhere that helps make you better and more capable to handle greater and even more significant issues and challenges going forward?
Filed under: Challenge, Ideas, Inspire, Leadership, Listening, Motivate, Perspective, Writing
