The best advice I ever received...

I consider myself a fairly bright individual. One of my best traits, though, I think is that I don't think that I know everything yet. I'm always trying to learn something new. Often times that knowledge comes from reading. I scan literally dozens of magazines a month, daily and periodic newspapers, and several books, plus all of the reading I do online. Sometimes my learning comes from television. I admit it - I still like to watch This Old House reruns as well as the dozens of more current variety. I like to watch How's That Made, and similar shows as well. Sometimes my knowledge comes from something that I learn how to do myself -- working out a data query or presentation issue for instance.

Some of the most important things I've learned have come from a little closer to home, though. Or in this case, a little closer to work.

My degree is in Business management. My initial reading frenzy was largely skewed toward business process improvement -- reading about fast moving companies that were "doing it right." I read about customer service leaders. I read about manufacturing leaders. I read about retail leaders. I read about marketing leaders. I read about small mom-and-pop stores that were competing and winning against the corporate giants. I read about the companies that stretched themselves too thin and then re-found their focus. And I read Dilbert. I learned about as much from Dilbert as I did from all the other reading. What I read in that comic, though, scared me. It was like Scott Adams was working in a cube right next to mine. Listening in on all my rants. Taking notes at the meetings I attended. Reading all my emails. Every comic I read seemed to ring true to my work life. He was writing just for me! I've not even found a horoscope author that could be so accurate - so dead on!

As Adams wrote, and I lived, Dilbert's, I mean my, work life, things just continued to get worse. Except for one thing. I was smart! Certainly smarter than the others who were making all the decisions that didn't make any sense to me. I was going to change things. I was going to make it better. Unfortunately, things didn't always work out that way... I like to think I made a difference, if only in caring to make things better, but the dark side was too strong. Instead of seeing all of my great revelations, they only saw someone who was a complainer. A whiner who should just sit back, shut up, and let them do their jobs. If they wanted something from me, they would seek me out.

And so it went. True, it came in cycles. Sometimes, I would hit on something that I could do, usually in the background, behind the curtain, that would gain some traction. Many months would go by between my introduction of something of value while it sat fallow in the back of some one's mind, before rising up in a flash of brilliance (with minor modification sometimes), as their idea to champion.

OK, so I guess I am still a little bitter. This isn't going where I had intended it to go... What I was going to say was that "Real leaders are not people who can point out what is wrong. Real leaders are people who can make things better." That's what Marshall Goldsmith, Ph.D. says in
his article "The best advice I ever received".

My tendency was to point out where things were broken in the organization. Sometimes I had a fix, but not always. My intention was that I would point out something wrong, and then let the "experts" fix it. I expected it to be a revelation to them. They couldn't see the forest for the trees (or is it the other way around?). They've been doing it the same way for so long, that they just couldn't see that it didn't make sense anymore. Surely a fresh set of eyes was needed here.

In Goldsmith's article, he was an employee like this as well. Finally his boss said "Marshall, you are becoming a pain in the butt. You are not helping the people who are supposed to be your clients. You are not helping me, and you are not helping yourself. I am going to give you two options: Option A: Continue to be angry, negative and judgmental. If you chose this option, you will be fired, you probably will never graduate, and you may have wasted the last four years of your life. Option B: Start having some fun. Keep trying to make a constructive difference,
but do it in a way that is positive for you and the people around you. My advice is this: You are young. Life is short. Start having fun. What option are you going to choose, son?"

Goldsmith replied: "Dr. Case, I think it is time for me to start having some fun!"

A previous manager of mine gave me a copy of this article one day. She stated that she thought of me when she read it. I understand why. I was being a "pain in the butt" and though she was no longer directly in charge of my career, she cared enough to enlighten me to my current situation -- in a not so subtle way. I am glad that she cared enough to enlighten me -- again...

My career took a right turn, figuratively and directly, shortly after that. I was told to find another job (though within the company still). I ended up out moving out of the environment in which I had become a "pain in the butt" and got a fresh start somewhere else. My attitude changed completely. I was somewhere new. I didn't have the baggage on my back, nor were my peers and co-workers carrying any on their shoulders for me. I could offer my services to those that needed them, but because I was now the new guy, I wasn't perhaps so bold.

I've continued to learn a lot in my new job (just passed the two-year mark), and to share that knowledge with others who are very receptive to my knowledge and skills. I continue to read Dilbert occasionally, but it's just not as funny anymore when he's not sitting right next to me.

I still carry that article around with me, and have even shared copies of it with a few other co-workers who had drifted away from having fun.

In less than one week, I will have made it through 14 years with my current employer. Not bad for a tech job. Thanks to all of my co-workers who saw something in me worth keeping around. Oh yeah, one more thing. JN: I think I am having fun now! Thanks!

What was the best advice you've received? Leave a comment.