If Not Me, Who? If Not Now, When?
This is an article about one key
component of some dreams that we all share. The dream is that
we will have a happy and successful life. The dream is that we
will make a difference in the lives of others, and that we are
looked at after we die as people who
stood for something wonderful. One critical component of
realizing these dreams is in increasingly dangerous short
supply, from the HR Doctors observations over more than three
decades.
That ingredient is a compelling
sense of personal urgency.
Nearly daily in the HR Doctors
human resources work, I encounter employees who appear by
their demeanor or disinterest to be, essentially, grazing
until they find another job, retire or figure out how to take
full advantage of workers compensation provisions. Many of
these employees hide from new assignments. They dont display
a sense of the need to work so that they will be considered an
organizational asset and a "go-to" person.
When visiting high school
classes, teaching undergraduate and graduate students, and
certainly at the workplace, it is all too easy to note the
often significant number of people who dont appear to have a
passion for what the future could mean for them, and dont
appear to have a personal plan or vision for
themselves.
As
a result, they are dooming themselves to be governed by the
behavior and actions of others. They will also find that their
emotions will get in the way of their own success. This may
manifest in arrogance at work or some of its first-cousin
behaviors such as bullying, sexual harassment or
violence.
Conversely, there are employees
who present to their supervisors as diligent, hardworking,
earnest people, but when given a challenge or an assignment
upon which others will depend, they may fail to produce or
default to some chapters in a gigantic book of
excuses.
What is missing in all of these
cases is a compelling sense of personal responsibility,
accountability and urgency to accomplish what is expected and
to perhaps even to exceed those expectations. Those employees
who demonstrate a sense of responsibility and urgency are
those who are soon recognized and promoted. These are the
people to recruit, mentor and help become the next generation
of committed, visionary leaders.
The
title of this article is derived from a number of similar
quotes, one of which is attributed to the former Soviet
Premier Mikhail Gorbachev. The root origin may be in the
writings of the Hebrew scholar Rabbi Hillel whose quote was
"If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But, if I am not
for others, what am I? And if not now, when?" The common theme
to this great expression of wisdom is the need to overcome
what the HR Doctor describes as a serious public enemy
our own inertia. It is the theme calling for us to become more
accountable as an agent of change. This applies to our
professional careers certainly, but it also applies to each of
us as citizens. It applies to how we interact with our family,
and especially our children, our spouses and even to our
next-door neighbor.
To
become the person of passion and joy that Hillel referred to,
the magic ingredients are the vision of what you can do and
contribute mixed well with personal accountability and an
urgency to improve, learn and accept challenges. This will
help produce a career that is successful and full of
happiness. Indeed, actively seeking out challenges rather than
merely accepting the ones you cannot avoid, is the seasoning
in the success/joy recipe.
Dont believe me? Then accept a
simple challenge. At the very next opportunity, volunteer for
a project and work hard at it. See it through to completion.
Watch what happens. If you work in an organization, or work
for a boss with a sense of appreciation for others, your work
will be recognized. The results will begin a positive spiral
that will make your work more productive and
effective.
On
the other hand, if your great project work occurs in an agency
with Godzilla the Manager, where the words "thank you" are
rarely uttered anywhere, then reread the quote from Rabbi
Hillel. Be for yourself as well as for others. You may find
that your best hope of success is to plan carefully and
exercise that compelling urgency as you leave for another
agency where your work habits and personal habits will be
appreciated more.
Finally, if you supervise others
reread Rabbi Hillels words yet again and concentrate on the
part that talks about, "But, if I am not for others, what am
I?"
Start a campaign now to bring
pleasant surprises and appreciation to those whom you
supervise. Ironically, sometimes the best way to do that is to
let them know how much you need their help and how proud you
are of them. Follow up by giving them a new challenge that
will help them stretch and grow even further in their
careers.
You
can be your own best friend or you can be a banana slug. You
can act with urgency in this all-too-short life to make things
happen, or you can watch TV all day, hoping that someone else
will take responsibility for making your life happy and
successful. I fear that if you choose the latter approach, you
will be bitterly disappointed for the remainder of your
life.
Be
for yourself. Be for others. Do it now!
Phil
Rosenberg
The
HR Doctor http://www.hrdr.net/
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