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how to do
Compare your company's mission to your values. Much is being made of the corporate mission statement. But if it's not supported by every employee, it's just another plaque on the wall. Likewise if you see that your values and priorities contradict your employer's commercial practices, looking into the mirror will be increasingly difficult.
Appreciate your company's ability to make a real difference. These are the days of "free agency," where we're encouraged to consider ourselves self-employed, no matter who signs the paycheck. However, it's also important to appreciate the power of the entire corporate machine to stand behind your mission.
Whether you develop a new soap formula or send volunteer surgeons around the world to treat needy children, you carry the clout of the entire corporation as you move toward your goal. This could mean a bigger budget, a world-class pool of talent to draw from or entry into exclusive circles because your business card carries your company name as well as your own.
Consider Frank Wobst, the Ohio bank president. He is leveraging his clout to help restore Dresden, Germany's ancient and beloved landmark, the Frauenkirche; the building was fire bombed during the last months of World War II. The project is a personal milestone for a man who, as a little boy, slept in his home's basement to survive the night air raids of those days.
Value the passions of the people who work for you. When I first began "Working From the HeartLand," I met Tom Buchter, manager of the famous Winterthur Gardens in Delaware's Brandywine Valley. He led me into his office, an old bedroom in a staff house dating back to when Winterthur was a private DuPont family residence. I was surprised to see that his walls were absolutely bare of art: no posters, no calendars, nothing. I asked him why, and with an expansive sweep of his arms he pointed to the gardens outside his open windows. "Who needs art when you have this?" he said. The gardens are the result of his staff's dedicated labor.
Choose trust over negative interpretation. How many times does a CEO makes a well-meaning statement to employees, only to have someone put a negative spin on his intent? Let's say your CEO wants all employees to keep their marketable skills up to date so that they can find work any time, anywhere. Someone is going to say the company supports self-actualization among employees. Someone else is going to say that this is a veiled warning that layoffs are imminent. Stick with the colleague who goes for the self-actualization interpretation.
Stay in the job market. We tend to be happiest when we're secure. Today, security is knowing you have the ability to move from organization to organization when you must. Keep up your contacts both directly within the industry and in industries tangential to your immediate work. Go on at least four job interviews a year just to keep your interview skills current and your contacts up to date.
Share your resources. Happily employed and with up-to-date contacts, you are in a fabulous position to help other people find the work of their dreams. You are abundantly equipped to help others right now. Every time you activate your connections on someone else's behalf, you're reminding yourself how much you truly have. I call this "gratitude management," and it will come back around to you again one day.
Play. Try to choose at least one fun activity that doesn't involve competition. As much as you might use win-lose games to release aggression, you also need to release your spirit of the need to prevail all the time. Bike, hike or do whatever promotes a relaxed mind and involves the company of people you love. This isn't about winning and losing or even fitness. It's about having plain fun and cultivating a cheerful and optimistic outlook throughout all areas of your life.
Leave room for miracles and pleasant surprises. While researching stories for my book, "Find Your Calling, Love Your Life," I met Barry Armour, a computer graphics expert. During the recession of the early 90s, his Philadelphia-based company crashed under the weight of declining contracts. He was faced with closing down his beloved company and finding something else to do. But just in the nick of time, his phone rang.
It seems that one of Mr. Armour's clients knew someone who knew someone, and without Mr. Armour's knowledge, his resume was faxed to Industrial Light and Magic, George Lucas's special effects company. Mr. Armour now lives in beautiful Marin County, not far from his new boss, Mr. Lucas. Mr. Armour helps create those wondrous effects we see on the big screen.
So, when you're frantic with worry that there's no joy in your work, rest assured that you don't know everything. Someone -- a friend, a client, a fan, an acquaintance -- has you in mind for something fabulous. You just don't know it yet.
