So I’m drinking the Kool-Aid.

Taking the whole pitcher to the head. Some of you know that I started a new job a while back. So far I am really enjoying it. They have actually been exactly what they said they would be. Not only in the function I perform, but also the autonomy and control I have in making stuff happen. I am working with some great people, downloading and sifting information from the current executives. So far, they seem to be open and ready for what programs I’m building. That does not mean there are no challenges.

Survival versus Sustainability

On that note, I also have a lot of responsibility to perform. In my 8+ month job search I thought a lot about exactly how long it would be before I would be forced to break down and just accept or go for “anything that came along.” It is a tough decision for anyone to make. In this market one that many have never experienced or quite know how to approach, the typical thought around “I will try and see what happens” just isn’t practical. This approach, as many of us have found, does not do a company justice nor does it do us any favors. But we search for hope. We do all this work to look attractive and get a position we believe will be great for us, without often thinking if it is good for all parties involved. These approaches cause us to be locked in a survival mode rather than sustaining mode. In my mind…

• A Survival mode pushes us anywhere. Gets us to do anything in order to survive. It justifies any approach and or thinking that we are owed something. Often it can make us place blame. That blame being justified or not.
• A Sustaining mode, I believe, makes us think more about the long term and how it affects those around us. It weighs our selfish needs against what is reality and often makes us think more about all parties involved (from our family and colleagues to even, in the job search, the company or agency we would like to represent). Sustaining mode is not easy. It forces us into the hard farming mentality versus hunting for the now.

For those in any mode there is always help. In the form of network groups, job search chats, support groups, etc. Yet many people don’t take advantage of them. It takes practice to build routine. It takes consistency. Many have practiced the same routine over and over. Now they need a change.

It’s not all double rainbows

I was fortunate enough to obtain the role I have. The team is excited. My boss is excited which is what helps contribute to my own excitement and confidence. And I would tell you myself, I need a lot of confidence!

With everything going well in this still short time frame, we still have challenges. Changes, the industry, and current economic uncertainty keeps people on edge. I could be excited but at the same time my excitement can also be viewed as being smug or egotistical. In that I have to be careful and empathetic.

Also who knows what could happen. I could be back where I was. Looking once again. You hope but you plan as well. Right now I have Engagement but that is not the same thing as Job Security.

I think your ability to be polished and have the abilities to interview and not only look like a strong candidate but be a strong candidate is one benefit… the actual ability and capabilities to perform within a role you obtain is an entirely different story. I believe this is why I waited and didn’t just accept any role no matter how attractive or unattractive.

Not all of us can wait for the right role, but all of us can be patient about how we approach our direction.

So what about you. Are you engaged in your role (no matter how long you have been there)? What is keeping you from being patient?

and now our moment of zen:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jXz7NrfzsI&feature=player_embedded