Pearls of Wisdom? Maybe
Over the last couple of weeks, I had the opportunity to speak to a college classroom, be interviewed by a young man who just graduated from my Alma mater and meet in person a couple Twitter friends who have just graduated. What they all had in common was they wanted me to share any thoughts and wisdom I might have as they begin their professional lives.
To be honest, I actually felt a little like an impostor. Yes, I am coming up on the big 4-0, but have I really figured anything out? I realized a long time ago the day you stop learning is the day you start dying. Could that be considered some wisdom? No? Fine, be that way.
This weekend, as I laid in bed lying next to my snoring wife and dog. The dog was the one who was snoring. I began really thinking about what have I learned during the 39 years of my life and the 15+ years I have been in the workforce? What pearls of wisdom could I share that would actually be helpful? My brain started trucking at this point so I got up, headed to the computer and here is what I came up with.
Take as much time as you need to find your passion.
When I am passionate about what I am doing; I do it better, I do it smarter and I LOVE doing it no matter how long it takes. When I accomplish something and I did a good job, I feel great! All the money in the world cannot make you feel that way. Don’t ever stop searching for what will drive you and make you feel alive. You might need to do other things during your search to pay the bills, but never stop searching for the job that you were meant to do.
Start reading and writing and don’t ever stop.
Find the time to read and write. Consume great writing and learn how to write well yourself. It does not matter what kind of job you want, if you write well, you will have a leg up on so many people. I have seen first hand my writing inefficiencies and I try to improve on them everyday.
Find a mentor
One of my first real jobs after school was with Grey Interactive in New York City. I was hired as an HTML grunt. At the time, Grey’s Executive Producer saw something in me and took me under her wing. She was not only an incredibly nice and caring person, she was so smart and talented. I learned so much from her and I have no doubt I would not of had the opportunities I have had in my career without her help. I try to pay that forward by doing the same thing with people I work with and meet today.
Recognize your team
One of the first things I realized when people management was added to my responsibilities was something very simple, but it seems to be forgotten a great deal. The only way I am going to be successful in my job is if the people who report to me are successful. One of my top responsibilities has always been to do everything I can to ensure the people on my team can do their job the best they can. I don’t care what kind of business you have, the single most important asset of your business are the employees, the human capital. Many leaders tend to forget that. I try very hard to recognize team members after they have done a job well done. I am not doing my job if my team does not feel like I appreciate and care about them, which I do.
What do you think, is any of this valuable? Drop some of your knowledge in the comments below.
These are great Cord – I don’t think any of us ever look it like we are a great fountain of knowledge – but if you spend anytime in this life trying to make things better for yourself and others – your experience is wisdom. Here is another for you:
Don’t be afraid to fail – Every failure leads to success. If you are afraid to fail you will never gain the experience you need to become a success.
Thanks Tom, absolutely a good addition. One of my specialties is failing.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Great advice — saying thank you is really important (and it doesn’t cost us anything).
Another item is the importance of flexibility. At 24, I assumed I knew exactly where my life was going. At 28, I’m no longer so sure — but that’s OK. Last year, I mentioned to a friend (in her 60s) that I didn’t seem to have it all figured out. She said, “I’m retired and I *still* haven’t figured it all out.” That was reassuring.
Karl Sakas´s last [type] ..Advice from Dad: Leaders eat last
GREAT post, Cord! Funny, I just spoke of the “P” word last week in my blog post on “The 7Ps to Surviving Unemployment”. Great minds DO think alike!
Having already turned the BIG 4-0 last October, I don’t know what it is about that Birthday but it caused me to also look back, find my blessings, & want to share with all to see. I think if we can provide inspiration to others, then we are doing the right thing. Your post IS inspirational. I’m sure there will be a few folks that agree.
Note sure if this is career advice, but I think how you treat people who CAN’T help you reveals your true character. Spread good will in all directions — focusing solely on advancement is bad karma.
Karl, great point on flexibility.
Lisa, thank you so much for your kind words. I find it hard to believe that you have already reached 40.
Paul, Great thought! Absolutely, how you treat everyone no matter if they can help you or not, just being a human being.
Thanks for all your thoughts folks!
Cord, this post was refreshingly open and honest. Thank you for sharing. I think your point about reading and writing is so important. Writing is an amazing skill that fades over time if neglected. And that’s just crazy now with so many writing tools at our disposal: twitter, blogs, poetry, email, etc.
Life grabs a hold of us and suddenly we become too busy for the simple things in life: reading, writing, exercise, coffee on the front porch, drinks with friends, etc, etc. It’s important to hold onto these things as long as humanly possible. With a baby on the way this August, these thoughts have been on my mind lately.