In the world of business, I think we can all agree that ‘power and profit’ matters most to companies. And, with good reason. ‘Power’ signifies one’s market presence and influence while ‘profit’ validates company success and customer approval . . . all crucial components to the sustainability and viability of any business.
So how does ‘passion and purpose’ fit into the world of business? Simple, these are the components that mean most to the employees who help businesses succeed!
Of course, employees benefit from both the ‘power and profit’ of a company but it’s also human nature to seek internal gratification for choosing to work where you do. So we have a dichotomy shaping up here with some competing ‘spectrums.’ On one end, the company desires ‘profit and power.’ On the other end, the employee desires ‘passion and purpose.’ How do we create a ‘win-win’ situation?
But before we go there, there are some harsh truths we all must embrace…
Tackling the Competing Dichotomy
‘Harsh realities’ are what I like to call logical truisms. We all know they’re fundamentally true, we just don’t always want to believe them.
Here’s my ‘harsh realities’ for level-setting the 4 P’s dichotomy.
- There’s no such thing as work/life balance when you work!
Let’s face it. Those who work outside of the home are more at work than they are at home. Stop trying to fight this and simply embrace it. This means that attaining some sense of passion and purpose at work is ‘uber-critical!’ Believe me, even the ‘do what you love because then you’ll never work a day in your life’ folks have stressful days too!
- Your company will never be able to meet all of your ‘passion and purpose’ needs!
Regardless of where you work, whether for a profit or not, unless the company’s mission statement reads: Fulfill ‘Joe’s Needs,’ then you are going to have look elsewhere to completely fulfill your personal passion and purpose needs. Enough said.
Attaining a Realistic and Practical Balance
Now that the ‘harsh realities’ are out of the way, it’s time to figure out how to balance the 4 P’s from both a personal and a company perspective.
Personal Perspective
- Develop a ‘game on’ mind-set about work. It’s NOT a ‘playground’ but a ‘playing field.’
Give your all, be thankful for the pay-check, and realize work is always going to be full of ups and downs. Take time to celebrate the successes and apply the discipline needed to work through the ‘pains.’ Be clear on what the ‘win’ means and ‘knock it out of the park’ for your company. Remember because of the ‘competing dichotomy’ between companies and employees, there will always be ‘bumps in the road.’ Develop the ‘game on’ discipline mindset BEFORE you walk through the doors.
- Realistically determine the ‘void’ for your work passion and purpose and do something about it.
Now here’s the thing, I don’t want you to blame or even chastise the company here. Simply embrace the facts, and start to determine other avenues in your life that can fulfill your void; is it photography, dance, art or volunteering? If you haven’t done this already, do. You’ll quickly find out that everyone wins when you, yourself are more fulfilled. You might be saying, ‘I don’t have time for this. I’m too busy as it is.’ The bottom line is that we make time for things most important to us. No excuses.
Company Perspective
- Stop trying to fulfill your employees every ‘aching need and desire.’
I’m generalizing here, but the lengths that companies go to actually keep employees can be pretty extreme. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely believe in taking care of our employees who take care of our companies, but let’s be realistic and practical. I have been personally involved in situations where employers went out of their way to take care of an employee’s needs just to have them leave a short time thereafter. Even the best bonus plans, recognition structures and health plans don’t guarantee we will be able to retain all of our employees. That ‘ole’ dichotomy will always be in the way. Take care of employees, yes, but let’s be realistic.
- Develop ‘stewards’ and not ‘employees.’ Instead of asking, ‘what can we do to create higher level performers?’ We instead ask,’ what can we do to have employees care as much about our business as we do?’ Known as the ‘legacy concept,’ companies create stewards when employees truly believe their company truly cares about them, period. Instead of a sense of ‘obligation,’ employees feel a sense of ‘responsibility.’ Instead of a sense of ‘dictatorship and authoritarianism,’ there is a sense of ‘ownership’ throughout the entire organization. Instead of a sense of ‘I don’t know if I’ll be here in the next couple of years,’ there’s more of an attitude of ‘I hope I can retire here.’ Those are just some of many attributes that foster ‘stewardship’ versus feeling like ‘just a number.’
Key Thing to Remember
The competing dichotomy is NEVER going to allow you to get to a perfect state! That does not mean give up, ‘throw in the towel!’ It means you need the ‘mental discipline and work-out’ mentality with you until you are no longer part of the workforce. Remember, you are not on vacation, you are at work! So…’work-out!’
I’d Love to Help You, Really
Privately send me your challenges, questions and comments at [email protected]. I can’t guarantee I’ll have all the answers, but I will be candid, truthful and genuine at all times with you. All of us deserve to be inspired and joyful in our lives. We simply need to work towards it.
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Regards,
Rubi
