I recently had lunch with a former colleague. In the past, her work had required our services and so we had frequent contact.
I recall some on my team bristling at her ambitions which frequently meant outsized demands on my department.
“Who does she think she is?” was the tone of the complaints.
Now her achievements are evidence that while her ambitions may have exceeded her position at the time, they did not exceed her grasp.
This got me thinking about my own ambitions, and those of everyone around me. We invest time and effort into our jobs. “What do you do?” is a common question for new acquaintances, the implication being that we can tell a lot about you with that question.
The machines are coming for the boring parts of our jobs. Do our jobs define us and our ability to contribute?
I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar.
That much is true.
But even then I knew I’d find a much better place.The Human League, “Don’t You Want Me”
Who do you think you are? Your potential is not defined by your circumstance.
My motivation for this blog is to understand the best way we can all apply creativity and innovation to the world around us, and that includes our careers.