The best advice I think I have ever given to a team member was probably, “If you don’t enjoy what you are doing, go do something else”. I am a firm believer that life is too short for you to not be doing something that you like. I have the great pleasure of teaching a “culture class” to all new associates bi-monthly. One of my favorite things about teaching that 2 hour class is when I get to look them in the eye and suggest they leave if they don’t like what they are doing. You should see the look on some of their faces. It is combination of surprise and shock but in the end I see an expression which seems to say, “that makes sense”.
I obviously don’t do it to run people off from our company, but more out of a sense of caring for their well being and wanting team members who care about their job enough to want to do it well.
I usually make the statement just prior to our mid-class break time. I then get the opportunity to invite them back with a statement like, “I guess you like your job well enough to have come back for part two”.
I love my job and therefore have a keen desire to see others share a similar experience. I think it is healthy for us to be occasionally reminded about the brevity of life along with the realization that our choice of workplace is important to our quality of life. This is particularly true in that we spend most of our waking hours at work.
What are you doing with the rest of your life?
