Perhaps I’m dating myself, but one of my favorite skits on Saturday Night Live was “Coffee Talk with Linda Richman.” Mike Myers was in drag as a middle-aged New Yorker lady with an exaggerated New Yawk accent. Growing up in Brooklyn, I heard my fair share of those voices. It was “no big whoop.”
I’ve been having my own series of “coffee talks” in an attempt to learn more about what is out there and what advice some of my mentors have for me.
One such coffee talk was with Allen Sockwell. For much of my time at AMD, he was the Cheif Talent Officer, and he set a great example. He was a business person who just happened to be working in HR because he believed in the power of people. This is how I try to brand myself, so I felt he was a kindred spirit from the get go. He is now the Founder and Managing Partner of Sockwell Performance Advisors.
He shared with me his process for introspection and determining what his next post-AMD project would be. There are three facets to what we do: capability, passion, and fit, and we need to consider all of them when looking for the next opportunity whether it be within the same company or taking a larger leap of faith.
Too often, we go with capability regardless of whether the passion is there. Or perhaps the passion is there, but the fit isn’t right (e.g. a small company with limited infrastructure, but you operate well with more distinct parameters).
But what would it be like if you found that sweet spot? As with any job, there is going to be balance. We’re not going to be passionate about every aspect of our jobs. We might not have the capability to do some pieces (but we can learn!). Or perhaps certain issues around fit aren’t ideal.
But if we can find a job when the majority of our time is spent in that sweet spot, work is no big whoop.
CraftFerguson 