We: How to Increase Performance and Profits Through Full Engagement

Chapter 3. Aiming for the Career-Life Bull's-Eye

Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.

—Buddha

Successful and Unsatisfied

Jason was hired right out of college to work as a writer of corporate training materials. He was an English major with a 4.0 grade point average and a penchant for skit comedy. Super bright, he quickly moved to tougher and tougher assignments and earned a series of pay raises and promotions in record time. He was well liked by all and viewed as a real star on the team.

So, Kevin, his manager, was more than a little surprised when Jason told him one morning, "I just can't write anymore. I'm sorry to let you down, but I'm resigning."

Kevin assumed that Jason was just having a really bad day, or a stressful week in a tough month. "Hey, J, why don't we just take a break, we'll restructure the work a little bit . . ."

"No, you don't understand. I've thought a lot about this. I don't like to write. I don't want this to be my job in 20 years. I love the people here, I love the company, I'm proud of our work, but it's just not the work that I like to do," was Jason's response.

Kevin was a little puzzled. "Well, what do you want to do?"

"I helped run a coffee shop when I was in college and I loved it. I want to go into food service."

How could someone trade in a fast track white- collar job for food service? Kevin reacted without empathy, in a knee-jerk fashion and started talking about the low pay and long hours on your feet. ...