Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Looking At Ourselves Honestly

It is the time of year in the workplace when we start thinking about performance reviews.  I am reminded of something I once read that said 90% of all people think they are in the top 10%.  If this was true there would be no problems in the world or the workplace.  It has been my experience over many, many years that people are what they are.  This includes me.  I don’t think I am any better or any worse than I was twenty years ago in terms of being a human being or a leader.  I am what I am.  There are things I do well and things I do poorly.  Some days I want to change the world and other days I don’t even want to leave my cave.  Overall, I think I am as good as I am ever going to be.  I know more about myself than ever before but that doesn’t make it any easier to always perform at my best.  I am a mature person but I still occasionally have temper tantrums.  I think the same is true of many people.  Most people are just trying to get through the day in circumstances that are often challenging.  We all have different amounts of drive, ambition, talent, skill, and overall abilities.  These things have not been distributed equally.  Some people think I am wise but don’t ask me to fix your toilet or build a deck on the back of your house.  I wouldn’t know where to start.  However, if you want to discuss philosophy, I might be your guy.  Average workers are often great people.  Great workers are sometimes difficult people.  Most of us are ordinary and are doing the best we can.  Most of us do not see ourselves honestly.  We have an opinion of how we think we are that is usually inflated.  There is a perception by others of how we are that is often incorrect.  To be honest, I think I am overrated by many people and under-valued by some.  Finally, there is the reality of how we are and it sometimes takes a lifetime to see that honestly.  There is nothing wrong with being average.  The vast majority of us are.  I mean, look around you.  There is also nothing wrong with being talented.  If you are, it is a gift and you should be humble about it.  Gifted people are not necessarily better people and less talented people are not necessarily lesser people.  Whatever you are, accept it, and do the best you can to improve the world around you.        

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