The Corporate Virus

There is a virus that began spreading in corporate America long ago. Some say this virus was triggered by the automobile industry and it’s constant push towards mass production and efficient methods. Today we find that these methods remain and while the ideals are still valuable, the byproduct is a virus that is hard to treat.

Each day millions of corporate employees head off to work ready to slay their dragons for the day. These dragons consist of tasks that never end, boring responsibilities that were assigned by someone else, meaningless TPS reports we are told have to be filled out, and many more.

Early in our careers we get this uncomfortable feeling that there has to be something more. That all this work we put into our growth and development has to mean more than what we are experiencing in our current role. As time rolls on complacency begins to set in and we succumb to and accept that this is what our career is.

In a way most really don’t accept it and instead fight this in their personal, non-work, lives. This is perhaps at the heart of why so many people are watching reality TV or pass the time consuming meaningless media. We get the feeling that someone else’s reality is a whole lot more interesting than our own. Instead of correcting the problem in our life, we accept what is handed to us and experience life through someone else’s eyes.

Many organizations have a year end calibration where their organization is looked at and pay raises and/or bonuses are determined based on performance and behavior of each individual. As a decision maker in this calibration I wonder to myself why is it so easy to differentiate the average from the above average? What is it that the above average are doing that separates them from the pack?

The answer comes in the treatment for this virus.

They do work nobody is assigning to them. They are taking responsibility for things they care about. They are trying something different. They are making courageous decisions in areas where failure is always a possibility. They are also not avoiding or hiding behind their assigned responsibilities but instead work to understand how they can streamline, delegate, or take them to the next level.

The good news is, this virus does not have to be fatal. It is not too late to begin treatment and vaccinate yourself to avoid becoming the recipient of a pink slip or ending your career having little to be proud of. The treatment is also not very easy either.

Look at your current responsibilities. Can you streamline, delegate, or improve any of your regular tasks? Do you understand how what you are doing fits into the big picture? Are you looking for possibilities to contribute in other ways without being assigned?

The treatment can be found in the answer to these questions. What are you going to do to find your cure?