Years ago, before children, and in the
days when I was aiming on moving up the ranks in the consulting
company I worked for, I had a big a-ha moment.
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It was 1992. I have a huge capacity for work and
that year I put work, and the needs of the company, first. Every
day, every week. If they said jump, I did. If they needed
volunteers, I stepped up. I worked weekends, I missed social
events. You get the idea. I could not, simply could not, have been
more dedicated.
At the end of the year came a review with
one of the partners. He said to me, "Well, we're not sure how
committed you really are to this firm and to your career."
I must have goggled at him because he went on, "Someone who was
in that late night team meeting you guys had on Project X said you
wished you were out in the fresh air, gardening."
You know how emotion can fix a scene in your mind? I can still
see that busy sushi restaurant in a Sydney street, the hard chairs
and the carafe of water on the table. I let him have it with both
barrels in a way I never have with a senior person before or since.
My disappointment at a colleague running telling tales about a
moment's escapist fantasy was nothing compared to my outrage that
after all I had done and given - and given up - this was the
response. This was how much anyone had noticed or valued the huge
efforts I had made.
The moral of the story, folks, is: don't sell your soul to the
firm. The firm will take all you have and still expect more. It's a
hill without a summit.
So, that day in December 1992, I resolved never to give that
much again. I would push back, I would keep something of me, for
me. And that's what I did. You want to know what happened?
They promoted me.
© Professionelle Ltd 2007