Imagine what it would be like if you and every employee in your workplace had this little boy’s level of enthusiasm about their work?
I, Theresa, remember reading about Florence Nightengale, a nurse in the Crimean War in the 1850’s and saying “that’s what I want to be when I grow up.” I was probably about 7 years old. I had a nurse’s outfit, and I would play being a nurse for hours caring for my brothers, sister and neighborhood friends. This remained my dream for years until one day I was getting results from career testing in 10th grade and the individual said to me “your aptitude for science and math is low … you might want to reconsider your choice to be a nurse.” Wow, my bubble was popped in an instant! What was pure enthusiasm became sheer determination to prove this individual wrong. Yet, in the end, it was the truth, for I did do one semester of nursing, and after taking three science classes that semester, I realized nursing was not for me.
Each of us has had an idea of “what we’d like to do when we grow up.” When we reach adulthood, we do one of the following: 1) we become what we wanted to be in childhood, 2) we learn that what we wanted to do isn’t right for us, like I did, 3) we discover something else that captures our passion and purpose, or 4) we end up in a job that is just that, a job. Which category do you fit in? Which category do your employees fit in?
Spend some time this week thinking about what you wanted to be when you were young. How did you end up where you are today? Does your work energize you? What depletes your energy at work? How can you bring a little more enthusiasm, passion and energy to it?
If you are a manager, ask your employees what they wanted to be when they grew up. Find out what energizes them in what they do? What takes away from the enjoyment of their work? No employee is going to tell you they are not in the right job – but you and they know when they aren’t! Look for ways to find what gives them energy, and provide opportunities for them to do more of that, even in their current position. A passionate employee is infectious!
