TM - May 2008 - (Page 12) [leading edge] by Dr. Jac Fitz-enz L L Focus Avoiding Confusion may not be directly related to your purpose. You have to decide which of those activities take you off the path to your career purpose and how you are going to minimize them. What is your purpose? Is it to manage a function, be an expert or lead others? You can be a very competent manager of a human resources department if you have the aptitude and perseverance. You can be one of the most knowledgedoing most? As Joseph Campbell said, “Follow your bliss.” Becoming a vice president is a goal, not a purpose. Second, do you believe you have the capability to be that? The biggest stumbling block is commitment, along with the strength and dedication not to stray from your purpose. Whatever you want to be, start today. Before you excuse yourself by claiming you have too much to do right now and will start next week, month or year, let me rid you of that misconception. If you don’t start now, you likely never will. The second step is beginning to live what you want to be. You probably have a plate full of duties and people pressing you for your time. So what are you going to do about it? HR people have a great deal of ike me, you probably receive more magazines, free and paid for, than you can possibly read. If you took the time to do so, you would either not have time to do any work or you would end up so overwhelmed by numerous, often conflicting prescriptions you would be paralyzed. If you are not confused by all this data, you probably are not even reading the rags. Add to that pile all the unsolicited conference programs, e-mail ads and Web letters, Facebook and LinkedIn contacts, and there is likely no way you are not snowed under by information. Good If there is a single piece of golly Miss Molly, advice that will lead you to what can you do to draw some value success, it is simply this: from this heap of alLearn to be one thing leged erudition? extremely well. Just as Odysseus had to tie himself to the mast to avoid the call of the sirens, so too must we HR and talent management professionals fight the allure of songs from so-called gurus. Peter Drucker said the reason journalists call people gurus is because they don’t know how to spell charlatan. About the Author Dr. Jac Fitz-enz is founder and CEO of the Human Capital Source and Workforce Intelligence Institute. He can be reached at editor@ TalentMgt.com. able persons on a given topic to the point that everyone seeks you out. Or you can be a charismatic individual who inspires people to great effort and superlative accomplishments. It is not likely you can do all three of these. Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, met with Drucker a few years ago. During their conversation, Drucker asked Collins what he wanted to do: be an expert researcher and writer or manage a consultancy. His point was it is difficult to be the best at both. Besides, being one gives more satisfaction than trying to do both. Be Tomorrow’s Leader Today The first step is to know your purpose. The test is what do you enjoy If there is a single piece of advice that will lead you to success, it is simply this: Learn to be one thing extremely well. Let me clarify the word “be.” There is a fundamental difference between doing and being. Doing is your activity. Doing is your job description. Doing is your title. All these things are exterior to you as a person. Being is your purpose — in this case, your career purpose. It is the guide behind how you do what you do. There are many things you have to do every day, and some of them trouble unloading work on others. They are so afraid someone won’t like them, they spend their lives taking on anything thrown at them. At the end of their careers, all they have left is a plaintive whimper: “Why didn’t I be what I was meant to be?” There Is Only Tomorrow Yesterday is lost, and today is going quickly. The question is, What are you going to do with your tomorrow? You can make excuses, tell yourself lies or act. Tomorrow will be whatever you make it, so make it good. 12 May 2008 talent management magazine www.TalentMgt.com http://www.TalentMgt.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of TM - May 2008 Talent Management - May 2008 Editor's Letter Contents Human Performance Leading Edge Learning Connections Make the Connection: Effective Employee Evaluations Vacation: The Benefit Many Employees Don't Take The Four Pillars of Managing Performance Transform Talent With Deeper Skill Specialization Mentoring's Role in Succession Planning Graybar: Supporting a Long-Term View of Talent Management American Diabetes Association: On a Mission to Improve Employee Health Taking the Talent Pulse: What Drives High Potentials? American Systems Employees Earn a Piece of the Pie Advertisers’ Index Editorial Resources Full Potential TM - May 2008 TM - May 2008 - (Page Intro) TM - May 2008 - Talent Management - May 2008 (Page Cover1) TM - May 2008 - Talent Management - May 2008 (Page Cover2) TM - May 2008 - Talent Management - May 2008 (Page 1) TM - May 2008 - Talent Management - May 2008 (Page 2) TM - May 2008 - Talent Management - May 2008 (Page 3) TM - May 2008 - Editor's Letter (Page 4) TM - May 2008 - Editor's Letter (Page 5) TM - May 2008 - Contents (Page 6) TM - May 2008 - Contents (Page 7) TM - May 2008 - Contents (Page 8) TM - May 2008 - Contents (Page 9) TM - May 2008 - Human Performance (Page 10) TM - May 2008 - Human Performance (Page 11) TM - May 2008 - Leading Edge (Page 12) TM - May 2008 - Leading Edge (Page 13) TM - May 2008 - Learning Connections (Page 14) TM - May 2008 - Learning Connections (Page 15) TM - May 2008 - Learning Connections (Page 16) TM - May 2008 - Learning Connections (Page 17) TM - May 2008 - Learning Connections (Page 18) TM - May 2008 - Learning Connections (Page 19) TM - May 2008 - Learning Connections (Page 20) TM - May 2008 - Learning Connections (Page 21) TM - May 2008 - Make the Connection: Effective Employee Evaluations (Page 22) TM - May 2008 - Make the Connection: Effective Employee Evaluations (Page 23) TM - May 2008 - Make the Connection: Effective Employee Evaluations (Page 24) TM - May 2008 - Make the Connection: Effective Employee Evaluations (Page 25) TM - May 2008 - Vacation: The Benefit Many Employees Don't Take (Page 26) TM - May 2008 - Vacation: The Benefit Many Employees Don't Take (Page 27) TM - May 2008 - Vacation: The Benefit Many Employees Don't Take (Page 28) TM - May 2008 - Vacation: The Benefit Many Employees Don't Take (Page 29) TM - May 2008 - The Four Pillars of Managing Performance (Page 30) TM - May 2008 - The Four Pillars of Managing Performance (Page 31) TM - May 2008 - The Four Pillars of Managing Performance (Page 32) TM - May 2008 - The Four Pillars of Managing Performance (Page 33) TM - May 2008 - Transform Talent With Deeper Skill Specialization (Page 34) TM - May 2008 - Transform Talent With Deeper Skill Specialization (Page 35) TM - May 2008 - Mentoring's Role in Succession Planning (Page 36) TM - May 2008 - Mentoring's Role in Succession Planning (Page 37) TM - May 2008 - Mentoring's Role in Succession Planning (Page 38) TM - May 2008 - Mentoring's Role in Succession Planning (Page 39) TM - May 2008 - Graybar: Supporting a Long-Term View of Talent Management (Page 40) TM - May 2008 - Graybar: Supporting a Long-Term View of Talent Management (Page 41) TM - May 2008 - American Diabetes Association: On a Mission to Improve Employee Health (Page 42) TM - May 2008 - American Diabetes Association: On a Mission to Improve Employee Health (Page 43) TM - May 2008 - Taking the Talent Pulse: What Drives High Potentials? (Page 44) TM - May 2008 - Taking the Talent Pulse: What Drives High Potentials? (Page 45) TM - May 2008 - Taking the Talent Pulse: What Drives High Potentials? (Page 46) TM - May 2008 - Taking the Talent Pulse: What Drives High Potentials? (Page 47) TM - May 2008 - American Systems Employees Earn a Piece of the Pie (Page 48) TM - May 2008 - Editorial Resources (Page 49) TM - May 2008 - Editorial Resources (Page 50) TM - May 2008 - Editorial Resources (Page 51) TM - May 2008 - Editorial Resources (Page 52) TM - May 2008 - Editorial Resources (Page Cover3) TM - May 2008 - Editorial Resources (Page Cover4)
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