In this climate where the next layoff or bankruptcy could be just around the corner, there's no better security than to "know thyself." I re-discovered a gem of an article, Managing Oneself by Peter Drucker, while cleaning my office.
Long before focusing on strengths became popular, Drucker called it right, when he said,
"It takes far more energy to improve from incompetence to mediocrity than to improve from first-rate performance to excellence."
Photo by fluzo
In addition to talking about strengths, Drucker cites the importance of knowing how one learns, one's values, how one gets things done, and taking responsibility for relationships. This is the type of self-awareness that goes beyond a job and leads to satisfying careers, even in a down economy.
P.S. I love how the Internet makes so much information available. I first read Drucker's article nearly ten years ago in a management journal and kept copies on a filing cabinet outside of my cubicle. Distribution of great ideas/articles was limited and cumbersome. That's no longer the case, thank goodness.
Now that gem of an article is on the virtual filing cabinet outside of your virtual cubicle.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for stopping by, Paul! In general, the world of work is much more virtual these days, don’t you think? Much of how work is done now would have been considered prohibitively expensive or cumbersome just a decade ago.
Just read an article this evening about how an hour long phone call from the US to the UK, in 1991, would have cost $48. The author compared this to a plan he has today that allows him an hour long call to the UK for less than $2. And if you are willing to use services like Skype, it’s free.
Makes me wonder what will be possible ten years from now.