Are You This Candidate?
"Self-motivated, eager, highly competitive, display initiative, and able to operate with minimal supervision"
You should be.
A friend of mine recently sent me a job posting he is considering, asking for my advice on whether or not he should apply. My thoughts today deal not with the job specifically, but with this last line in the posting, as it jumped out at me right away and certainly left a lasting impression. I have written two prior articles on motivation, and my last dealt specifically with the question of whether or not it should be the job of leadership/management to have to motivate employees. My conclusion was that no, employers should not have to motivate employees, that employees should work diligently for their employers if for no other reason than that is what they are being paid to do.
Entitlement debates aside, I am from the old school, having grown up on a ten generation family farm in Lancaster County, PA, a lifestyle and upbringing where men took a certain pride in their work and a job well done, and motivation to perform and get the job done was intertwined with their idendity, at the cellular level, of being a man. Motivation then, was not something that you needed from others, it was a core building block of your soul; it was not something given to you by leadership or an employer, it was a part of the very fabric of your DNA, the thought that another man should have to motivate you a foreign concept indeed.
Imagine a situation where an employer gives you the opportunity to work and earn a living, while also providing health care and other benefits, thus allowing you to support or help support your family. But that is not enough, and on top of a salary and the aforementioned benefits, you demand your employer also motivate you as well, for providing for your family and experiencing the joy of work (and the opportunity to work hard) apparently is not motivation enough.
Perhaps I am out of touch with mainstream America as I write from the perspective of the ultra-competitive world of college athletics and having come from a blue collar, manual labor background, but I simply cannot imagine a situation where I would feel sympathy or agree with the thought process of the individual described above. I do not know him, and I might find it hard to relate to him regarding industriousness, work ethic, pride, etc..
"Self-motivated, eager, highly competitive, display initiative, and able to operate with minimal supervision"
These, as Bono so eloquently stated, are the Hands That Built America, and will continue to move us forward as we march on to wherever our collective efforts take us. These are the go-getters, the doers, the thinkers, the manual labor workers, the innovators, and the game changers. These are the people with whom every executive, entrepreneur, and hiring manager wishes to build their company, organization, or team. Are you this candidate? Are you self-motivated and highly competitive? Are you able to operate with minimal supervision...IE not have to be micro-managed? If so, stay the course and hone your skill set, for you will go far. There are others out there who share your passion and purpose, and they will want you for their cause, will want to surround themselves with job candidates of your quality for their companies and organizations.
If you are not this candidate, if you look in the mirror and do not see -
"Self-motivated, eager, highly competitive, display initiative, and able to operate with minimal supervision"
I urge you to do what is necessary to find such qualities, and quickly, forcing them upon yourself if necessary, through whatever means at your disposal until they burn deep within your soul. For while they may not be listed on every job posting as a prerequisite for application and consideration, know that the aforementioned qualities are wanted, desired, needed, and highly respected by those making the final hiring decision for every job for which you may be interested. Companies and organizations will continuously move towards these qualities and traits, and should you not develop them quickly and thoroughly you risk being left behind.
Commit to Excellence in your work, and take pride in being the employee that does not need the pre-game pep talk. You will be respected for your efforts, and when it comes time for advancement or performance based incentives, you will be at the top of a short list of candidates. We have lost a step in this country in terms of industriousness and work ethic, and the fact that nearly every management/leadership book written in the last ten years devotes time and space to the motivation of employees is proof enough of this phenomenon.
"Self-motivated, eager, highly competitive, display initiative, and able to operate with minimal supervision"
"Go and do likewise..."
To hear my thoughts on this topic in podcast form, click HERE.
