Evan Carmichael Top Header about About About facebook Twitter YouTube Google+

Are You Too Good for Your Job?



Free PDF Download
2013 Gamechangers: New Rules in Employee Motivation - By Jessica Ollenburg

Name: Email:


It’s a cliché story... one of the most common mistakes... battling for just the right amount of career confidence and self worth. Being part of a successful team or system creates a restless feeling and a need to do “bigger, better things.” The restless overconfident person leaves the successful environment and finds a path of greater resistance. Of course highly visible in the entertainment industry, the inflated “ego” can break up our favorite television series, sports team, band and far too frequently occurs (although with less celebrity status) in the workplace.

We know you can’t really succeed until you’re willing to fail, and the path of greater resistance isn’t necessarily a bad choice. Overconfidence, however, is rarely a good choice. When good things happen to those who feel “entitled,” those good things are often taken for granted and opportunities are missed. It’s really not surprising how many times overconfidence takes one down a lesser path or a path of greater resistance.

Career overconfidence takes many forms. Sometimes it bears a very unconventional appearance. Sometimes individuals have an inflated sense of entitlement or expectations, and accordingly, they inappropriately benchmark their success. Sometimes individuals underestimate the effort, work or risk tolerance required to attain success. This form of overconfidence is attached to work outcomes as opposed to talents or skills, yet it can lead to the same pitfalls.

The desire for advancement is consistently a survey leader among career magnets and motivators, yet employees too often fail to recognize opportunity or fail to invest the appropriate effort. When advancement does occur, employees often take too much credit and become overconfident with a heightened sense of workplace demand. Where employees don’t advance, they often shift blame rather than finding their own sense of accountability. After failing in one workplace, the blame-shifter often temporarily succeeds in the next. If this is due to learning, success becomes more sustainable. If this is due to scorn and determination to prove oneself right while still blame-shifting, after a brief “honeymoon period” the same barriers and original problems may re-emerge. When they do advance, they fail to recognize the support they’ve received, and the self-destructive cycle continues.

On the flip side, employers allow these disconnects by failing to properly distribute education on both success and failure. Inappropriate distribution of rewards, consequences and information around work outcomes is at the heart of the problem. The answer is not simple. It’s a lifelong commitment to learning and refreshing learning, supporting why the leadership assessment and learning programs are among the most popular at HRS. Even once learned, these principles are easy to overlook… and even forget.

As an individual, if you think you might be too good for your job, we recommend awareness of the “overconfident” syndrome in hope you may avoid its pitfalls. If you make a bad choice, don’t dwell on it, but please look back at it for the learning. Without learning we are destined to repeat our mistakes. Advancement is above all a product of your choices... and not necessarily which job you have but rather how you approach it.


Related Articles

  What are you good at?
  Doing Better Than Good!
  Staffing needs in the Holiday Rush
  Give yourself a magical life
  Enlightened Millionaires: AHA Number 7
  Feeling the Positive Opposite
  Why Me?
  Easy Solutions For Managing Problem Solving Challenges
  3 Reasons Why You Should Love Unsubscribes
  The Seduction of Technology
  How to start your day the right way
  Joyce Hall Quotes
  The Power of Thought - Insurance Sales Training
  LISTENING SKILLS IN COACHING
  Staying Up, Up, Up in a Down, Down World
  About Those Good Dishes
  What Makes a Great Sales Manager?
  A great leader's tale
  What Does it Mean When You Can't Reach Your Sales Team?
  Entrepreneurs – Getting Your Plumbing And Heating Business Better Known

Home > Human-Resources > Jessica Ollenburg > Are You Too Good for Your Job >

Free PDF Download
2013 Gamechangers: New Rules in Employee Motivation - By Jessica Ollenburg

Name: Email:

About the Author: Jessica Ollenburg

RSS for Jessica's articles - Visit Jessica's website
Jessica Ollenburg is CEO at HRS-Human Resource Services, Inc., with global satellites providing organizational development and HR management solutions and research since 1983.  HRS serves employers of choice, with size ranging 25 - 100,000+ employees. Educator, Entrepreneur, Author, Media Magnet and Senior Management Consultant, Jessica's bio is available at http://www.AskHRS.com/our-ceo.htm
Click here to visit Jessica's website.
Dashed Line

More from Jessica Ollenburg
Employer Choices Concerning Concealed Carry Act To Ban or Not to Ban
Sequencing Medical and Disability Leave
Writing Job Descriptions for Legal Compliance and Organizational Development Results
Candidate Screening by Video Technology Reveals Mixed Success
Stop Saying Work Smarter Not Harder and Great Things Shall Happen

Related Forum Posts

Re: Networking Re: Networking
Re: SEO for your small business: 4 tips Re: SEO for your small business: 4 tips
Google Pagerank update inprogress Google Pagerank update inprogress
Using youtube disadvantages? Using youtube disadvantages?
Re: Book Promo 201 - Preview Trailer Re: Book Promo 201 - Preview Trailer

Share this article. Fund someone's dream.

Share this post and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.
Share for a Cause
Featured Expert



Worksheets
By: Evan Carmichael

8 Powerful Steps to Finding Your Passion

Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur?

Does your pitch suck?

Create a plan of attach to launch your new business.

8-Cover

Like this page? PLEASE +1 it! Evan Signature
Bottom Footer



Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Name:
Email:
Popular Articles

10 Reasons Everyone Needs a Vacation

How Do You Define Good Business Partners?

Compassion or indifference?

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.