Where does the passion go?

Where does the passion go?

I remember the first time I heard about what's called "the Peter principle" formulated by Dr Laurance J Peter. You might have heard of it - basically it's summed up as saying that many people, if not most, are promoted to the level of their incompetence. I'll explain. The obvious logic in many workplaces is that the only way to advance your career is by moving up. When you do well, you're promoted because that is how the reward system works.

 But think this through for a minute with me. How long is that going to  continue for? Probably until you and I stop doing so well and are no longer promoted! At that point we have reached our 'level of incompetence'. I have actually seen this time and time again with excellent salesmen and women. These are the star performers in the company. They hit their sales targets with ease, customers positively rejoice to see them come through the door. No one can compete with them. So they get promoted to Head of Department.

 Now they have a team to manage, lots more paperwork to do, manager's meetings to attend... and slowly their passion for the job ebbs away.  The reason their performance drops is because they no longer have the opportunity to do what they really excel at. The problem is now it says Vice President on their business card and not sales clerk. And they drive a Porsche instead of a compact and for those two trinkets they will sell their soul. Wh?y Because they will no longer do what they do best most of every day.

 What's the solution? Well, sometimes we need to take an honest look at where we are and ask - 'have I actually settled for less by accepting more?' Yes there's more responsibility, more power, more money, but really, there's less - less fulfillment, less happiness, less pleasure in the work.

 And sometimes for us to really advance as people we might have to take a step back and say no to promotion and do what we were really good at. In doing so we will rediscover our passion and fulfillment in the workplace. I love what my friend Gandalf said to Aragorn in Lord of The Rings. Put aside the ranger and become who you were made to be

 We talk about this in much more detail in the book Love Work Live Life