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Where does the passion go?

Written by: David Oliver

Article Overview: Many busy people in life lose the passion and joy they once had at work. In this insightful article Davdi Oliver explains one reason why, and, importantly, what to do about it. READ MORE...

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

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Article Tags: business card, fulfillment, happiness, incompetence, job, laurance, logic, nbsp, paperwork, passion, peter principle, pleasure, porsche, reward system, sales targets, salesmen, star performers, trinkets, vice president, workplaces



Related Forum Posts
Re: When do entrepreneurs retire, if ever? - Entrepreneur don't retire, they die on the job. It is his passion and what he enjoys doing. Rubert Murdock is 77 years old and he is still working. He said he would die fast if he stop working. Working had become his life,joy and passion
Re: We all have some special talents! - Have you tried card counting in a casino? I bet you'd do wonderfully well. Go research it and make some money with your skill! On a more serious note, I believe we all have special talents as well. I also believe we all have that one 'passion' that drives us to succeed. It's about harnessing that passion in conjunction with our skills that make us successful.
Re: When do entrepreneurs retire, if ever? - [quote="ideasuniversity":1amvbf3q]Entrepreneur don't retire, they die on the job. It is his passion and what he enjoys doing. Rubert Murdock is 77 years old and he is still working. He said he would die fast if he stop working. Working had become his life,joy and passion[/quote:1amvbf3q] But what if you had children who could take your place at the company you started or your health wasn't very good? And would you insist in your will that your business stay within your family's possession (i.e. they couldn't sell it for profit)?
Re: Kevin's Case Study #14 - When to quit being an entrepreneur? - I'm piggy backing on your question about when to become an entrepreneur and saying the time to quit being an entrepreneur is when you lose the passion for what you are doing. Once you lose your passion, you lose the momentum you need to be a successful entrepreneur, and if you aren't being successful there is no reason to keep doing it. In fact, you probably better get off your but and go find a JOB if that's the case. There are some really fun ones out there. Like I've posted elsewhere on this forum, read the FISH books. They will teach you to have fun no matter what your job (unless your job is just making you feel physical pain.....in that case it's hard to have fun no matter what you try.)
Re: help wanted in u.k. - My guess is that a lot of inventors do not start with a clean slate and begin with a sales focus. I imagine many inventions sort of emerge from the problems or situations that they grapple with in their own lives. Experienced problem - invented solution - product development - demonstration and sales pitch. If the problem is common enough then I suppose that a completely satisfactory invention would have plenty of money-earning potential if it is pitched right, which is where your advice would come in. I take your point about money, but maybe passion should come first... With Brendan's boxer balls, for example, the money could follow if the demonstration and sales pitch can be perfected, but the invention itself was not FOR money per se, but developed out of a passion for boxing training - I believe!


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