Redefining Success in an Uncertain WorldDeborah R. Brown, MBA, MSW ______________________________________________________________________________________
"Everything had changed suddenly—the tone,
moral climate; you didn't know what to think, whom to listen to. As if all your life you had been led by hand like a small child and suddenly you were on your own, you had to learn to walk by yourself. ....At such a time you felt need of committing yourself to something absolute—life or truth or beauty—of being ruled by it in place of man-made rules that had been discarded. " Boris Pasternak Doctor Zhivago
Over past two years we have experienced many changes. The stock market tumbled when dot.com bubble burst, ending exuberance of 1990's. The shocking events of 9/11 forced us to recognize that we are vulnerable to terrorist attacks that are commonplace in other areas of world. We no longer feel safe. These events placed a further strain on our economy and expanded recession. Corporate scandals with far reaching negative financial implications accentuated greed and lack of integrity in top management of several companies.
Some of us lost our jobs or took reductions in income. For those who invested in stock market, our retirement savings have been reduced. For some these events have meant downscaling our lifestyles, and for others, that we need to work several more years before we can retire.
Even for those who have not suffered financially, it has meant taking stock of what is important, being grateful for what we have, and realigning our priorities. Like Dr. Zhivago during Russian Revolution, we now recognize that we need to re-evaluate rules we have followed for so long - rules that define how we should manage our careers and our lives - rules that tell us how we should define success.
Our jobs represent a public statement of our identity that provides a means of self-expression, status and structure to our lives. Traditional thinking dictates that if people work hard they will be rewarded with challenging work, fancier job titles and higher salaries. But nature of business, work and jobs has changed. People can no longer be assured of making more money every year. The lay-offs and downsizings with management that started with recession of early 1990's continue today. More people are competing for a smaller number of management positions. Many companies that give raises in current economy are merely adjusting for inflation.
At this time we can all benefit by re-evaluating what success means to us. Perhaps for some it does not mean making as much money as possible. For some it might mean spending more time with our families - working less, rather than working more. For others it might mean being able to express creativity in their work. For one client, who tearfully told me that her relationship with God was most important to her, it meant reducing her 65-hour workweeks to allow for regular attendance at religious services. For some it means owning our own business. For others it means finding employment in 2003.
One client in mid -life, formerly CEO of a start-up technical firm, currently finds himself out of work with no comparable employment in sight. Although he loves his chosen field, he questions what he wants, and has difficulty becoming inspired. He frequently fantasizes about owning his own business. We joke about "the hot dog stand" venture. He can't tolerate thought of being an employee of some company, filling a narrowly defined role. And he does not miss stress and long hours that his former CEO position required. But he misses having a sense of purpose, direction and being thoroughly engaged in meaningful work.
