I am someone who enjoys knowing how compartments of a whole work together. This is not only due to interest, but I feel it gives me a logical advantage in understanding others as well as how to adjust one component so that the whole works more effectively together when needed. This is a natural curiosity for me in any area I am learning, so I often desire to learn more about who I am working with—in and out of my area of responsibility. However, I have been condemned in past positions for taking an interest in the processes of different departments in a career environment that holds the mentality that "we keep to our own." I just generally ignored those who made fun of me for my curious nature unless their ridicule got out of hand, as I do not enjoy conflict in any form. My ability and desire to establish networking connections came only after my job demands had been automated, so I did not allow my curiosity of connection to interfere with my work duties. Despite this, there are those who felt uncomfortable with my ability, some being managers that had failed to do establish authentic connections with their own team members. At one point, a manager asked me how I knew so much about his own boss. I responded that it was simple, really…when in conversation, I just ask questions and then listen.
Though I drew resentment or ridicule in more than one company for my networking skills, there were some that saw an advantage in my ability and eventually used my approach as a means to deepen their own connections. In almost every workplace I have joined, I became the natural liaison when communication or cooperation between departments was needed. I was known as the one people were comfortable going to for insight on both work and personal issues because of my desire to understand and help others. Had I just fallen into step with the office norm and curtailed my personality like so many wished me to do, it would not have improved communication in the company and the barriers that had been built up between departments over the years would still remain.
When a specific way has been established as the workplace norm, others who mean well but see issues in places that have been dismissed or overlooked risk ridicule when they defy these norms. However, it is often only when we defy the norm that beneficial progress is made. When an outlier approaches tasks in a different way and surpasses expectation as a result, insecurity may be triggered in those around. Rather than learning from the new, many condemn what is unfamiliar, thus thwarting personal and professional development.
However, staying true to the self can prove beneficial despite early criticism. A friend who works maintenance on jets in the military has suffered the ridicule and jests of comrades for his lengthy, thorough inspections. They claim he is too slow in his routine and laugh at his perfectionism because he generally takes the full time allotted in his inspections (especially on newly assigned jets). He likes to do things systematically when it comes to monitoring components of a machine, so he takes a keen interest in the condition of the vessel he is responsible for. Now, if I were the pilot, I certainly would feel more comfortable navigating a thoroughly inspected power machine than one which had just been glanced over. Regardless, since his behavior falls outside the current acceptable norm, he has been marked by it. In keeping true to his preference, however, he has found multiple issues that have been surpassed by others inspecting the same jet before him and has earned the respect of some of those in the higher ranks because he moved beyond ridicule and remained true to his nature. He has also attracted some interest in the form of questions from other co-workers that wish to improve their performance.
My most important point in sharing this is that many should take note of those who defy the norm in achievement-oriented ways. I have worked in enough places to know that enormous improvements can and should be made in the dynamics of the workplace. Yet, often those who possess the capabilities to guide others into these improvements are silenced or overlooked because they do not fit in with the routine of what already exists. If you are one who possesses leadership qualities that serve to unify and improve, shrinking who you are in light of criticism not only will bury your spirit, but also slows the evolutionary potential of your environment. Hiding these characteristics in exchange for acceptance is simply too high of price to pay when we are motivated to find the path that serves the highest expression of who we are. Now more than ever, leadership from those who see and allow others, but also possess the insight to unify diverse components, are needed to defy what has been so that we become what we are capable of.
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