Your work can benefit you or kill you depending on where you are sitting

It is that time of the year, where appraisal letters are out!

A well-known statistical data says that in a given financial year, 80% of the employees in a typical organization think they are the top 20% performers which explains the enormity of disappointment and sulking that the managers and supervisors have to handle every year during appraisals. Well, they seem to be doing a fairly good job on that, getting better year on year!

Let’s look at the other side of the story: The story of the one who is disappointed and sulking.

The following is usually the story line “I gave my best, stretched my time, and worked really hard, but look what they give me?!” Most employees feel un-recognized, un-appreciated, un-noticed, cheated, and treated un-fairly. The root of these feelings is that they feel ‘not valued’. You could be one of those who is feeling ‘un-valued’.

If your only (primary) source of “self – value” is work, then you might perhaps be sitting on the tip of the branch, working hard to kill yourself (kill your spirit, I mean)! It is obvious that any business organization’s existential intent is not ‘valuing you’. It is everything else – valuing customers, valuing growth, valuing revenues, valuing profits and valuing business sustainability. When ‘valuing you’ happens, it is either secondary or strategic positioning to sustain business and results. And your equation in this is simply this - that you agreed to invest your valuable time and get compensated for that. It is called ‘compensation’ because organizations know that they can never equate the actual value of your time. Be happy that the world of business is clear and articulate about it.

Change your seating position. Sit towards the trunk – find alternate sources for your ‘self-value’. Then work hard, give your best, and when the branch falls, it’s only the branch that falls, and not you. Expand the canvas, and clarify what really is important to you in life, and get grounded there.
Your work is important. But that’s only a part of the generosity of life’s providence. Get a perspective, and that perhaps will help you sail through this little disappointment called appraisal paper!

Wishing you the best, as always! J

Some popular ways how people find their self-value in their professions:

1. Learning – becoming competent, skillful and knowledgeable
2. Finding a purpose and meaning in their work
3. Building relationships
4. Pursuing hobbies and interests (often making their hobby as work)

Respond with your views on how one can find self-value in life