There are two frequently used words that tend to make my blood boil: (1) issues, as in, "She is dealing with some issues;" and (2) passion, as in, "Pursue your passion." Now, it's not that I never say these words, but, because they are overused, they have almost lost their meaning. This is especially true when it comes to the way the concept of "passion" is used to find one's calling in life.
A great deal of the obsession around the concept of passion has to do with America's obsession with being happy. If you haven't figured it out by reading my articles by now, I'll tell you that the science is fairly clear: The happiest people are not the ones who are actively pursuing happiness. They receive it as a bi-product of doing the right things every day to build a life of meaning and purpose, contributing towards something much greater than themselves.
Why is this topic important to a recruiter? Read the following words from Daniel Pink's recent article "Think Tank: Ever Felt Like Your Job Isn't What You Were Born To Do? You're Not Alone, And You'll See Why."
"When we find ourselves in the midst of a career change or feel a dull sense that what we're doing now isn't what we should be doing forever, our friends and families – along with every mentor, advisor, and consultant – will smile knowingly, lean in tenderly, and pose this question: Tell me, what's your passion? The idea is that if we simply acknowledge what fires our soul, if we just pull out our metaphysical arthroscope and examine our hearts, the path will reveal itself. With a voice that quavers in expectation and an inflection that italicises the final word – they ask us again, 'What's your passion?'
Ladies and gentlemen, I detest that question.
When someone poses it to me, my innards tighten. My vocabulary becomes a palette of aahs and ums. My chest wells with the urge to flee.
Oh my. The answer better be amazing – not some fumbling, feeble reply. But I know the responses I've formed in my head aren't especially good. Worse, they're probably not even accurate. And I'm not alone.
So, as the economy comes back, and people begin pondering new opportunities, maybe we can take a break from this daunting and distracting question and ask a far more productive, one: What do you do?
I learned the wisdom of this alternative from Gretchen Rubin, who lives and works in New York City. After graduating from law school in the early 1990s, Rubin served as a law clerk for the US Supreme Court. This job is perhaps the sweetest plum in the American legal orchard. It practically guarantees a career of high-level positions in law firms and government.
But during her stint, Rubin's eyes wandered away from the law.
'When I had free time, I never wanted to talk about cases or read law journals, the way my fellow clerks did. Instead, I spent hours reading, taking notes and writing my observations about the worldly passions – power, money, fame and sex,' Rubin says.
'Finally, I realized -- Hey, I'm writing a book. And it dawned on me that some people write books for a living. This project didn't have to be my hobby; it could be my job.'
She wrote her first book – Power Money Fame Sex: A User's Guide – and soon she realized that she wasn't a lawyer. She was a writer. Now she has four books to her name, including her latest, The Happiness Project.
Rubin might have felt an occasional bolt of passion while writing. But that didn't offer much guidance. Instead, she took a step back and watched what she did.
Emma Jones is the founder of Enterprise Nation, a London company that supports small businesses. She has discovered that people who notice what they do when nobody is watching them, or even paying them, often end up as entrepreneurs.
As it happens, I can testify to the power of de-emphasizing passion and re-emphasizing doing. Beginning about two decades ago, I worked in some very demanding, intensely stressful jobs in American politics and government. But throughout – on the side, usually for no money – I wrote magazine articles about business and work, and formulated ideas for books. At one level, it was foolish. I lost sleep, sacrificed leisure, and probably distracted myself from my paid employment.
But after many years, it finally hit me: This – not politics – is what I did. And now, as a result, that's what I do.
Am I passionate about it? Sure, I guess. Maybe. Some days. But passion isn't something I much ponder. I'm too busy doing what I do."
Having pondered the above, do you have any ideas how your interviews might change in the future? Certainly don't throw candidates out of your office for using the word "passion." But, do drill down more thoroughly on how the candidates spend their free time. They may not even think to tell you much of the really interesting stuff...stuff like: "I basically like talking to my friends 24/7 and have about 1,000 phone numbers of people I stay in contact with..." or ... "I spend a great deal of time on the computer, following stories, stats, information..."
In either case, you can use that information to better coach those candidates on how to turn what they do into a more personally derived business plan that resonates with what they already do, naturally.
Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.
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