You are more than your work

One of the grave dangers of seeking success in the work world is that you can over identify with your job or your work, and lose sight of what a very small part of you your work is.

Don't get me wrong - I loved my work - and it was very important to me to do the very best I could to make the workplace safer for the people in it.  Loving what you do and being committed to doing it well isn't the same as over identifying with your work.

In an earlier post, I talked about all the things that I am.  I surprised myself when I looked at that list, because Safety Professional wasn't listed.  It made me think.  Why did I not list my vocation?  Is it because I recently retired?  Or, is it because safety professional is what I do, not who I am?

Over my career as a safety professional, I brought all that I am to the execution of my duties.  But the passion that I brought was that of a mother, a daughter, a sister.  It was the passion of a person who loves life and people, and the execution of my heartfelt desire to protect workers from injury and death in the workplace.

Under different circumstances, maybe I would have put my passion for protecting people to use another way.  Maybe as a doctor or nurse, or as a police officer or fire fighter.  Maybe as a teacher or day care worker.  The contribution we make to society as a worker can take many forms.  I often felt like I was born to practice the safety profession, but is is not who I am, it is how I expressed my passion.

When you allow yourself to identify too strongly with what you do, the idea of losing your job becomes terrifying, because it represents losing your identity.  This contributes to impaired decision making, as self-protection is a very powerful motivator.  It is easy to fall into the trap of making decisions based on short term personal success, rather than focusing on the long term goals of your employer, and how your organization contributes to those goals.

That can start the self-defeating cycle that confuses your organization, and diminishes your value to your employer.  The more you self-protect, the more likely you are to make decisions that may be personally beneficial, but not good for the larger group you lead.  Without you maintaining focus on how your organization supports the overall company goals, your employees can become confused as to what they should be working on.  Confused employees are less productive, less motivated, and less happy.

As your contribution to the larger organizations goals diminish, you provide less value.  As you realize your value is decreasing, you become more self-protecting.

Stop the madness.  You are more than what you do for a living.  What you do to earn a living should inspire the passion you have inside you, but it does not define you.  Recognize your passion.  Manifest your passion.  If you stay true to what you believe is the contribution you can make to the world being a better place, you will never believe all you are is the job you do.