Has It Eluded You?

Fulfillment (realization, contentment) doesn’t exist in a promotion, more money, in elevated status or in the superficial benchmarks that society quite often places upon us. You want to find it? We need to look inside. While that statement seems so simple, in reality it’s not, as we all know.

The world around us is in hyper-drive, hell bent on execution, execution, execution. You keep your nose down while they keep their expectations high, everything else simply falls in the wake. The overwhelming conditions that we often find ourselves in – in the day-to-day, leaves little room for self-reflection, to stop and smell the roses or, to assess where we are in the grand design that we have forged for ourselves. Instead we often find ourselves operating in survival mode with an opportunistic mindset, which is truly a shame.

The reality is fulfillment resides in those things that you have gone to great lengths to achieve that no one can take from you. It often sneaks up on you, relying on hindsight to actually show you the arduous path that has led you to that rare moment in time, giving you a sense of gratitude for all the challenges you faced along the way that have allowed it to come to fruition. Other times, it’s a series of calculated actions fueled by a vital sense of direction and purpose.

The unfortunate part is that very few of us are professionally fulfilled. Quite often it’s because we don’t actually know what will get us there, and I’ve witnessed it first-hand.

Over the course of my career I’ve interviewed over 35,000 candidates. I can honestly say that the need for professional fulfillment is the sole reason that each have even entertained an opportunity. It isn’t about more money or a title, it’s the internal burning desire for more, and to fill a void. What this speaks to is the unrest within the corporate landscape, not necessarily among leadership, but all of us.

Is fulfillment – self-fulfilling? Not necessarily. There’s no avoiding the fact that those around us influence our choices and have a hand in not only challenging us; but possess the ability to elevate us as well. Therefore, it seems only right that we challenge ourselves to raise the bar for those around us, and for those around us to do the same so that we can push each other forward toward something that would appear, for the most part, to have eluded us all. Do nothing and nothing changes.

I was sitting here thinking about how things will look say five or ten years down the road. As AI and robots make their way deeper into our daily lives, the assumption is that they will grant us additional time to invest in more meaningful tasks – But will we? Will we spend more time socializing on our phones or, consciously utilize this new-found time to contribute to those things that could quite possibly make our lives richer and more fulfilling? It comes down to a choice, but will it be a choice made in haste or, a choice of purpose?

For a moment I would like you think about WHAT drives you do what you do. That ”What/When/Who” is the key ingredient for unlocking true professional fulfillment. Yes at times it’s hard to keep it in mind as we push through our day and outside influences infiltrate our environment blurring our perception of what’s important, but you can meaningfully eliminate the power they have over you, by relying on choices and decisions that are within your control.

Your choices are your permission slip, they help to formulate your inner voice, determine your focus and offer you gratification in the moment that serve as a building block toward what you seek to achieve and desire professionally. But as you make these choices, it’s important to keep in mind that fulfillment will never come from the extrinsic qualities of a job, only from the intrinsic qualities of the work that you do. Work, that for most of us, consumes more than 50% of our daily lives. I encourage you to take a moment to think on this fact. It's essential to find a way to make it more meaningful.

Of course, the responsibility falls upon each of us for ourselves, our own accountability. But if you’re a hiring leader, I must say that somewhat of a different onus falls upon you to provide an opportunity for one’s professional fulfillment. To strive to uplift your organization, elevate those who demonstrate passion and exercise their God given talent. And there’s good news – it’s not a science. You don’t need to create programs or workshops or analyze data – just authentically care. This is where high-level EQ comes in and investing yourself in your most valuable asset. It’s honestly that simple. People sense it, and it organically lifts them up and speaks to them about not what they do, but where they do it – and Why.

In an article entitled: A Letter From A Renegade, written by Allana Williamson back in September that I published here on Linkedin, Allana offered the following quote by Alexander Den Heijer, “When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” This single statement struck a chord and resonated with our community in a profound way – which should tell you something.

What Allana was eluding to is the structure of the company and its ability to allow a professional to grow as an individual, to achieve, to have purpose, to contribute to something greater than themselves – just like it said in the company brochure.

There is also another intriguing quote that I feel is relevant to this discussion from the 2017 film, Hidden Figures. "You know what your job is, Paul? Find the genius among those geniuses, to pull us all up. We all get to the peak together or we don't get there at all."

The fact is, none of us want to go it alone, whether it be in the pursuit of our own professional fulfillment or, the collective pursuit that unites us toward achieving a common goal. I believe that each one of us has a genius spark, and it reveals itself in a variety of ways. Therefore, shouldn’t it be the goal of hiring leaders as well as search firms to seek that peak at every turn? In order to accomplish this of course, you must get beyond skills, think outside your own lane and be open to new possibilities – new thinking, which we do in applying our methodology each day. But for those within a corporate structure, at times can be a scary thing - but it’s part of the equation. Everyone wants to be inspired, to have meaning behind what they do that drives them towards creating fulfillment every day. Quite often, it’s our greatest areas to achieve meaningful fulfillment one-on-one with ourselves and grow as individuals. After all, there’s a good chance that – that is one of the reasons you accepted the position with your company in the first place.

I often try to tell HR leaders that this is part of the story that needs to be told when branding an opportunity. What is the vision of the company? Now, partner that with the depth of the opportunity. The story should convey all of the things that truly matter about the position. Explaining in detail what the company needs from you as a perspective candidate. Not your skillset – but FROM you. A realistic picture of the meaning behind the opportunity highlighting the valuable role that the individual will play, the grand design behind how they will make an impact and leave an indelible mark on the company. But it can’t simply be the storyline, it needs to play itself out within the organization and take on a life of its own in order for that individual to truly find what they were looking for.

We all seek professional fulfillment, to achieve life’s goals, to contribute and give a piece of ourselves to something that we believe in. It’s a continuous journey to make ourselves whole. So many influences, so many things within and out of our control. For some, helping others to obtain that fulfillment in whatever measurable way they can is a responsibility. For others, they help along the way just because they’re good people.

A piece of advice. Don’t think that the grass is always greener somewhere else. That changing your surroundings, or your boss will help you achieve the professional fulfillment that you’re after, because it’s not always the case. As I mentioned before, much of it has to do with the choices that you make, your internal motivations and your focus.

I encourage you to take a step back as we enter a new year, a new decade and reflect upon some of these points to determine what may be stopping you from being fulfilled in your career. If you are a hiring leader, I would encourage you to do the same, to look inside and ask yourself “What can I do to help them fill their glass that is currently half-empty?

About Steve Diedrick...

Steve is the founder of Redmond, a global executive search firm whose clients include world renowned brands and start-ups that are shaping tomorrow's world. As a highly respected authority and pioneer in the field of human capital with close to three decades in the space, his progressive ideas on search-excellence reflect a profound understanding/passion for the global economy and the ever-evolving mindset of the unique talent that propels companies forward. He has personally reached out to more than 100,000 professionals and interviewed over 35,000 potential candidates throughout his career. His personal drive, perspective, discipline and focus is a culmination of his life experience living abroad and the 27 years spent mastering the Martial Art of Qi Gong. His Mantra: There is nothing like direct experience that takes you from knowledge - to knowing.

Email me at: [email protected] or Text me at: 947.222.9200 and let's discuss how Redmond can help you.

? Redmond Research, Inc. 2019