It’s a Matter of Perspective

Like a lot of people in the Midwest, I have a ton of friends, family, and colleagues who are die-hard Chicago Cubs fans.  Unless you live in a cave you’ve no doubt heard that the Cubbies are in the playoffs this year for the first time since 2008 and just won their first playoff series since 2003.  Now to clarify, I am not a baseball fan. It is the game I played the most but I just never got into it as a fan. I turn it on every fall and watch the playoffs but I don’t have a favorite team. I love seeing the Cubs, Royals, and Astros all in the mix since it is rarer for these franchises but I really have no dog in the baseball fight.  I’m too passionate about my team to have more than one and for me it is all about the NFL and the Indianapolis Colts.  After that I have no energy for further fandom.

Nothing I’m about to say comes from arrogance nor is it to be condescending so please, if you read past this point, read the whole thing to hear me out.  I happened to be home with the Cubs/Cardinals game on yesterday evening and watched the end of it.  The Cubs clinched the NLDS series against the rival Cardinals at home on Wrigley Field.  This, it turns out, was the first series clinching win in their entire organization’s history to take place at home in Chicago. As I watched the final out and the outburst of pure joy from fans and players alike I first felt really happy for all of the friends, family, and colleagues I have who are devout Cubs fans.  Good for them.  I know how much the team has struggled over the years and it is awesome they get to celebrate some success. Then, as the celebration raged on and seemingly nobody left the stands, I began to just feel sad and confused.  There was a brief moment where I was literally embarrassed for all of sports. I saw a bunch of people, fans and players included, acting as though they had just won the World Series and were bringing home a title. This is the divisional round. They still have two more best of 7 series to win if they want the real crown. What in the heck are they so happy about? I wondered a little if Cubs fans know how the playoffs work. There are other teams still in the mix; they get that, right?  I mean, seriously, this is a great step but there is a long way to go. Pump the brakes here folks.   

Keep in mind, my sports passion is reserved for the Colts. Different games for sure, but as a Colts fan our season never truly starts until the playoffs. We don’t worry about making it to the playoffs or winning a first round game; we want it all or nothing at all. Let’s be clear, we are not the class of the NFL in terms of titles and I have no illusions about that but we win and win a lot. That is, in fact, precisely what I’m saying. We are the team who makes the playoffs every year and then maybe wins a round or two and we’re out.  The heartbreak is there every season, perhaps a touch later on than when Cubs fans experience it but we end in the same place, not champions. Just as disappointed. We’ve been to two Super Bowls in my time and won one of them but we are in the postseason all the time.  So I reserve the over-the-top jubilation for championships.  A Wildcard or Divisional round win is great, and I’m always happy, but unless we are coming home with the hardware and bragging rights the season is not a success and that is how everyone in Colts nation looks at it. We expect to be good and are disappointed if we fall short.

Back to the point: So here I am shocked and confused at how excited these Cubs fans and players are and unable to understand what is making them so happy. Great, a win, you’re always happy after a win and a playoff win is even better but not this great.  I mean come on Cubs fans, you’re embarrassing yourselves; right? Wrong! It was only after coming to work and talking to a few of them that I began to realize this is that big for them and that doesn’t make being a Cubs fan any better or worse than being a fan of any other team or sport; just different. It is a matter of perspective.

So this got me thinking about how differently we all view our careers. It’s kind of like when you and your boy/girl-friend break up and you recommend to a friend that they could/should date them.  The on-the-surface implication is “they aren’t good enough for me, but they’d be okay for you” when in reality it is about perspective and the subtle differences we all have. Maybe she was too into staying in and watching movies but your friend would love that and you like to mountain bike or something. Simple things can make the difference.  Careers and employers are the same. One company may or may not be a fit for me but that does not inherently mean they are not a good employer for my sister, best friend, or college roommate. It is just about the specific nuances and circumstances of each person and their situations. 

I talk to people all the time who have heard a certain company is great or conversely, a company is terrible.  Now there are some instances where such sweeping generalities apply but more often than not it comes back to perspective. What is good for one is not necessarily good for all and vice-versa.  The same is true for employers and hiring managers assessing potential employees or even current employees looking to move up within the company. Success or struggles in a given role, department, etc. is not necessarily going to be an accurate predictor of how a person fits a new role, company, or department.  I am constantly talking to people about forming their own opinions and finding out if a place is right for them individually or not.

It seems simple but we are nearly all guilty and often make the mistake of forgetting about perspective in precisely the way I did last night as I briefly sat in awe of the spectacle unfolding at Wrigley. What, to me, would be absolutely absurd behavior if my team were in a comparable situation was, despite my initial reaction, completely appropriate given the circumstances. Colts fans and Cubs fans just have different perspectives. No better, no worse; just different, and we have to act in accordance with our own perspective since it is all we really know. What we need to be mindful of is that the entire world does not share our own individual perspective and thus, will not act, react, think, or feel in accordance with how we might.

Congratulations to the Cubs and Cubs fans everywhere!  I am happy for you even if, at first, I didn’t fully comprehend just how happy all of you are. Good luck in the NLCS and beyond!