A Menace In The Workplace…WAIT, Is That A Cat Wearing A Tie?!

Have you ever witnessed someone chase a career title, a job promotion or undertake something that was well outside of their capability?  I use the word ‘chase’ because that’s exactly what they’re doing.  Like a dog running after a car, they’re in pursuit of something they have no idea what they’ll do with it if and when they get it. 

Imagine a Chihuahua chasing after a Honda Civic!  The dog is completely absent minded as to the potential disaster it’s putting itself into, all it knows is that the Civic is big, shiny and loud and it wants it, no matter the cost.  The Chihuahua wants to show it who’s boss!  Our pup would be much better off chasing butterflies in the backyard.  Thankfully the Chihuahua in our story doesn’t catch the car because I’m pretty sure the Civic’s going to win every time, but that certainly doesn’t deter our fiery little friend.

The Chihuahua suffers from Shiny Object Syndrome (SOS).  I should know because I, like many of you reading this, have had my fair share of car chasing moments, running what feels like miles in the ‘shoes’ of the Chihuahua.

SOS is when we become distracted by something that causes us to change course or make hasty decisions that would otherwise not be in our best interests.

SOS happens all the time in our personal lives (IE – you just bought the latest shiny iPhone 6 because you enjoy the comments you get from others on how cool it is, yet your seven month old iPhone 5 is in perfect working order, barley broken in), and is a big problem in the work place.  A big problem many of us aren’t aware of.

Allow me to explain…

In the professional setting, many of us set off on a course for brilliance without truly understanding WHY we’re doing it in the first place.

Imagine you are working diligently in your first career role.  Fresh out of college you have little to offer your current employer other than a ‘can-do’ attitude and willingness to show up on time (hopefully less hung over as the week goes on), putting in the hours required to grow your career, learn and improve. 

Eventually you come to a fork in the road, professionally:  “Do I continue doing what I’m doing or should I go for the next best thing?”

It’s a tough call.  If you stay doing what you’re doing you at least you know what’s expected of you, it’s most likely comfortable and you’re probably pretty good at it.  Nothing wrong with that, except it doesn’t help you get ahead.  If you take the path of going after a promotion per say, it’s a road that is largely unknown, untested and will require certainly more effort than what you’re currently giving.

Here’s where the Shiny Object Syndrome really starts to hurt our ability to make sound decisions.  We begin to think, “I’ve been working really hard.  I could do that job, certainly better than that no talent ass clown next door.  I’ve put in my time and I’m crushing it.  I probably won’t even need to interview, they’ll just give me the job because I’m freaking amazing.  Heck, I’m surprised they haven’t approached me with the promotion already.  Don’t they know how good I am?” 

As amusing as that may be, people all around us think and make decisions like this in the workplace.  They follow the shiny object in front of them and make decisions to reach out and grab things they don’t truly understand.

Why do we do this? It’s a loaded answer but I believe it comes down to two major forces colliding against one another: our ego and an inability to truly listen to ourselves on what is best for us versus what we think others want for us.

What happens as a result?

We chase the promotion.  We chase the promotion to the point where we become blinded as to why we want to be promoted in the first place.  At times during the chase we may even have a clairvoyant moment where we realize we don’t want it any longer but we’re pot committed at this point and can’t turn back now.  Once we achieve our goal we’re satisfied that we accomplished the feat of getting promoted.  We did it! 

Unlike the Chihuahua, we actually catch the ‘car’, which is our promotion and have every intention to show it who is boss.

Shortly after our glorious promotion the honeymoon phase begins to wear off, leaving us with a less than rosy reality. 

“Wait a second, what am I going to do with this car I caught?  I don’t even have a drivers license!  In fact, I’ve never driven before.  I can’t remember why I wanted this piece of junk in the first place?”

All of a sudden we have real responsibilities.  What seemed like such a bright, delightful shiny object before is the very cause for us not wanting to get out of bed in the morning.  Soon Sunday nights become filled with anxiety at the thought of having to face another week in the office – our car we can’t drive.

Weeks go by and our demeanor begins to showcase signs of fatigue and unhappiness.  We hold up in our office and begin to say things like “this isn’t what I expected”, “I didn’t get the best training” and “I didn’t know this job was like this.”

Then it happens.  We quit, get fired or get demoted.  Damn you shiny object, you misled me!

What was the culprit of our ultimate demise?  It was us.  Not our colleagues, not our boss, not our family for telling us to go for it because they believed in us.  We are the only ones to be held accountable for our current situation and decisions.

The shiny object syndrome is present in all of us, it’s how we address it that makes all the difference.  Not all promotions are bad, nor is it wrong to skip the promotion and remain in your current role.  The most important thing is to think about what’s important to you and only you.

Before you go for that next promotion, ask yourself why you’re doing it in the first place.  It’s vital we listen to our inner voice and truly understand our WHY behind making a potential life changing decision.  The more we focus on our WHY, instead of what we believe everyone else thinks, the better our likelihood is of seeing success in our new opportunity.

Hopefully by the time we catch our car we’re better prepared to take it for a mean test drive!

Square-1 Consulting Services, Inc. (SQR1) formed in 2015 with the idea that coaching and consulting services can be done better, on a more intimate scale and at an affordable price.   Our focus is supporting clients, start-up to small and medium sized companies in southern California, with leadership coaching and consulting services in the technical market space.   SQR1’s mission is to bridge the gap between technical expertise and dynamic organizational leadership by offering affordable, world class coaching and consultant services.  Check us out at www.sqr1services.com