Are you embedded?

It's a weird question, I recognize that. I can't speak for you but when I hear that word it connotes images of investigative journalists attached to specific military units during a time of war or conflict. For some, it may have more positive imagery associated with it - the artificial intelligence embedded in "smart systems and technology" or the rare gem embedded in a piece of jewelry, for example.

It's that time of year again - performance review time - that, for me at least, feels a bit like report card day when I was in school. Regardless of how many times my mom would ask me how I was doing and what she could expect to see for grades, I'd pretty much come back with the same answer: "I dunno". Truth is, I had a pretty good idea and it's really no different with the dreaded, I mean revered, performance review. Ah, the performance review - or as some call it, "the gift of feedback". Though it cannot be re-gifted, has no receipt and cannot be returned, it really is a gift to those who are on this quest to try and improve or at least be more conscious about the way in which we navigate the world, in this case, in a work environment.

One of the more positive aspects of this time is the ability to honestly reflect on what motivates you, not simply where you want to be in five years. I have had a bit of a struggle sometimes with the issue of "one's calling" versus "one's vocation" in that as much as I would like to believe that following your bliss will lead to all that you might hope for, we still need people who fix our sewer systems, deal with grumpy customers at the pharmacy and yes, believe it or not, serve the help desk for your local cable carrier. Is this their bliss? Probably not.

Here's where the rub is. Bliss, at least in this context, is often associated with meaning and this is something that I know many, like me, appreciate particularly when it is in a work setting, where so many hours, days and years are actually spent. Upon some further introspection, in really asking myself what motivates me, it is feeling embedded within a team. Regardless of whether I was working in a situation that was exciting or one that was incredibly challenging and stressful, the difference between the memory I now hold of those experiences was how embedded I felt as part of that team. You probably know the feeling of really being integrated and "all in" with your colleagues in a way that formed bonds and an experience that was shared rather than individualistic. It makes sense because the definition works for positive (integration) or more difficult situations (conflict).

So, wherever you are this time in your career journey, ask yourself what you might do to feel more embedded within a team, if that give you energy like it does me, and maybe you're on your way to your own little work support group when performance review time rolls around again this time next year.

Until next time,

Marc