“We were created for meaningful work, and one of life’s greatest pleasures is the satisfaction of a job well done.”
~ John Maxwell
“To do meaningful work is to contribute – to create value in society.”
~ Charles Kock
“Work hard at work worth doing.”
~ Theodore Roosevelt
“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.”
~ Amelia Earhart
My second job, out of university, was as an Executive Director in the not for profit sector. Nothing prepares you for a job where you are the wizard of all things. You quickly learn the limits to a near non-existent budget and the critical need to meet a crisis regardless of its presentation. For me, winging it was a minute by minute skill. No one teaches you how to be a successful senior administrator under extenuating circumstances.
At the heart of my work was my persistent need to be fair! Constantly balancing the fairness to the current issue, client and staff. And in the midst of all that I struggled with the challenges of meaningful work. Often meaning came once I felt bitten, chewed and spit out! However, the near impossible task of operating a good business in the not for profit sector was a challenge I was willing to do because it did indeed make a difference and bring value to society.
I could have made other choices about my work but I chose to work hard at work worth doing, contribute and make a difference. I now recognize the tenacity I displayed on any given day. “Winging it” is strongly based in tenacity.
Written by Deborah Lavender, BMG Senior Consultant
Photo Copyright: Kheng Guan Toh, 123rf
