Weekly Thoughts From the Desk of the Principal

The other day, I was listening to a sports commentator talk about a baseball team’s recent struggles at home.  In sports, playing in front of a friendly crowd is supposed to create a home-field advantage, but sometimes that doesn’t always work out.

All of us from time to time struggle professionally “at home” — that is, within our respective organizations.  Colleagues can be ruthless, bosses can be demanding, and subordinates can be disloyal.  When that happens, a change of scenery could be in order.  But that doesn’t mean you have to go out into the free agent market and find a new job.  Sometimes all it takes is a little road diversion, if you will.

I have found that moments of struggle internally within an organization can be great catalytic triggers and motivators to launch initiatives externally within a larger professional ecosystem.  Propose a task force to a professional association to which you belong.  Develop a new professional development series with peers in your network.  Plan a symposium or summit on a topic that interests a diverse array of constituents.  Any one of these or other ideas could be the perfect road trip to take your mind off struggles at work.  And when you come back home, be sure to find subtle — or not so subtle — ways to promote your triumphs.  It never hurts to raise your stock a little bit, even if you have to toot your own horn.

Sadly, that aforementioned baseball team was the one for which I root.  With only ten days left in the season, they counterintuitively may not have enough road games to pull off a September miracle.  By contrast, looking outside your current job for exciting professional opportunities never requires a miracle, and it almost always leads to long-term victory.

Sincerely,

Gabe