Ambition is a sanctified ideal in the folklore of successful careers. Just the word – as in “She has always had a lot of ambition” – evokes a degree of respect and admiration.
Job Tip: However, ambition is not inherently a good and a positive force. Ambition can be used or abused. It can even become an excuse for failure. It all depends on how it is employed.
There’s good career advice to be learned from the way Clifton, a young man I knew early in his career, mismanaged his ambition.
Clifton had been in his job less than one year, and was frustrated by what he saw as his lack of progress.
“I am ambitious,” he declared repeatedly. “I will be a success, but I will never make it doing these little insignificant things day in and day out. I could do a lot more; they just won’t give me a chance.”
Career Advice: Constant Complaining Is Deadly
Joe, Clifton’s supervisor, believed the young man had potential, which hopefully could be developed and saved for the organization. But his constant complaining was getting to be a problem.
Joe called Clifton in for a performance evaluation and career counseling. The meeting soon became a confrontation when Clifton began to push his case.
“I am still doing the same old things. I know I’m paid less than the others in the department. It’s just not fair,” he began, ignoring the compliments he had been paid at the beginning of the conference.
“Clifton, you have been with us for only eleven months,” Joe replied. “You are the newest salesman; everyone else has been here at least three years. They’ve worked their way up the ladder.
“You are making fine progress, but, let’s face it, you are still short on experience. Give it a little time. You are at the beginning of your career path.”
Joe complimented Clifton again and went on to suggest that his work habits needed some improvement.
“Clifton, you are late most mornings, and you are out of here right at five o’clock. And, frankly, I think you could improve your performance by devoting a little time at nights and on weekends to learning more about your job.”
“You are not being fair,” Clifton bristled. “The company is not paying me as much as it pays the others. I work the hours you pay me for. Sure, I see you and the others staying late, but I don’t have anything to do, and besides, as I told you, I am not married to this company. You pay me and I will show you what I can do.”
Clifton’s Expectations Over The Top
“I am ambitious. I expect to be a Group Manager in six months. I just can’t wait around forever.”
Joe saw the discussion was dead-ending. He made what he thought was a fair offer.
“Let’s expand your responsibilities. You become an Assistant Group Manger. Work with Bill Davis. You will learn a lot from his experience. We’ll provide you some special training. However, I can’t give you a raise now, since our budgets are frozen, but if you do as well as I know you will, I can promise you an increase in three months.”
“That’s not fair,” Clifton charged. “Everyone in the department knows Bill is past his prime. I would just be running his errands. That would make me the laughingstock. I don’t think that is much of a promotion, certainly not what I deserve.”
Clifton never recovered from that discussion in the eyes of his supervisor. He soon left the company.
Clifton learned little from the experience. He continued to use his “ambition” as an excuse for his failure, telling everyone things hadn’t worked out at that company because he was “too ambitious to wait around there to be promoted.” He has never learned to convert his feelings into sustained efforts on his behalf and his ambitious.
Job Tip: Ambition Is Not Dreaming
Jack Douglass, a hard charging advertising executive, on the other hand, puts the subject of ambition in clear perspective:
“Ambition is not dreaming and talking about where I want to be and when I want to be there. Ambition is knowing where I want to go, how to get there, and being willing to do what it takes to reach the goal. The key is to combine ambition, which means desire, with initiative, which means action, hard work.”
Real achievers guard against mistaking restlessness for true ambition. At times, the feelings may be the same, but common sense tells us they are different. Restlessness leads to career problems. Ambition, coupled with initiative and hard work, leads to career success.
Fulfillment of ambitions requires patience on the career path. Shortcuts between a person’s ambitions and their fulfillment rarely exist.
The realization of true ambition requires a combination of three ingredients, which seem contradictory. One is strong, aggressive confidence as in “I will be successful”. The other is healthy humility, which translates into a willingness to admit, “I have a lot to learn; I will make my best effort to learn so that I earn and I am prepared to make the most of my next opportunity.” The third ingredient is hard work.
I wish you career success!
Ramon Greenwood, Head Career Coach
Common Sense At Work
P.S. I invite you to visit my website for more common sense career advice such as this: www.commonsenseatwork.com>
0 Response to “Career Advice: Ambition Demands Discipline, Hard Work To Pay Off”