This post originally ran on the blog of Louisiana SHRM in preparation of the annual state conference April 8-9, 2013. I am honored to be a part of the conference and hope those of you in the area will consider attending. It looks to be a GREAT event!
There has been much introspection on my part lately. The end of my MBA studies is simultaneously exciting and daunting. In my attempts to decide “What’s Next” I have started talking to others about their own milestones and what, if anything, served as an “a-ha” moment in their own career and life progression.
What I have found is that there is rarely any one thing that acts as a trigger point and that it takes much time and even more interaction with others to help set events in motion. Learning about others and what makes them tick is one piece, but there is something more that has turned out to be even more informative. A quote by Carl Jung sums it up well:
“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.”
It is possible to learn from the mistakes we make as well as the mistakes made by others. However, it is even more important to reflect inwardly when faced with a truth that does not fit with our own preconceived notion of being, especially when that truth lays elsewhere and can serve as warning to us as we push forward.
In my organization (and many others) there is a tendency to complain and ridicule the behavior of others. It’s not a big leap to begin the process of thinking through the reasons that a particular thing is a source of irritation. That process alone is a move forward to gaining a better understanding of ourselves and then to push these areas as opportunities for growth.
