Success is more than having a walled office

Now OnWeGo is all about looking forward ...doing new things ...never too late to change and all that. Dwelling on the past certainly wouldn't be seen as recommended practice by yours truly. But it seems I've had a bit of an epiphany moment or maybe an accumulation of meta-epiphany moments. The first one was last year when I came across the now empty offices of Golden Wonder. Stood there I remember thinking - "what memories of my '79 to '91 career golden years must live on between those walls!" - and then I wistfully moved on to Starbuck's. Then a second moment came when on a Google Earth hosted nostalgia trip to my old school - yes there was the prison ..and Hammersmith Hospital ...but why couldn't I see the school? I was shocked when I subsequently discovered that "Danes" had been demolished and relocated 20 years ago. And now recently a third moment - I learnt from a former Kraft Foods colleague that the old firm are vacating St Georges House in Cheltenham.

This one seems to upset me most. Probably because St Georges House is where I initially made it in my 2nd career in sales. Office + Secretary + Ford Granada with parking space were the trophies that marked my rapid ascent to HO Senior Management from a speculative beginning as a territory salesman in 1972. And yes - maybe because I also had this fanciful idea of dropping in there one day. Of being welcomed like a returning hero. Checking out my old office and seeing whether Dave Parry had ever managed to get an enclosing glass wall and door across his alcove - management had it removed - only senior managers were allowed a walled office!
So I am a bit disappointed to know that these special places from the past are no more. But I feel more for my former colleagues who made these places their career homes for life - they are very sad. They talk about the weekly reunion and "keeping it going" with mates they'd work with for 20, 30 40 years. And it's probably hard if not impossible for them to understand why I should feel happier because I switched jobs and careers several times.
But for me - and I think for more people than realise it - happiness in a job and career comes from achieving renewed success from the uncertainty of fresh challenges. From gaining acceptance and recognition from new peers. And from ultimately recognising that making a difference for a whole new family of people is infinitely more important and rewarding than a walled office.

Maslow rules OK!

A much needed makeover for Maslow's Hierarchy!" When I read that article recently I was decidely unsettled. Refresh Maslow? But I've been preaching his "hierachy of need" theory for over 30 years. I'm a total believer! And that's in Abraham's good old original version:

SELF-ACTUALISATION
SELF-ESTEEM
SOCIAL-ACCEPTANCE
SECURITY

SURVIVAL

I was reminded more than once of its continuing relevance when holidaying last week in beautiful South Devon. An entertaining cameo reminder came when a three-generation family arrived to set up for a day on the beach.

Food, drink, chairs and windbreaks to support Survival were tirelessly ferried from the car. Then their chosen spot was changed twice before a spot - defended at the rear by the sea wall and to the side by windbreaks - was seen to meet their Security needs. This was temporarily threatened by some self-interested positioning of chairs and disputes over towel ownership. But eventually this gave way to reconciling remarks like "eh this is the life!" and Social-Acceptance prevailed as Grandad and Dad teamed up to build a sandcastle for the little one. Unfortunately this became the usual contest of building skills as Self-esteem intervened. With public approval favouring son-in-law's efforts, Grand-dad clearly saw sand-castles as unfulfilling and ultimately went off searching the cliff face for fossils and Self-actualisation!

There are several views on how Maslow hierarchy can be improved but in general they tend to either adapt or add to Self-actualisation. Personally I can understand this because for me Self-actualisation isn't so much something you achieve but a state where you are always looking for something new.

And this was the insight I gained when chatting with two very fit and well-sussed "senior" walkers. They explained that they walk because they want to discover new places and also to progress beyond the 638 miles they've previously walked. What they are doing in the process is to continually re-ascend Maslow's hierachy each time they set off on new walking holiday. Relishing the challenge of fresh Survival, Security and Social Acceptance needs ...and boosting Self-esteem and Self-actualisation to new levels.

And for us starting over again later in life and work should be seen in the same way ...as opportunity not threat. We assume a state of finality and inevitability ...perhaps because of convention and maybe courage too?

How about taking a chance on change? It beats building sand castles.