What environment best nurtures potatoes? Specifically this potato. What does Spudsie need to grow, develop, stretch and be the best potato she can be?
(There’s probably some deep psychological reason I frequently talk about myself in a potato-sense rather than as {insert my real name here}. Whatever. It suits my needs at the moment. It sets me apart from the vast majority of the blog-o-sphere—seriously, who else refers to themselves as a potato??? And it’s a lot of fun!! It helps me stay light-hearted. So I’m sticking with it. J)
As I’ve been thinking about a general direction for me life, I’ve been spending a fair amount of time thinking about what I want.
All too often (or is that an over-used, trite phrase according to James Kilpatrick?), I find myself thinking about what I don’t want. I don’t want conflict. I don’t want to have to wear a suit. (Ever seen a potato in a suit?? Yeah…go ahead and try to Google that. I’ll wait……) I don’t want to take time away from Mr. Spuds. Etc.
Whenever I’ve found myself thinking those things I’ve tried to stop and turn them around. Yeah….enough about what I don’t want. What is it that I do want? Rephrase it as a positive thing. I want a peaceful working environment. I want a casual dress atmosphere. I want to be able to leave work at the office.
I’ve talked/written about this a little before in previous posts. As I’ve continued to think about it I’ve come up with more. Here are some random thoughts in no particular order. Over the past couple of weeks they’ve come into a pretty clear focus.
· I want to be surrounded with people who value integrity. Who have integrity as a core value. People I can trust.
· I want to work with people who truly value diversity. Cultural, religious, political, social-economic, gender, race, creed, and all the others I’ve momentarily forgotten. People who want to hear viewpoints other than their own. An atmosphere where people learn from each other. Where you are allowed to hold views different from others. Where you aren’t berated, ridiculed and mocked for your beliefs…..whoops! There I go again with the negative. Ahem. A place where diversity of all types is valued.
· I want to be respected for who I am and what I can do. I want to feel that respect daily. I want to hear it in the way I’m talked to and with. I want to sense it in the way I’m talked about to others. I want to know it because my opinion is sought out on matters I may have knowledge about or that may impact me.
· I want to feel my value to a company, to people in more than simply monetary ways. Don’t get me wrong—money is nice!! I like money! J (As do all of the shoe stores I frequent. And amazon.com.) If there’s a discrepancy between my value in the form of a paycheck and my value in the form of feedback, praise, and general interactions with TPTB I want my paycheck to be on the short end. (Less money, more non-monetary currency.) I want the Todd Fitz exclamation-point currency. (Mr. Spuds will understand what that means!)
· I want to spend my time someplace where I can be myself. (See diversity above.)
· I want to work where my integrity is not questioned. Where I am trusted. Where it is assumed my intentions are good and honest. “Hey Spudsie I noticed you did X. That seems really out of character for you. Can you tell me what happened?”
· I want to work someplace that challenges me. That keeps me on my toes. That keeps me learning and wanting to learn more.
Casual dress. Work hours. Commute time. Power. Corporate vs. small business. For profit vs. not-for-profit. Public vs. private. None of those things matter nearly as much as the things I just listed. At the right place, with the right work, in the right atmosphere—the rest of it is negotiable. Casual dress is cool. And so are business suits with an awesome pair of pumps! Work hours? If I’m totally engrossed in and energized by what I’m doing or who I’m doing it for, I might not even notice the hours. It’s not the typical “check-list” type items I’m craving. It’s the more intangible stuff.
They are the things I want. The things I crave. The things I deserve. The things I think will help me grow.