If you were watching movies in 1985, you might remember this movie. If you weren’t watching movies in 1985, you might go look it up. You’re probably mumbling about now, pondering what learning is Pat going to extract from a movie 38 years ago. You were, weren’t you?
Ok, the movie plot was about a young kid who goes off to college. He is roommates with a quirky genius. The older roommate asks him a lot of questions throughout the movie. And he says “There’s more to life than just going through the motions”. He suggests a few things to consider:
Recognize your talents and develop them.
Do things you look forward to doing, and do them to the best of your ability and capacity.
Respect yourself and Respect others.
Recognize and Understand YOUR Moral Imperatives. ( A moral imperative is a strongly held principle that compels you to act. Or, it’s a fundamental truth that motivates your behavior.)
In the movie, the older, possibly wiser, roommate challenges the younger roommate, to consider these bulleted things, as his moral imperative.
At least that’s what I took away from the movie. Now, (Wait for it. Wait for it.) Let’s apply this to Your work, what you do, and how you do it. You spend a lot of your time at work, doing your Supervisory job. And, as I harp on frequently, so do the people who work for you.
Here’s my short list of things to consider in order to realize YOUR full potential. Approach work with the attitude of:
Since I spend so much of my awake, conscious time at my workplace; I will make it a place I enjoy going to and one that my staff enjoy coming to.
That I will create a workplace culture where “recognizing good performance” is a given because I respect the people who report to me.
That includes that under-performance is addressed before it becomes a tolerated behavior, because you respect the people who report to you.
That includes creating a workplace where my direct reports are encouraged to show respect to each other; through their behaviors, words, and with willing collaboration as they work with each other.
And, oh by the way, at the end of the movie, a weapon of mass destruction is thwarted, the young student learns how to grow as a person as well as academically, and some minor romance occurs. That’s all. Who knew??
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