A Perspective on Career Management

"The Darden School of Business improves society by developing principled leaders for the world of practical affairs."

That is my school's mission statement. I came to Darden in the hopes of broadening my business skill set beyond my core competencies of auditing and control. Darden offered expert assistance in this endeavor: career development center replete with printed and on-line resources, a rich tapestry of alumni, career discovery forums, company briefings, and career counselors. As my classmates and I embarked on the search, we were told to "trust the process." In summary, that process consisted of gaining an understanding of what makes one tick or what makes one happy (so called life themes) and then finding a company that could best cater to those themes. In other words, it was a two fold process of self awareness followed by matching the needs of the corporate employer. We were shown an illustration in which a twain cookie represented on the one hand the corporate needs, and on the other, individual skills and needs. The idea was to find the other half and make the cookie whole. It was understood that one may not be able to match all of the desired life themes, but more the merrier.

As I reflected on what it was that I wanted to do, why it was I came to business school, and what sort of employment I might seek, those career management sessions and illustrations came back to mind: trust the process. It struck me that in a way, Darden's career management advice espoused a very selfish worldview. Does one become a principled leader and improve society by following a career path that makes her happy? Should she seek those jobs that best cater to her desires? It occurred to me that happy workers are more likely to be productive and excel in what they do. At the same time, I felt that sometimes improving society would require one to sacrifice one's own desires and happiness for the sake of others, to aspire to a nobler cause, to heed a greater calling. If we were asked to go to war to defend our country, shall we say no because it does not fit our opinions or because it's inconvenient? Is there not a time in our lives, when we are led to do something that may not best serve our individual purpose, but which might best serve those around us?

What, then? Does this mean that all corporate careers are selfish? Are we to work pro bono? No, I think it means that as we search for the right fit, we should be aware that there's more at stake than our individual ego. In the cookie illustration, it's not the corporate half of the cookie and our half. Rather, it's many pieces, some representing our community, another representing us, another our families and friends, and so forth. There is more at stake in my career than simply money for myself, happiness for myself, recognition for myself. There is a calling to put those those talents and gifts given to us to apply it toward a fulfilling and happy career in which we can also bring greater benefit and happiness to those around us, and if we are really lucky, then the world at large. Then, I think we shall have made progress in realizing Darden's mission statement.

Chronos and Kairos

Before Darden, I had made up my mind to to take things easy, to not be caught up in little things. I had in mind sipping a cool iced tea while floating down a gentle stream. Since my arrival, I have found (as I suspect many of my peers have) that it's very difficult to avoid being swept up by the strong currents of the myriad of academic and career challenges at Darden. I also found myself working hard to not measure myself against others, against their accomplishments. This generally reminded me to think about what my time means here, and how I needed to think bigger picture. Some time ago, I that the ancient Greeks had two words for time: chronos and kairos. Whereas we are all familiar with the progression of temporal time (chronos), kairos refers to a different perspective on time. Kairos means the right time, or due season, and cannot be measured unlike the time we generally think of. In religious setting, it can mean an appointed time. What I remembered was that I ought not to think about the weight of each passing hour of case load and career briefings, but to think about what my time at Darden means and how that fits into the bigger picture of what I want to do with my life and career.

Is church larger than the universe?

In the beginning, God created the . God created the church (church, the body of Christ) as a vehicle to save the world. Hence, God created the world and called it into Christ. In that sense, church is larger than the universe.

Leadership and Self Deception: Getting Out of the Box

I am guessing that this book by the Arbinger Institute is the book that sparked the "think outside the box" jargon in the popular culture.

This book, too, took the narrative form similar to The Goal, though not in the more refined novel form. Instead, in short vignettes, the book talks about what it means to think inside and outside the box. Incidentally, thinking outside the box does not refer to thinking creatively, which is what I always thought it referred to.

Thinking inside the box refers to a selfish mode of thinking where we treat others as objects to serve us. In this mode, we become selfish and all actions and interactions are geared toward self-justification. The end result of this thought mode is that we become defensive of our own actions while at the same time become dismissive of others' efforts. Often, this state of things poisons our workplace relationships. The bottom line is that we can't achieve results together as an organization (similar to not being able to meet the Goal).

As I read the book, I was reminded of the times I was in the box in my interactions with others, both in and out of my work place. Moreover, I couldn't help but think that the thesis of the book is basically "don't be an asshole." In many ways, the book discovers nothing new. In the bible, Jesus talks about poisoning affects of hypocrisy, and he also demonstrates unfathomable sympathy and love for the suffering. I think one has only to read the gospels and get far more out about management and relationships than in reading about getting out of the box.