Success in the knowledge economy comes to those who know themselves–their strengths, their values, and how they best perform.
I recently discovered the article, Managing Oneself, written by “the man who invented management,” Peter Drucker (alternative link in case of paywall). The interesting thing about his mission is that he wasn’t all about corporate management and business per se. Rather he was driven to create “a functioning society” built atop effective and responsible institutions comprising engaged and productive individuals.
In the article, Drucker makes a case for individuals taking charge of their own careers, especially working in the Information Age as part of the “knowledge economy.” He says,
It’s up to you to carve out your place, to know when to change course, and to keep yourself engaged and productive during a work life that may span some 50 years.
When we find ourselves in a position that don’t align well with our strengths, interests, or values, it can be hard to keep engaged at work and instead go through the motions to accomplish the bare minimum. “Know thyself” as the ancient Greek aphorism goes. This understanding of self can lead you to a position where you can optimize both your happiness at work and your contributions to society.
After identifying our strengths, we also have to be strategic in how we improve. There’s something to be said about a person who knows something about everything (a dilettante, if you will). However, to be successful in the workplace:
One should waste as little effort as possible on improving areas of low competence. It takes far more energy and work from incompetence to mediocrity than it takes to improve from first-rate performance to excellence.
For the mathematically inclined, think about the relationship between skill and effort as a logarithmic curve. Climbing up the learning curve is difficult, but it gets easier to improve the higher up you go.
When we’ve identified what areas we want to improve, it’s important in how we go about learning and improving. Consider what ways you best take in information (reading or listening) and how you best process that information. I learn best by visualizing what I’ve read or heard in the form of presentations, flowcharts, or infographics. Another great way to learn and evaluate your own understanding is to teach. Teaching doesn’t need to be getting in front of a classroom and lecturing. It could just mean casually conversing with a friend or writing a blog post to share with others.
Additionally, consider where you thrive in an organization. Throughout high school, college, and even beyond, we’re often encouraged to grow and demonstrate leadership skills. Our resumes are lined with clubs we’ve presided over or projects we’ve initiated and managed. Leadership is an important life skill. However, we don’t have to be, or strive to be, leaders in everything we do. “Some people work best as subordinates.” Ask yourself:
Do I produce results as a decision maker or as an adviser? A great many people perform best as advisers but cannot take the burden and pressure of making the decision. A good many other people, by contrast, need an adviser to force themselves to think; then they can make decisions and act on them with speed, self-confidence, and courage.
It all goes back to knowing yourself. Drucker states:
Do not try to change yourself–you are unlikely to succeed. But work hard to improve the way you perform.
There are other topics that the article delves into, such as your value system, achieving meaningful results, and responsible relationships. Drucker also discusses at length developing a “second career.” By this, he doesn’t mean that you should get a second job, but he provides strategies on how to make a career pivot. As someone in the process of making her second career pivot, I resonate with the key advice that, “You must begin long before you enter it.”
Overall, Peter Drucker’s Managing Oneself is an incredibly insightful article. Despite being written in 1999, it’s a timeless piece filled with tremendous foresight. The big takeaway:
Successful careers are not planned. They develop when people are prepared for opportunities because they know their strengths, their method of work, and their values. Knowing where one belongs can transform an ordinary person–hardworking and competent but otherwise mediocre–into an outstanding performer.