Sunday Newscape Magazine

For many years there’s been a catchy phrase rolling around the business community that’s meant to inspire folks to stretch themselves beyond their comfort zones. It’s the familiar “think outside of the box.” It originates from a connect-the-dots puzzle configured in a square that cannot be solved with conventional wisdom and truly requires a different way of thinking.

This phrase has spread into most areas of human life as a battle cry for crawling out of our ruts. But, I’m going to take a very different look at “out of the box” in this message. One that may wake you up to new options that sit waiting for you to notice. One that may give you more control over the texture of your life. Sound interesting?

I received an email today from a friend who’s been job hunting for a few months. She’s highly qualified in her field and apparently over qualified in many instances. Today she sadly wrote:

“After two very long months and a total of six interviews, I have just been notified that I came in second for a very attractive job opportunity. I felt crushed.

“While the paycheck would have been greatly appreciated at this point, even more importantly, the opportunity seemed to fit perfectly with my background and experience, as well as my interests. I would have been perfect for this job. With its turnaround already well underway and from all I could gather in those six interviews, I would be joining a very professional, collaborative management team.

“The feedback from the search firm and from the prospective employer was all very positive, but nonetheless coming out as a runner up for this position leaves me, once again, with no other job prospects,” she ended.

It struck me as I read this heart-wrenching account that her next move (to look for a new potential employer) wasn’t the only option she had…and maybe not even the best option.

She was obligingly playing the game that was set before her. Here’s a job, do you qualify? In some ways a typical job search is a looking for a box that we fit into. If the fit is close, we’ll bend or twist ourselves to try to fit it better in the hopes that we’ll be seen as a good choice. But, is that the only way?

Here’s what I told her.

“Rather than walk away to look for another company, what about pursuing this company further? Sure, they may have selected a different person to fill the position you were trying for, but obviously they were impressed with you. It's not all that easy to find good people these days; especially those that fit so well into the culture.

“What if you went back to the person that interviewed you with a proposition? Tell them how impressed you are with the company, and how good you felt the fit was...how disappointed you were to not get the position. Then say, ‘Because I feel I can bring so much value to your company and that it's a relationship I really want, I'd like to explore how I might still be of service to you.

‘In our interviews you’ve told me of several important initiatives that aren’t receiving much effort because people are so overburdened and resources are short. I know not getting these projects done is hurting the company and limiting its success. I believe that I’m perfect in the role of Special Projects Manager to act as the driver behind these projects. I realize that you don’t currently have a position by that name, but it seems that even if the job doesn’t currently exist, the need for it does. Would you be open to exploring how I might be able to help you solve the dilemma of these stagnant projects and add substantially to your company’s success?”

I continued to my friend, “However you want to say it, what you're after here is creating a new position for yourself. One they may not have as an opening right now, but my experience is that every company has some very important goals not being met because they just don't have the man power to get to them. Or the folks responsible for doing them are torn in so many directions, it's impossible to get it all done. How can you help them pick up the pieces of projects and initiatives that aren't being done, but desperately need to be?

“They like you; you like them....create something new together. Make a position. Always worth a try. If you know of some of those potential things not being done now, it's good ammunition to walk in with. Every company is looking for someone to help them solve problems. What problems do they have that aren't getting attention? How can you position yourself in a way to be the solution to those problems?”

How about you, dear reader? Are you designing circumstances that match your special gifts and talents? Or are you looking at what’s already out there and trying to squeeze yourself into something that won’t cramp you too badly? Would you rather fit yourself into a pre-determined box or create an opportunity for you to do what you love to do best?

Employers don’t normally think of building their company by finding good people and then creating opportunities around them. Some do – they’re the smart ones. How motivated do you think someone is when they’ve helped create the very position they want to fill? How successful do you think the company is that sees their business as solutions in action instead of job descriptions?

Where are you feeling pinched and boxed in right now. Might be work, might be a relationship. Is there a possibility of breaking free of the box…the predetermined definition…and creating something new? Redefining it in a way that satisfies you and them? If you want a new opportunity, define it specifically according to your desires. If you don’t find it out there…well, create it and sell it! It’s much more fun.

© Karen Wright all rights reserved - http://wrightminded.com