Introduction
Every day we wake up we have a choice. We can choose to plod through the day or not. We can choose to go thru the motions or not. We can choose to do our best work or not. I tend to fall into the last point here. Sure, there are days when you are tired and things may be a bit slower than usual. However, if every day is like that… it’s time for a change. You owe it to yourself to Bring the Best of You. The question discussed in the article are you or is someone getting the best out of you?
Is Someone Getting The Best Out of You?
One of my favorite bands is the Foo Fighters. Dave Grohl and his band have made some iconic music over the years. One of my favorite songs by the Foo Fighters is “Best of You” and this post was partially (perhaps fully) inspired by this song. Ask yourself… Is someone getting the best out of you? Ask yourself the deeper question … Are you truly giving the Best of You to yourself? If the answer to both of these is yes then you are doing great things and you can stop reading. However, if you think there is some room for improvement (even a teensy little bit) read on.
Is someone getting the best out of you? ~ Foo Fighters
One of the best ways to insure you are delivering The Best of You is to have a side hustle. A passion project that inspires you, gets your juices flowing and keeps you energized. The smart companies are realizing this too. And, they are empowering their managers to reward this kind of behavior.
Why Side Hustle is Encouraged
Enlightened managers encourage and expect people on their teams to try other things. Whether they are directly related to the role you are hired for or, and I think especially, if they are in an area you are passionate about. As I wrote in my post Stoke Your Passion and Elevate Your Career there is an intrinsic human need to explore new frontiers and seek out areas where you can be inspired and do great things. Of course, they still have a job. So they want The Best of You on the job too.
- Consider reading The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau for some inspiration and ideas to get your started.
Think back to a time when you spent the time to work on something that you were really passionate about. Did you show up for work the next day refreshed, recharged and raring to go? My guess is that you did. This is the kind of passion great managers seek and great employees want to deliver. Something people have said to me when I’ve mentioned this in the past is that they work for themselves and they are already doing what they are passionate about. To which I reply… “Congratulations, you have figured it out!” I usually add “Are there any other areas of interest that you are truly passionate about? And, when you get to work on them do find yourself re-energized?” Of course, the answer is always yes and that’s a good thing. Whether you are a solopreneur or working for a huge multi-national corporation there is a basic human need to pursue our passions.
Pursuing your passions
When you pursue your passions you will be better at most everything you do. You may be really tired on Monday morning, but you’ll have great stories to tell and I suspect you will have learned a lot more about yourself and your ability to get things done. Another benefit of pursuing passions is that you will Stand Out in Your Career as you seek to build, enhance, and create something new. Wise managers will notice this effort and reward this behavior. Some of the more enlightened companies are encouraging employees to seek their own passion.
- Google is known for allowing 20% of someone’s time to be dedicated to an area of interest.
- Infusionsoft encourages and allows employees to have their own side-hustle and passion projects. In fact, they even provide all employees with full licenses to their software to pursue their passions.
- Richard Branson of The Virgin Group just eliminated limits on vacation days (in some businesses)
I mention these companies because they are at the leading edge of innovation in helping employees get the most out of their lives. The wise companies have realized that employees (team members, if you will) that are passionate about something get more done, are more energized, and bring a joie de vivre to the business.
Conclusions
The wise companies are empowering managers to seek out and reward people that have passion projects and the wise employees are taking advantage of this. How? By voting with their feet. The companies that have built cultures where passion is rewarded are sought after and roles within these firms are highly coveted. People know when they are inspired and they know when they are being asked to… Bring the Best of You.
