Game Of Life

Along the road of life, we can often loose our feeling of significance with the work that we do. What has changed? It seems that we are only looking for that next pay check and can spouting the acronym that everyone knows and often mutters, "TGIF"! Do you remember the first day on the job where you thought that there was no better place for you to be than right here at this moment? Where is that enthusiasm now?

As we discussed in previous articles, it is easy to slip into the roles of sheep, "yes people", alienated followers, or survivors. Why is this? What makes this a leading epidemic sweeping through organizations worldwide? I believe that it is the concept of significance.

Significance, as I would define it, would be, "The feeling or distinction of being of importance". Do you feel important? Or better yet, are you important to the organization? These questions run through the minds of millions of employees going to work every single day. Let's break these concepts down into both feelings and distinction.

Feeling significant can take on a whole magnitude of directions when researching such a field. A theoretical area that exists on this topic is called "self-efficacy" or in other words it is a belief that one has the capabilities to manage situations effectively. A question that I like to ask individuals who do not feel significant within an organization is, "Who told you in life that you were not good enough?" This can spark an emotional response in some individuals. Believe me, I have felt this way too in the past and my wife has to remind me that I am capable enough to complete a task and I should stop doubting myself. I can see the power that 'doubt' can play in a person's life and in the role of followership. Doubt can remove all confidence from a person slowly over time, especially when they are not being built up within their organization they serve, day in and day out. Doubt can take the smartest individual and cause him or her to wrestle with simple tasks or what should be uncomplicated decisions. The importance of "feeling significant" is an area that we will touch on much more in other articles.

Do you feel important to the organization? This is the role of distinction. Can the office work better without me? Am I just taking up space here? I never get a 'thank you' for my efforts here. These are statements of distinction-based forms of significance. This is an area that comes when little development is put into an individual or a building up of that person's efforts. This differs from the feeling of self-efficacy in that it is an external motivator, verses the inward, intrinsic pressure one feels inside. The distinction area of significance looks at ways in which individuals perceive themselves 'fitting' into their current situation. This 'fitting' is a significance factor that can be uplifted more with words of affirmation, symbols of celebration, and 'pats on the back' which can come in the forms of money, rewards, time-off, projects with more responsibility, etc. If you are truly an effective follower and you still are not feeling important to your organization, your organization needs to look at ways to make you feel more important. If you are lacking the skills to be an effective follower, this may be a way to increase both the distinction as well as the feeling, or self-efficacy.

Along the road of life, different outside forces affect the way we perform within the organization we serve. It is vital that we stop and examine ourselves to see if we truly are being effective followers within our organization. If we find that we are meeting the expectations of what it means to be an effective follower, it may be time to challenge our leadership or know when to leave the organization. If an organization draining of your leadership skills within your followership role, the most probable solution may be to find an organization who will invest in your skills and abilities. More will follow in subsequent articles, however, we can not let doubt, fear, and role distinction matters to affect every aspect of our lives. The game of life demands that we give our all where we are at, it is not just a roll of a dice or a spin of a wheel that determines our next move. Knowing that we are important and working on improving our skills may be a means that God uses to move us out of our comfort zone and to a new venue in life.