At my middle age, when there's a light in the deep horizon that suggests you are not that terribly far away from your retirement, you have lucid moments after being too many years in the same company. You discover what makes you sizzle, what turns you on, what makes you get up in the morning and expend countless hours commuting flights and in the frontlines along your team mates and troops fighting hard as hell, and what does not. And to your despair, you find out there are things you will never commit with at this stage. It's like a Jerry Maguire feeling. In many companies you have to follow the bi-yearly mantra. You cannot create doubts about your entire rendition to the current corporate way.
There are many things that are not allowed in corporations: being honest, direct, reflect your doubts and ask for explanations. If you raise concern, you seem to be marked forever. Your head needs to be at the same level as others, and you have to ask for your daily soma dose which you have to take with happiness.
You hear a few comments around that from your fellow colleagues or direct managers...the one I prefer is: "the corporation expended a lot of money on that". I really admire my colleagues that embrace the corporate mantras without hesitation, or doubt, as Jesuchrist second coming...every couple of years...I can't.
That does not make me better than them. I'd say the contrary. They are better...they get promoted, they don't create trouble. I have to chose silence and obliteration of my doubts, as I cannot see anybody standing up and telling what is in many others'minds.
And all of a sudden, nobody remembers the last mantra. Everybody looks into their peer's eyes and jump in the air with sudden happiness...
I am sorry. I believe I deliver. I work hard to get the results, my plan, my forecast...I can't eat more frogs, even with the promise they will turn into princesses when I kiss them...I wish we could have expend this money in having a couple of more chemists in the lab, or that rig we are missing to get these unique approvals...but my thinking is different from the Corporation...
I guess I turned old school. My interests in the Corporation are different from what the corporation believes it needs. The results are not important, just the mantra. There you can progress...fill up these never ending new fashion programs and projects and you will grow inside the company...nobody will check them a couple of years down the road and you've lost 30% of your market but you hit the jackpot cause you did what the corporation wanted to hear...and then you move on and on till I can tell you a few of these high flyers end up in nameless departments after a couple or three waves...the golden cages, the elephant cemeteries are almost full...and their burden consumes resources and valuable people who is let to leave.
You grew your business 30% without resources and never got any credit or public acknowledgement? It's your fault you could not follow the new mantra...this is not important is not the latest vogue...