Fistful of Talent

What Qualifies As a "Hero" in the Workplace?

In honor of the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, I'd like to take a moment to talk about Heroes. MLK Jr. did not set out to be famous, celebrated, or even admired to the magnitude he is today. His mission: Equality. Simply put, he was a man trying to make a difference .  Like most heroes, MLK Jr. was a forward thinker, an optimist, and had an unfaltering faith in his mission. With that in mind, I pose the question... Are there heroes in the work place?

A natural response to my question might be "Well, how do you define Hero". I don't have the answer to that; and admittedly I am writing this in an effort to sort through my thoughts on the subject, as well as to hear others' opinions.

With the term "Hero" undefined, some might answer: Yes, there are lots of heroes... folks that "do good", managers that recognize and reward their teams fairly, etc. By no means do I support diminishing the "Everyday Hero" - the person who works hard to make an honest living, provide for themselves & their families - I value those people.  But are there people in the work place that are really DRIVEN to make a difference... to stand up for what is right, even at the risk of serious consequences? (a la Norma Rae)

Perhaps it's the "Everyday Heroes" that become DRIVEN heroes. Maybe they start out as honest people just trying to do the right thing, and as others recognize these Everyday Heroes' good intentions, things start to snowball. Next thing you know... there's a civil rights movement.

So whether your ambitions are big, like MLK Jr.'s, or you're just trying to do what's right like Norma Rae... Do It, because the world needs people like you. I challenge each of you reading this to take a moment and think about how you can be a hero...(and queue Bonnie Tyler's I Need A Hero)...now get to it!

Editor's Note - Beth Kobermann is Gen Y, and a Sr. HR Generalist at Honeywell.  As you might expect, we love it when the youngsters on the team can do a shout out to a deep 80's icon like Bonnie Tyler, although I'm disappointed she didn't work in Total Eclipse of the Heart instead of I Need a Hero.  If this video doesn't inspire you to take more chances at work, I don't even know who you are anymore.

P.S. - If Bonnie knows we need a hero, why isn't she running back in the burning house? 

The College Degree - An Entry Ticket and 2 Educations in 1

Want to see what weakness looks like?  The following excerpt is from a contributor on EmployeeEvolution.com:

The lie is simply this, “You can do anything you want so long as (sic) get a college education.”... As if my naive ways weren’t bad enough, I also assumed it didn’t matter what you majored in... I had to learn the hard way the only guaranteed work right out of college comes for accountants and engineers, history majors need not apply. ... Now I dwell in cube purgatory, waiting to be cleansed of the sin of believing in something so false for so long."

I sincerely hope the author above is a drama queen, b/c life after college is NOT that bad. While I love my current job, my first job out of grad school  was...  well, let's just say it didn't live up to my expectations. But, if we're being honest, what 1st job is ever what you expect it to be?

Did my 1st employer really need someone with my credentials to do the work I was doing? Umm...No. Did it give me experience to build my resume and, if anything, teach me what NOT to do?  You Betcha!  The truth is, I wouldn't have even been interviewed for my 1st job, let alone my 2nd, or 3rd w/out my college degree(s). Depending on your career aspirations, you'll need a college degree (& good grades) to get your foot in the door. Ideally, you'd want to earn a degree that aligns with your aspirations - otherwise it's a waste of 4 years and $40K (minimum).

John Adams once said, "There are 2 educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live." Which brings me to my next point, the experience of going to college - parties & bar hopping included - is a real benefit of earning a college degree. Physically leaving home & going to college teaches you first and foremost how to be (ready for this) INDEPENDENT. With independence comes RESPONSIBILITY (ohhh, ahhhh). Lastly, college forces you to learn how to SOCIALIZE (that's where the parties come in). Unless you moved a lot growing up, the last time you really exercised the art of making friends was the 1st grade. College forces you out of your comfort zone and teaches you how to network - a skill you will use for the rest of your life.

I know this isn't mind blowing, but I truly feel that the full concept of college includes learning "how to live." If you thought getting a college degree was all it took to land the job of your dreams - like my author friend from the excerpt - you too are sadly mistaken.  It takes a hell of a lot more than that. You MUST be Independent - not relying on others to guide or make choices for you, you MUST be Responsible - for your actions and your future, and you MUST have a Social network within your field of interest.

After all, it's not just what you know, it's who you know.

Editor's Note - Beth Kobermann is a Sr. HR Generalist at Honeywell.  As you might expect, we love it when the youngsters on the team call other Gen Y's out for the pity parties they're holding.   A true believer in "action, not words" and taking responsibility for her own career, Beth got this job when she said she wanted to write at Fistful of Talent more than the '72 Dolphins wanted the Patriots to lose in January.  Anyone who can weave John Adams and Mercury Morris gets hired on the spot...