I pick up and read lots of different views on work and life, many of which I skim read to get the basics, some of which I actually do justice to. This morning I was reading HBR and an article on creative job titles. The case study was about the Make-A-Wish Foundation where the former CEO encouraged her workforce to invent their own job titles. The office manager became the 'keeper of be keys' and she became the 'fairy godmother'. The process was also trialed in a hospital to positive effect, so an infectious disease consultant became the Germ Slayer - it all seems quite obvious when you see the end result. While this may seem trivial, it had a real impact on how people felt about their work and their purpose. The suggestion is that you think about the purpose of your work, your unique connection to it and hey presto, out pops an innovative and witty job title that defines you and what you do.
So obviously that gets me thinking about what my alternative job title might be... Easier said than done! In my line of work is purpose seems more difficult to define, or is it just that I haven't found the right words yet? So I started by thinking what my job is about:
- connecting and developing people and networks
- sharing knowledge to create engagement and opportunity
- building relationships based on trust and confidence
- helping organisations be confident that their risks are managed
This doesn't help define my purpose - many people could have written to the statements above. My uniqueness is what I'm trying to define and distil. I would like to think that it's that I put people first and in doing so I believe my clients and teams will be more engaged and so our business will grow. I worry less about personal accolades, and more about did I do the right thing at the right time. I take time to get to know people - I love to hear their stories, I'm happy to share my own. I worry about the details, but not across every dimension. I am a massive proponent of wellbeing and balance, albeit I drive myself quite hard in many people's eyes. So what does that all make me?
Probably rather like the Germ Slayer, a title isn't just pop out immediately. In fact I started this post weeks ago and then left it to sit for a while, partly due to logistics and partly because I didn't have the answer. It came to me when I was out and about thinking about this question - I like to think of myself as the Head Gardener. I think this works and more importantly, it sits well with me. My job is to plan the overall scheme of things, to know what works well with what, to lay the groundwork for others to come along and do what they do best - seed, cultivate and grow. I have to coordinate with other parts of the business (other Head Gardeners!) and nurture the team so they can give their best. I like the sense of sustainability that portrays, and the fact that it reflects the reality of a complex ecosystem which doesn't always bend to rule.
Who knows whether others see me this way but it's an alter ego I can relate to and be proud of. Funny that what seemed like a trivial exercise has actually been very thought provoking. Try it for yourself!
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