Beware Killer Worker Bees

March 30, 2006

Always Always Always realize that everyone isn’t always as passionate about things as you.

If you are interested in improving yourself, or if you’re interested in doing something new or big or amazing, pay attention to the reactions you get. It’s important to sort out the people who are worker bees, who feel they’re at their job due to divine providence. There might be critics of you and your ideas, but you must clearly understand the mindset of the person giving such a critique. Do they raise valid and constructive points? Or are they just buzzing around the hive and have no sense of the bigger picture?

Disclaimer: This is more griping than constructive, and yet, it’s important to PROTECT your own energy levels from those who might threaten your personal success. Most of this protection comes from within, but it pays to be wary.

Spotting a Bee

Worker bees…

Use the word “they” a lot. They took away my benefits. They made my job harder to do by coming up with those stupid forms.

Look at all change as more misery to sort through.

Love conspiracy theory.

Rarely read their industry news, but always read local newspapers.

Look at training as a requirement.

Wonder aloud why they get rated “fully proficient” every year.

Think review time is when to worry about that rating.

Beekeeping

The main value to Worker Bees to me is that someone has to do that kind of work. I LOATHE the kinds of tasks the bees in my company do. I wouldn’t last a week. I’d procrastinate myself out of a job due to this hatred. But these guys? They just plug along and get it done.

When telling our own life stories, we are the superhero and everyone else is the villain. It’s just how it goes. When these people go home and tell their stories, I wonder how it sounds.

Enough About Other People

We work within our circles of influence, and don’t expend energy on other people. Here are some thoughts about these matters from the point of view of what YOU can do:

Keep conversations with Worker Bees brief, and utterly devoid of your opinion. There’s no point defending your view. It can’t be seen.

Seek our energetic, passionate people from ALL walks of life. Get really diverse with this. The best things I can say about the last 12 months all relate to people not working with me at my current job. (Oh, and my new kid).

Believe in yourself and your ideas. Be open to commentary and criticism, but believe in the basic premise of what’s driving you forward. Be your own evangelist and it won’t matter as much when certain people detract.

Focus on delivering your passion to the world. All the great ideas in the world are like butterflies when you need bread. Do something every day that moves your passion ahead even just a little tiny bit. Do it often. Repeat frequently.

There is a long strange road between all the different things I’m passionate about and where they finally take me. The only difference between five years ago and today is that now, I’m really receptive to the option of taking some of those paths, and I’m willing to explore many diffuse opportunities. Part of this comes from giving up on trying to change other people’s minds, and focusing instead on making my own mind pregnant with the opportunity.

What’s your take?

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