Why Smart People can Make Dumb Decisions about Their Jobs/Careers

Marlys Hanson

Overview

Most people are not fully aware of their powerful innate motivation and how it impacts their performance and work/life satisfaction.  Many individuals, but especially those who learn easily, become victims of the prevalent myth that “you can be anything we want to be.” They may choose a career for reasons other than their interest in the work itself.  With a lot of hard work and discipline, they may finish the degree, get the job – but then discover they are not motivated to perform the work! 

Most everyone struggles to find fulfillment in work that does not engage his/her innate or natural strengths.  In addition to losing the opportunity to leverage and develop their real potential, many very smart people become casualties of “poor fit” jobs/careers.  Sometimes they cannot compete with those who are truly motivated for the job…or they cannot sustain their performance over the span of their career. Promotions and new assignments can also create “poor fit” in a career that was previously on-track.

Mid-life crises are often an outcome of a “poor fit” job/career.  Individuals may suffer adverse health issues from stress created by “pushing a rock up hill” in a job that doesn’t fit.   Many become vulnerable to the first wave of layoffs and downsizings. 

The bottom line:  Every person is born with a unique set of motivations that orients and directs his/her behavior throughout life.  These motivations appear early and are enduring.  If we can recognize and engage these motivations, we will find meaning - and thus success - in our work and in our life.  But we are not putty to be molded into whatever we want (or others want us) to become!   

PARTICIPANTS will :

• Learn how life/work achievements can provide “evidence” of innate motivation and thus provide reliable and valid guidance for career/life decisions.  (This is NOT just listing hobbies/leisure activities, etc.; it is an examination of one‘s innate motivation and its impact on behavior and fulfillment.)
• Be introduced to a self-guided process for identifying your vocationally-significant motivations and developing a description for a “best-fit” scenario to leverage your talents.  Professional assistance is also available for those with difficult-to-discern motivations.   

Presenter:  Marlys Hanson, Managing Director, SIMA® International, Inc. Copperopolis, CA  has provided career counseling and programs to Fortune 100’s, (BP, ExxonMobil, DuPont, Merck, Monsanto) top government agencies (DIA, Dept. of Energy) and entrepreneurial teams.  She was National President of ASTD (American Society for Training and Development.)  In 2002, she designed the IEEE Career Conference in Seattle as a SIMA® Assessment workshop.  She has presented at many IEEE section meetings across the U.S., as well as for the Society of Women Engineers.  Her book, co-authored with her husband Merle Hanson, Ph.D., provides readers a “how to” plus many examples of “fit” applications in engineering careers.