Enamored With Complexity
Have you ever wondered why our expanding use of technology, the lightning speed
of communication, and the near disappearance of geographic limitations at times
seem to make conducting business more complicated than easier? As messages span
an ocean, their meanings often get compounded and confused during translation
into another culture. The explosive growth of technology can lull us into
believing every challenge in life can be reduced to a series of intricate
formulas that, when worked correctly, produce predictable and repeatable
answers.
As the constant productivity pressure to "do more with less" collides with our
quest for the perfect prescription for every problem, complication quickly
becomes an acceptable substitute for action. If you can explain why something
didn't happen in terms people don't understand, you might buy yourself some
time.We begin to think like science fiction writer Poul Anderson when he said, "I have yet to see any problem, however complicated, which, when you look at it in the right way, did not become still more complicated." The sometimes daunting world of career development can become fertile ground for needless complication. Analyzing your strengths, developing a concise marketing message, learning how to communicate your value during an interview, and not-to-be-forgotten networking, begin to look passe. A desire for quick results eclipses the priority of disciplined effort, and you begin to look for something more sophisticated (and easier) that guarantees results. If your exploration of new career vistas is stalling, you'll likely regain momentum more quickly by simplifying rather than complicating. After suffering a huge defeat, a football coach was asked when he felt the turning point in the game occurred. He replied, "Right after the national anthem." Like that coach, it is important for you to maintain honesty with yourself about how much time you're giving to managing your career, how that time is being invested, and whether or not you're engaged in the activities that can genuinely move your career in a positive direction. Maintain your focus on the essentials. Complexity will never replace the need for consistency. |
