A square peg in a round hole is someone, with a unique set of skills, experience and passion that finds himself or herself in a career where they are not able to apply those skills or become their best.
Who do you know who has a uniques set of skills, experience and passion?
I don’t know about you but every single person I met does fit that description. Every one of them, and that includes you has a unique set of skills, a passion about something, interests and unique experience. It does not matter how old you are, what your education is, where you come from or where you have been, you are a different person than I am. So, how come most employers and our education system are treating us like we are all the same?
What are the options? I think there a few, but mostly found around two main choices. Let’s think about the Square Peg analogy for a minute and look at the options the way I see it.
Option A: You can either cut off or grind off the ‘corners’ of who you are and try to fit in the round hole.
This is probably what most people have to do. Most bosses usually don’t care what your passion is about or what your skills are, or what you would like to do. They may pay lip service to the idea but unless those skills, that passion or talent fit what the corporate requirements are for your job description, you are out of luck. The typical management structure “needs” you to fit in that job description, very few companies are willing to change their internal human resource structure and that’s a shame.
Education is the same, most educational institution also teach in a one-size fit all model. So, our schools are producing a lot of square pegs that will need to learn to fit in round holes, and it has been going on for generations.
Option B: There is another option. It requires some work on your part and some courage and diplomacy. What you need to do is ‘dig out’ the corners of the round hole you are finding yourself in or find a square hole that fits you. Most of us cannot quit our job and launch ourselves into a new career custom made for us. We can’t do it right away for many reasons, some can’t do it for financial reasons, others because they are simply not sure what it is they want to do. What I suggest is a bit easier and does not require you to make huge changes in your career -at least not at first.
So here is my recommended plan of action:
1. Find out who you are?
Research showed the over 80% of self-aware people are successful in their field, and are working in a career, job or profession of THEIR choice. So, become self-aware. Learn about yourself. What do you dream about? What is it that you would do for the rest of your life, even for free if you could?
What are your hobbies? What magazines do you buy? What books do you read? All of these are indicators of who you are?
There are also personality, strengths and skills inventory tests you can take (more on this on this web site).
2. Think about ways you can use your passion, talents and skills in your current jobs/career to do more of what you like and less of what you don’t like.
There are quite a few tools available to help you do this “inventory”, start with a simple list of the things you already know how to do. Then, move on to the things you would like to try or do more of. Contact me for a worksheet if you’d like some help with this process.
3. Dig out the corners of the square hole to fit YOU.
Maybe you want to work from home because you hate the commute. Negotiate with your boss for 1/2 day a week to work from home and make sure you produce like crazy during that time and let your boss know your results. Read “The Four-Hour Work Week” for ideas on how to do this.
Maybe you hate paperwork but love selling, find someone to do your paperwork and you do the selling for their quota and share the work and the commission. You will be more productive, likely sell more than double of your current sales and your new partner will have your paperwork ‘cleaned up’ in no time. You will both be energized by work instead of being drained by it. (This is just one example, we talk about that a lot during our seminars)
The key is to think of ideas on how to do this and negotiate it as part of your work. Think about it, talk about it, make a plan and present it to your boss as a trial.
4. Rinse & Repeat
Continue doing this with all your strengths and weaknesses, your likes and dislikes until you are in a position that fits YOU.
If all else fail, get practice doing what you would like to be doing as a volunteer until you can get paid for it. If teaching and public speaking or coaching others is your “thing”, do it for free until you can charge for it. Once your part time income is high enough, you will have options, won’t you? At the very least the increase income may make your round hole job more tolerable.
What do you think? Are you willing to start? The first step is to find out who you are? Contact me and I would love to help.
Alain
