I like to think of myself as a an entrepreneurial type, open to ideas and
change. But
I find that when I put forward ideas , I am given answers that are either
excuses or typical enthusiasm-killers. That's when I find myself thinking, "why
do I bother ?". I have to agree with Archie Kregear on this account. A
non-receptive authority figure can kill initiative and learning.
Over time ,I have found that this has killed most of my enthusiasm to do
anything at all in many areas of my life!! I find this dangerous.
How do I deal with this ?
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Jyotsna --
Your description is a very accurate one, and all too common. Nay-saying
authority figures can kill initiative and learning. You have begun your quest
to overcome this by asking the right first question. "How do I deal with this?"
The solution must inevitably rest with you. You are the only one who can change
your approach, and you -- you alone -- will be the greatest beneficiary.
Let me encourage you to try an experiment with a friend. I learned this from
Innovative Associates -- Rick's organization, I believe -- and it left a lasting
impression that I have passed on to many other people.
The game you are about to play requires only two people. You and virtually
anyone else. Sit facing each other. You begin by telling the other person the
most deeply cherished desires you have. Good health, admiration of your peers,
a new house, you name those things you most deeply desire. The task of your
friend is to say, "No, you can't have that."
After a few minutes, change roles. If you experience what I experienced when
this person said you could not have what you wanted, you felt defeated, sad,
frustrated, perhaps angry. You felt these very bad feelings despite the fact
that this other person has absolutely no power to make these desires come true
or to keep them from coming true. The essential point is that in these
situations when you feel rejected, your feelings can very powerfully tell you
things that are not true. This person has rejected your desires, so
necessarily, they can never come true. Helplessness. The boss says no, so
there is no hope. Why puruse this since no one cares.
The lesson for me was that the feelings are valid, but that does not mean they
are accurate reflections of reality. Therefore, perhaps someone else does care,
therefore, perhaps there is hope, therefore I -- you -- are not helpless,
therefore, this person can not necessarily prevent you from accomplishing your
greatest dreams.
Frankly, overcoming bureaucratic inertia can be an interesting, deep game
requiring the development of very valuable skills. You may succeed and not be
noticed. Nevertheless, you will learn skills that will stand you in good stead
in life and work.
Additionally, it is very difficult to overcome the feelings you describe if you
are alone. Therefore, find allies who can also develop a constructive, fun
attitude about overcoming the system. Forget the cynicism. It will not help
you, and it makes you feel bad. Identify the roadblocks, and have fun
experimenting and finding ways to overcome them. Forget running down the
bosses. Identify their weaknesses that can become routes to implementing some
of your ideas, and have a good time making your life more interesting and your
work more relevant.
Most of all, have fun. And let me know how you are doing. I am very
interested.
--Rol Fessenden LL Bean, Inc. 76234.3636@compuserve.com
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>