This question reminds me of the phrase “the ends do not justify the means”. In my research for this post I discovered that this is one of those famous sayings that is likely incorrectly attributed, this time to Niccolò Machiavelli. While he alluded to this concept in “The Prince” he never said these words. He did make it clear that unjust, unlawful, and/or unethical means are not excused away if the result is just, lawful, and/or ethical.
So how does this relate to “The Journey”? For your life and your career “The Journey” can take on many different meanings. For this article I am focusing on your career path, well in this case, my career path. And similarly to Machiavelli’s sentiment, the destination is not more important and should not justify a poor journey.
I learned this lesson the hard way and I hope this cautionary tale can help at least one person avoid the same mistake and difficult path along their journey. Back in the early 2000s, probably around 2002 into 2003 I got my first true people leadership role. With some changes to our project team, I was asked to step in as a Team Lead. This was a formal leadership role, however my team didn’t report to me, it was more like a Project Manager. And I really enjoyed the role and it confirmed an inkling that I wanted to lead people.
After I rolled off of that project and was on the bench waiting for my next project (a common thing for those of you not familiar with the world of consulting), I was asked to take a role on a project for the United States Air Force. I was told that this role would help set me on a path to make Manager at the consulting firm. Clearly this was an opportunity to help get me to the next destination I set for myself, being a people leader.
What I didn’t do was ask what the role truly entailed. I was told that it was more of a functional role and not technical. Up until this point, my entire career revolved around technical roles like a Test Developer, a Software Developer, and a Technical Team Lead. This new role would be a change. In the consulting company I worked for, a functional role meant you would be more of an analyst. In this case the role was a cross between an Instructor, Instructional Designer, and a Systems Analyst who would teach classes, classes that I first helped create. I was also responsible for helping with requirements gathering and creating documentation.
The onboarding of the project was great, it was like every other role I had as I spent two months as a Software Developer working on the web application that was powering the USAF’s portal. I enjoyed the work I was doing and, more importantly, I was really enjoying the people I was working with. After the two month ramp up was over, that’s when things mostly took a turn for the worst, at least for me.
I was given the details and clear deliverables that I needed to create. Building the class curriculum and training manual was mostly enjoyable. Teaching the classes was really interesting as well. All but one of the half dozen times I gave classes on how to use the USAF portal were in the basement of the Pentagon.
Did you know that the Pentagon was built in 1941? And did you know that the builders had to be extremely frugal with materials because the same materials were needed for World War II? They used steel sparingly and instead they built the building with 435,000 yards of reinforced concrete. I know this first hand because the concrete floors are so thick that they don’t have any give, none at all. And after walking around and standing in front of a classroom all day, my legs ached like crazy.
The rest of the job was difficult and it wasn’t one single thing, it was many things that were not enjoyable. The people on the project, both from the client and the general contractor, were some of the most difficult people I have ever worked with. Some of the USAF staff were your typical government contractor, they punched a clock and did just enough to not get fired. The culture on the project was one of the worst work environments I have ever been part of. I was living weekend to weekend and was just miserable in my professional life. Ultimately, this led to my decision to leave the consulting firm.
This experience has shaped every career move I have made since this poor experience on my journey. Rather than focusing solely on the end goal, I have looked at what the next step would mean for me day to day. In one case it led me to becoming a Program Manager and not a Team Lead. A decision that seems counterintuitive to my goal of being a people leader. However, the knowledge, relationships, and experiences I picked up in the two years I spent as a Program Manager were invaluable when I did become a People Manager.
This same philosophy of being as concerned with what I do each day and my end goal is what led me to take a chance and move out of Professional Services and into Technical Customer Support. A move that helped propel my career to where I am today, leading a Global Services and Support organization.
My best advice I can offer to anyone when it comes to career planning. Have a destination you want to get to, but make sure you will enjoy what you will day in and day out on the journey you choose to get there because the destination is NOT more important than the journey.
Featured Image by wirestock on Freepik