You Can Be George Carlin

I was struck this week by the death of George Carlin. A beloved comedian globally.  An institution.  A bold and brazen pioneer in the entertainment industry.

I’ve been a George Carlin fan since I was a kid.  This week I questioned why. Because he was funny?  Irreverent?  Spoke the truth? A fellow comedian?  A kindred spirit?

It is none of those things, although I hold them all as true.  He was unapologetically himself.  Not hoping, trying to be someone or something else.  He didn’t alter his style or accommodate.  He was authentic.  Real.  Brash and brazen.  Just George. 

I write, speak and teach about knowing your reputation so you can manage and accelerate your  career.  And at times I’m concerned that people will interpret my suggestion as trying to fit in.  Altering yourself so you ‘fit’ with an organization.  Fitting in isn’t my suggestion. Rather, find the right fit.

We have all been in organizations, relationships, cities and even homes that weren’t a good fit for us.  As persistent individuals, we try to make these circumstances work.  We live in a new home with new carpet and freshly planted trees when all we really want is an old home with hardwood floors, in an established neighborhood.  And at times we work in organizations where try as we might, we don’t fit.

I was doing a presentation in a college career center when one of the college’s career coaches described students who want to work at big name companies like Nike, IBM and Hewlett Packard because they ‘know’ those companies and think as a result they must be better places to work than small, less known companies. I have no doubt that those organizations are good places to work, but not for everyone. 

One of the big, established companies I used to work for was, according to most standards, a good organization and a great place to work. The organization’s vision and values were closely aligned with the work, the benefits were good and the people were nice.  It was indeed a great place to work, and I was miserable.

People were nice, but they weren’t candid.  I’m candid.  Work got done in committees by consensus.  I see committees run by consensus as adding 6 months to any project.  I move fast.  The company moved slowly. 

I spent three years there wondering what was wrong with me.  “Why aren’t I happy? Why, despite working hard and delivering “exceeds expectations” results am I always ‘in trouble’?”  I was consistently ‘being spoken to’ because I wasn’t a good fit.

It didn’t matter how much I held my tongue in meetings, or invited others to partner on projects, or was friendly and accommodating to fit into the ‘nice’ culture.  I was perpetually uncomfortable in the organization and the organization was perpetually uncomfortable with me. 

Back to why I loved George Carlin.   George was just George. He didn’t alter himself or his style to ‘fit’ with a certain audience or venue.  He chose venues where he was wanted, welcomed and appreciated, where he was a good ‘fit” and when he got there, he did his thing and did it well.

Not every city, venue or audience was a fit for George and not every job, organization or relationship will be a good fit for you.   Know yourself.  Spend time getting to know the organizations and jobs you’re considering. Pick a good fit and then manage your reputation so you get more of what you want and less of what don’t.

Shari Harley leads The Harley Group International, a Denver-based training and development firm focused on helping organizations hire and retain key talent. Shari can be reached at shari@shariharley.com or http://www.shariharley.com.

Copyright 2008  The Harley Group International. All Rights Reserved.

 

Comments

[Andy]

I take your point, but I couldn't resist a jab.

You write that "George was just George. He didn’t alter himself or his style to ‘fit’ with a certain audience or venue."

I think the George altered his style to play Mr. Conductor. I don't recall him ever singing "life's gonna suck when you grow up" to Thomas the Tank engine. Of course I couldn't stand that show so maybe I missed it.

Great to read your writing. Keep it up.

-Andy