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mattlistenerI noticed my morale at work has been improving this week, even though it's become near-certain that I will stay whilst (contrary to my strong preference) they convert my position to full-time. This is counterintuitive.
It occurs to me that this week I've been doing more of the kind of work I enjoy, which is "take this entire problem and sort it out properly" as opposed to familiar administrative tasks. And it occurs to me that there's a commonality there with the other career paths I've followed.
I'm a Fixer. (In the Pulp Fiction sense, minus the violence and deception.) I can keep a web of interpersonal and logistical concerns in my head, choose the most satisfactory path in light of everything, and implement it. I can enter the worlds of people with contrary stands, and find a middle ground or a frameshift or a third way that enables us to move forward together. I can pick the brains of everyone in range, learn the guts of any skill, and pull answers out of the thin edges of the net.
Paired with my computer talents, that puts me in a high-paying career where I have a reputation for asking lots of questions, getting complicated things done right, and returning everyone's phone calls. Still, undersatisfying. (Need more articulartion there.)
Paired with my ethics, being a Fixer puts me in the counselling field, in a discipline where I don't "fix" people, but nevertheless put my seeing-everything skills into service along with my high standards for how folks should be treated and all my loving energy for people. Much more satisfying, but doesn't have legs yet. (Articulate.)
Paired with my cuddlebug nature, that puts me in the massage field, where I can resolve a subset of body pain both temporarily and durably, at the same time as handling the interpersonal side of the client-therapist relationship exceptionally well. Has legs, but needs more scope. (Articulate.)
As a legislator, I'd be a good House Majority Whip (minus the threats). In fact, I'm quite confident I could kick butt in law school if I wanted to go that route. Have I mentioned that all four of my parents are lawyers? I'm not keen on the adversarial profession, though. I don't want to distort reality to direct attention to my chosen outcome. Nor do I want to Fight The System as a fundamental part of what I do.
Being a Fixer doesn't attach to any particular content. I could help people with their problems. I could help people with their back problems. I could help companies with their people/computer problems. I could help lemurs with their flying coconut problems. Hell, probably every human endeavor needs Fixers (in the sense I'm using the word here). However, nobody looks to hire Fixers per se, at most they look for someone with a history of being a Fixer in a particular realm. Or else a Fixer comes along and says, "See how you have this problem? You need me."
I've shown I can get good at anything that interests me, and rise to Fixer status therein. So what remains is to get interested in something new and run with it, or take something I'm already interested in and crank it up. Hello again, square one.
Chance favors the prepared mind.
It occurs to me that this week I've been doing more of the kind of work I enjoy, which is "take this entire problem and sort it out properly" as opposed to familiar administrative tasks. And it occurs to me that there's a commonality there with the other career paths I've followed.
I'm a Fixer. (In the Pulp Fiction sense, minus the violence and deception.) I can keep a web of interpersonal and logistical concerns in my head, choose the most satisfactory path in light of everything, and implement it. I can enter the worlds of people with contrary stands, and find a middle ground or a frameshift or a third way that enables us to move forward together. I can pick the brains of everyone in range, learn the guts of any skill, and pull answers out of the thin edges of the net.
Paired with my computer talents, that puts me in a high-paying career where I have a reputation for asking lots of questions, getting complicated things done right, and returning everyone's phone calls. Still, undersatisfying. (Need more articulartion there.)
Paired with my ethics, being a Fixer puts me in the counselling field, in a discipline where I don't "fix" people, but nevertheless put my seeing-everything skills into service along with my high standards for how folks should be treated and all my loving energy for people. Much more satisfying, but doesn't have legs yet. (Articulate.)
Paired with my cuddlebug nature, that puts me in the massage field, where I can resolve a subset of body pain both temporarily and durably, at the same time as handling the interpersonal side of the client-therapist relationship exceptionally well. Has legs, but needs more scope. (Articulate.)
As a legislator, I'd be a good House Majority Whip (minus the threats). In fact, I'm quite confident I could kick butt in law school if I wanted to go that route. Have I mentioned that all four of my parents are lawyers? I'm not keen on the adversarial profession, though. I don't want to distort reality to direct attention to my chosen outcome. Nor do I want to Fight The System as a fundamental part of what I do.
Being a Fixer doesn't attach to any particular content. I could help people with their problems. I could help people with their back problems. I could help companies with their people/computer problems. I could help lemurs with their flying coconut problems. Hell, probably every human endeavor needs Fixers (in the sense I'm using the word here). However, nobody looks to hire Fixers per se, at most they look for someone with a history of being a Fixer in a particular realm. Or else a Fixer comes along and says, "See how you have this problem? You need me."
I've shown I can get good at anything that interests me, and rise to Fixer status therein. So what remains is to get interested in something new and run with it, or take something I'm already interested in and crank it up. Hello again, square one.
Chance favors the prepared mind.
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no subject
Date: 2004-09-29 05:11 am (UTC)That's one of the most surprising things I've ever heard you say. I'm pretty sure you can't be a Majority Whip without the threats -- it's called "Whip" for a reason. :-]
In software development, people very definitely do look to hire Fixers. It's one of the best features of the profession.
no subject
Date: 2004-09-30 07:58 am (UTC)Not in this universe, perhaps. But I could be a coalition-builder who inspires loyalty, sees your side and works to make it work for you, and can be trusted when your back is turned. Wouldn't get lockstep partisan results, but might be better at passing more challenging bills working across the aisle.
In that universe, the job wouldn't be called a Whip, yeah. :-)
no subject
Date: 2004-09-29 08:43 am (UTC)Then again, there's mediation. You are paid to fix things, you get to use counseling skills. Unfortunately, it means you are may get embroiled in other people's problems - wouldn't work for me, but you might be able to tolerate it.
That said, mediators work not only in legal type settings, all Cambridge Public Schools have Mediation Specialists AND Guidance Counselors (so I know Mediation Specialist isn't just a fancy name for Guidance Counselor). Ask around, find out what the CPS Mediation Specialists actually DO, you might find it interesting.
Now that that is done. I assume you are mulling all this over because you have to choose to do your computer job full time or leave it and you don't want to do that? Can you make a living counseling / massaging? If yes, why not do it full time, I thought that was the plan. Are you sure you aren't merely looking for a new challenge, something to learn? Are you bored? What kind of art/music/dance/writing have you done lately?
no subject
Date: 2004-09-30 09:25 am (UTC)Current plan is to take the computer job full time while moving the career-change planning process from back to fornt burner. Every month doing full time computer work gives me two months I could get by unemployed if I want to take the leap.
I'm not bored -- the computer work does have merits for me or I wouldn't have been there this long. It's just that I feel I could be doing something with the career part of my life that would have more lasting value to me.
Could I make a living at counselling/massage? The numbers look good if I could see 20 clients a week. I feel consistently concerned that I'd burn out at that rate. The purpose my private practice space should fill in my life is to give myself a test lab in which to come up with the right model for my therapy practice. If I get enthusiastic about a way of working where I can bring in my full capacities, I'll quit the computer job and go all-out with it.
no subject
Date: 2004-10-04 08:34 am (UTC)As for the extravert thing - I don't know what to tell you. You have plenty of social skills. I wish I had some of the skills you have! On the other hand, I know you are shy. I wonder if ... Nah
no subject
Date: 2004-10-04 11:11 am (UTC)Hm?
no subject
Date: 2004-10-05 12:59 pm (UTC)(I have to admit I'm not sure if I'm thinking in terms of a build the confidence thing or that evil old idea that whatever irks you most is what you should do just to get over your sensitvity. Probably a bit of both. The just to get over it idea really is evil. Why should people put themselves through stuff when they don't have to? It really isn't the only route to "self improvement", whatever THAT is!)