Alexis Senge JohnsonReinventions are good. Think of how far we have come with some standard items that have been reinvented through the years. Washing our clothes has gone from a rock and a creek to a high efficiency machine that uses the least amount of water, soap and energy thought to be possible with a mechanical reinvention. Now I can turn on the washing machine, walk away and go finish another task while my clothes are cleaning. I would say this is a positive check in the reinvention category.
You can be a reinvention of yourself. You could wake up tomorrow and decide to change the way you do things at work and suddenly make it your purpose to be more efficient with your time. Maybe you decide you want to reinvent yourself as someone who’s goal is to meet as many people as possible throughout your company. As long as you commit to your reinvention, it is possible.
Think about yourself: your style of completing tasks, the way you manage those around you, how you interact with people you encounter in your professional life, etc.. Now ask yourself, “Am I ______________(fill in the blank)…completing tasks in the most efficient manner, managing with a purpose, making positive connections to help me in the future?” If not then decide if you want to reinvent yourself or, more specifically, the way you handle something you do every day.
I have done three things to reinvent myself through the years. For almost 20 years of my life I was some shade of blonde. As I grew up I found that because of my friendly demeanor, laid back attitude, and physical appearance people would speak to me differently then they did others. I began noticing it in my first few years of college. People seemed to be surprised when I struck up an intellectually deep conversation. Other times if I questioned something then people would start explaining the subject to me in a manner that used more concise wording and they would speak slower. After a while I realized that from my outward persona people thought I was a ditz. I decided it was time for a change and it would be a fun experiment. Eight years later I am still a red head and have found that even with the same blonde demeanor I get different treatment because of the way people visually perceive me.
The second time I chose to reinvent myself was after my first year in my current position. I have a tendency to really get emotionally connected to those who report to me. I take stock in their lives and genuinely care. I’m not, by any means, saying that is bad. If it was, I would be in a load of trouble since I still continue the practice to this day. However, I did learn that there were different ways to tackle the issue so I wouldn’t get emotionally stung by anyone taking advantage of this trait. I took several steps back, evaluated what was occurring and moved forward with a different outlook. I changed my way of thinking and stopped allowing myself to be personally offended as often. It was hard but it has been a wonderful change for my sanity and style of management. This reinvention has also led me to council the staff differently and make my choices in a slightly different manner, but still in a way that allows them to know that I still take stock in them and care.
It could be time to reinvent any area of your life. I used this same process when it was time to take a stand and move forward with the dissolution of my marriage. I realized that in order for me to be happy I needed to be true to myself and stand up for what I have always believed in. I now proudly take part in the things that I love again and live each day to the fullest as I always envisioned I would. Since my divorce I have found that I am less afraid to go out on a limb and make big life changes. Those who are close to me they know that in the past I haven’t handled change well, but reinventing myself, taking back my maiden name and original passion for life has given me a second chance to do things differently.
I think of myself now like a Dyson vacuum cleaner. I still have the same purpose as when I was originally invented; I just do things now in a more revolutionary way that saves time and energy. I continue this analogy all the way through my professional life. When seeking employment I may price myself a bit more than others, as the Dyson definitely does, but the company seeking me will more than get their return on investment. I may not have 5 turbo charged cyclones like a Dyson, but I guarantee to be a dynamo that gets the job done better than the others I’m up against. There’s no time like the present, so ask yourself, “Is it time for a reinvention?”
