One of the biggest challenges of doing a blog, a book, a youtube video is that for the most part there is always someone out there who does it better than you. They have more followers than you, or they have already said what you want to say, and probably in a better way. It’s a bit like being the creators of South Park in an age where the Simpsons Exist.
I have three biggies who influence my work. If I want to give sage advice on how sticking to my effort will payout in some way, shape, or form, then Seth Godin probably already has said it more succinctly. If I want to talk about money traps and how it affects nearly every aspect of life, there is no one more in-tune with that than Dave Ramsey. When it comes to corporate disfunction, the king of that type of commentary is Scott Adams.
I’ve come to the conclusion that I can’t compete, and I shouldn’t. I should, as Microsoft used to say “Embrace and Extend“. Share what my influences on occasion and then add some color or commentary to it. To that end I’m sharing a Dilbert cartoon from August 7th, 2016 which is the day I’m writing this, but not the day i’m publishing it. -I like to keep a que.
What I like about this cartoon is that Dilbert So encapsulates the professional individual contributor in the middle season. Asok represents the young freshed face part of our career where we have high hopes and high expectations. Wally is the opposite. There is no hope so therefore there is no reason to try. In Wally’s world the best solution is to manipulate the system so that you can get what you want.
Dilbert, knows this but he can’t help himself from completely eradicating the hopeful Asok that lives inside him. If you read the cartoons, year after year Dilbert is always stuck in the middle of knowing what is the right way to move forward, wanting to do it, and being held back by the system. He has no team, and no real power to affect change. He’s simply surviving to the best of his ability and doing the best job he knows how to do. Because of this his life is always about frustration.
If you didn’t read this cartoon when it was first published, then I would recommend it. Then ask yourself. Are you more Boss, Wally, Asok, or Dilbert, or some other archetype? Then ask yourself, now that you have an idea of who you are, would you want to be something different?
Asok: I want a job I can enjoy.
Dilbert: You want to work for free?
Asok: No, I just want to get paid for doing things I want to do.
Dilbert: Perhaps you misunderstand the true nature of “work.” The reason your employer pays you is because work is unpleasant by its very nature. If the job were fun, the company would charge you a fee for letting you do it.
Boss: Asok, I need you to climb into the dumpster and find out what’s making it smell so bad.
Asok: At least I’m doing something useful.
Boss: No, it’s more of a curiosity situation.
Source: Dilbert Comic Strip on 2016-08-07 | Dilbert by Scott Adams
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