The smallest
things matter - Is it possible to care too much?
February 24, 2006
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Stop worrying. Relax. Don’t concern yourself with
things you can’t change. Don’t sweat the small stuff. I bet
you have heard many of these phrases as you work through your high-tech
career. Someone is always telling you not to be so concerned with the
issues that surround you. Sometimes they even say that you care too much.
It is this caring, though, that raises you above the average employee.
It is this caring that helps improve your career and your company. I would
argue that it is this caring that makes your career worthwhile. Is it
possible to care too much about your work? For me, I think it’s
is a major pre-requisite for excelling in any career.
Sweating the small stuff
Several years ago I picked up the book Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
– and its all small stuff by Richard Carlson. It was, and remains,
a best seller and promises to help you stop worrying, reduce stress and
“bring out the best in yourself and others.” I read a lot
of business books, so this seemed a logical choice to pick up at my local
library. Little did I know that I would end up hurling the book across
the room in frustration and disgust only part way through.
For me, Don’t sweat the small stuff , presented an opinion 180 degrees
from my own beliefs on work and life. Its main message was to let go of
the small problems, as they aren’t worth worrying about. Surely,
I thought, the author must be joking. Is ignoring a problem really a solution?
Is giving up really an answer to life’s pressing problems? Is self-preservation
the only guideline? I couldn’t believe it, so I kept reading...until
I could read no further.
In one regard, the book was useful as it got me thinking. This is one
of my main criteria whenever I read any book. I started thinking about
how many problems in our society today are caused by just such a laissez-faire
attitude. Small issues fester and grow until they become large problems,
which take greater efforts, and more money, to address. Had we not ignored
the problems in the first place, we wouldn’t be in the position
of struggling to solve them now. The same can be said for your career.
Don’t ignore the small problems
Ignoring the small problems in your work is a sure way to limit your career,
if not destroy it altogether. While we all have big issues to deal with,
these small, perhaps chronic problems will haunt you. Don’t have
time for server maintenance? Expect a major, data-destroy crash. Don’t
have time to test your UPS battery backups? Expect to lose your entire
network during the next power failure. Don’t have time to upgrade
software? Expect a major virus outbreak. Don’t want to fire a bad
employee? Expect no end of trouble with everyone else in your department.
This isn’t “sweating the small stuff.” These tasks are
the basic reason for your employment. Ignoring any of these issues in
the guise of reducing your stress level is folly. You address issues by
facing them head-on. It is by solving issues that you gain control of
your work. It is by providing solutions that you gain a foothold in your
career. It is by caring, perhaps too much, that you build the best career
possible. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Don’t let anyone
accuse you of “caring too much.” More likely, they simply
don’t care enough about their work or their career. While they may
have decided to glide through their career, I challenge all of you to
accept the small problems as important stepping-stones and not traps to
be avoided. You need to care about these small problems in order to prevent
them from growing into large ones.
If you find that you have stopped caring about your work, it is a clear
sign that something is wrong. Feelings of futility are never a good sign.
You either need to find some foothold in your work that allows you to
reconnect with it or find another job, or another career. Otherwise, eventually,
someone is going to discover your lack of enthusiasm and more than likely,
they will “sweat the small stuff” and make a major career
decision for you.
Question of the week: What small things are you ignoring
in your career and what larger problems might they cause?
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