Dean Michael Berris

One of the things that cause me to get excited and in the mood to do something is a challenge. I cannot turn down an interesting challenge especially if I think I'll learn a lot of things while tackling the challenge. Definitely when dealing with a challenge I am DOA -- Daring, Observant, and Active. But there's more to a challenge than just the challenge, it's the high of being able to meet the challenge -- and the high of just being challenged. In recent years I found out that once I'm no longer challenged I find myself in an uneasy state, perhaps not ready to rest easy because I'm not solving someone else's problems (or my own problems). And boy am I faced with a challenge this time.

The challenge is by no means simple but I don't intend to write about the challenge. What I do intend to write about is the high I feel when thinking about the possible solutions and the execution of the actual solution. It's no secret that I'm a workaholic -- which I'm trying to temper now that I've recently changed my status -- and I think I'm starting to find out what it is about what I do that I am addicted to. I thought it was all about the kind of challenge I was facing (that it had something to do with the field and profession I've chosen) but I think there's more to it than that.

Not so long ago I thought I wasn't stressed out because I was doing what I wanted to do, I was my own man, and that I was moving my way up (so to speak). What I have been able to achieve are things I can be proud of, but those were mere offshoots of the challenges I was willing to face. What brought me to where I am now is not just a matter of skill and determination, a lot of it was also because of being daring and being at the right place at the right time. What I have uncovered too is that I (and a lot of other people I know) have a grand vision not only for myself but for things that are way bigger than me.

Ever since I moved jobs (that's another blog entry on itself) I've been sleeping better, eating better (my wife would say I was eating more, but that's a semantic difference I'm willing to ignore), and best of all am able to smile. Not so long ago I've been happy to be able to propose solutions and hope my proposal would be considered; and maybe at some point later in time the solution might be implemented by me or by someone else. Now that I've been given a chance to actually define what solution should be employed and then have a hand at executing it and "owning" that solution, there was something inside of me that just came out and said "YES".

For a time I was -- I hate this word -- complacent of being the person who can do it (or who did do it). Now I think I'm at home with the thought of being the person who will do it. For the first time in a long time it doesn't matter to me if I can do it, what matters is that I have committed to doing it -- it being meeting the challenge. There's a big difference when you're confident that you can do something compared to when you're committed to doing something. It's a matter of conviction: one thing I wasn't given a chance to have before, or something that didn't really matter.

This time around I am working with people who know how to communicate -- and do it effectively. For a long time already I've been in situations where I either had to guess what someone I was talking to was thinking, what other agendas this person has, or whether he even treats me seriously. Where I am at right now, everybody's input is weighed, considered, and a consensus eventually forms not because there has to be one but because the communication process enables one to form. That feeling of being respected and valued as a person is definitely something you do not forget anytime soon.

Working relationships didn't usually matter to me some time ago. I relied on my skills, knowledge, and patience to be able to get my point across and hope that something happens because of it. It was always me trying to push to get my point across because for a long time I had to deal with people who would talk rather than listen -- I don't blame them though, it's easier to talk than it is to listen. It hadn't occurred to me until recently that the only people worth listening to are those who actually would take time to listen to you too. One thing I sorely missed and wanted to keep having is an environment where everyone learned from everyone and that listening was the first thing you did before you even talk.

In the end I think I've been put in a position where I am able to lead instead of be a reluctant follower -- be in a position to define the vision of a solution and lead during its execution. It seems that I really would like to be in this position where I can lead an effort rather than be the outcast radical who would just pitch ideas for change. I also think the timing is so right for my shift in roles and duties at a time when I'm thinking of being able to scale my capabilities outside of just myself.

One last thing I'm willing to share about what I've learned so far is that apparently the environment you're in and the relationships you make and keep matter when you intend to be successful. If you're in an environment where you're constantly neglected, treated as a means to achieve a goal, or told what to do instead of being asked to contribute to success, then maybe you should think about whether you really want to be where you're at right now. If you're a leader or manager and that's how you look at the people you're leading or managing then I think you have to rethink your ways.

Final thought would be: I found that what makes me effective and happy at the same time is a combination of what comes from within and what's given to you from without. If you could just change how you look at things and change your situation so that you can achieve a natural high, wouldn't you do it too?