Career Advice: Ambition Is Just A Word Until You Act
By Ramon Greenwood
Ambition is a sanctified ideal in the folklore of successful
careers. Just the word - as in "She has always had a lot of
ambition" - evokes a degree of respect and admiration.
However, in practice, ambition is not inherently a good and a
positive force. Ambition may be embraced or ignored; used or
abused. It can even become an excuse for failure. It all depends
on how it is employed.
True ambition is not dreaming and talking about what you want to
achieve. Ambition is knowing where you want to go, how to get
there, and doing what it takes to reach the goal. The key is to
combine ambition, which means desire, with initiative, which
means action.
There are lessons to be learned from the way Harry K. managed
his ambitions.
Harry had been in his job less than one year, but he was already
restless and frustrated by what he saw as his lack of progress.
"I am ambitious," he told everyone who would listen to his
complaining. "I will be a success, but I'll never make it doing
little insignificant things day in and day out. I could do a lot
more; they just won't give me a chance."
Harry Had Potential, But...
Joe, his supervisor, believed Harry had the potential to
succeed, but knew he was underperforming and creating a problem
for the entire staff with his constant complaining.
Joe called the young man in for a performance evaluation. The
meeting soon turned into a confrontation when Harry began to
push his case within a few minutes.
"I am still doing the same old things. I know I'm paid less than
the others in the department. It's just not fair," he began,
ignoring the compliments he had been handed at the beginning of
the conference.
"Harry, you have been with us for only eleven months," Joe
replied. "You are the newest salesman; everyone else has been
here at least three years. They've worked their way up the
ladder.
"You are making reasonable progress, but, let's face it, you are
still short on experience. Give it a little time."
Joe complimented Harry again and went on to suggest that his
work habits needed some improvement.
"Harry, you are late most mornings, and you are out of here
right at five o'clock. And, frankly, I think you could improve
your performance by devoting a little time at nights and on
weekends to learning more about your job."
"You are not being fair," Harry bristled. "The company is not
paying me as much as it pays the rest of you. I work the hours
you pay me for. Sure, I know you and the others stay late, but I
don't have anything to do; and besides, as I told you, I am not
married to this company. You pay me and I will show you what I
can do."
Harry went on to spell out his expectations. "I'm on the fast
track. I expect to be a Group Manager in six months. I just
can't wait around forever."
Joe saw the discussion was dead-ending, but he still believed
Harry had potential. He made what he thought was a fair offer.
"Let's speed up your learning curve. Work with Bill Davis as his
assistant. You will gain a lot from his experience. We'll also
provide you with some special training. However, I can't give
you a raise now, since our budgets are frozen; but if you do as
well as I know you can, I promise you'll get an increase in
three months."
"That's not fair," Harry charged. "Everyone in the department
knows Bill is past his prime. He is worn out. I would be running
his errands. I don't think that is much of a promotion,
certainly not what I deserve."
Harry never recovered from that discussion in the eyes of his
supervisor and the department head. He soon left the company.
Unfortunately, Harry never learned the real meaning of ambition.
He used his stated ambitions as an excuse for his failures,
telling everyone things hadn't worked out with various employers
because he was "too ambitious to wait around to be promoted."
The lesson here is simple. Ambition is nothing more than a word
until it is coupled with commitment and action.
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