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" The opinion that was shared stated, "...
that whenever you are working for someone else, you can never 'man up.
' You need the income from that job.
Take the risk and create your own enterprise.
" My response was as follows.
"...
I have found it more prudent to prepare for a move rather than just walking away.
I have learned to 'play my position' until I am able to create my own position.
" Today, I am expounding on this response.
I feel it was not adequate.
For example, what does playing your position mean? Recently I was going over the "Golden Rule".
As a refresher, the Golden Rule is taken from the book of Mathew in the New Testament of the Christian Holy Bible.
It essentially states, "Do unto to others as you would have them do unto you.
" When I re-read this rule, for the first time, something jumped out at me.
What if the Golden Rule was stated as, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you; if you were in their shoes?" That opened a whole new level of understanding for me and may point out one of the biggest challenges military may have in transitioning; particularly those who have grown accustomed to being in command.
As I have often written about leadership and being in leadership roles, I have also written how for years I would bounce from one job to another.
Many times I have jumped when I had become in a situation where I was no longer in alignment with those I was working for.
I justified my becoming out of alignment as, "being able to see the big picture and remaining loyal to sound leadership and business principles.
" I did and do feel this way, but I also now believe that the chief cause can be described as being hard-headed, arrogant and maybe even insubordinate.
Ouch! This is not an easy thing to admit, especially coming from a military (UCMJ) background.
When I applied my new understanding of the Golden Rule, I realized that those times when I thought I was being a responsible leader, in fact I was openly and publicly questioning my chain of command.
This is something I would have never tolerated as an officer of Marines but yet, coming from my perspective of being one who understood and behaved according to my understanding of intent, I was doing exactly that.
I was insisting on being right.
To many of you service members who are finding it difficult to adapt in the civilian workforce, I will suggest you look at how you are responding to civilian management/leadership.
The problems that you may be experiencing may be a direct result of not playing your position.
Here's what playing your position means.
Once you have been provided instruction, I believe it is important that you muster the courage (man up) to state your position; whether for or against.
However, once the time has come when discussion has concluded it is time for you to enthusiastically get in alignment.
If you cannot, it is time to move on.
Play your position.
If you do not, there is one thing I can guarantee.
You will be unhappy.
What is the point of spending anywhere from 40 to 50 hours a week being unhappy.
To me there is no point.
So playing your position can be stated as, "Whenever you find yourself at odds at work or in any relationship, don't over-estimate yourself and don't under-estimate others - don't insist on being right.
Place yourself in the other person's shoes then decide how you respond and behave.
" By doing so you may find harmony.
In my experience, harmony leads to happiness.
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