Page 38 - Make Work Great

You . . . as the Seed

likely lack the time, energy, influence, and knowledge of the intrica-
cies of others’ work to bring such a plan to fruition. You already
have a job, and such a quest-as-side-project is a recipe for failure and
disillusionment.
The approach we will take in this book is more moderate. You
begin this minute with a seed crystal that contains you and only you.
In this section we will strengthen that platform—in other words,
we’ll make sure that, as the nucleus of your crystal, you have created
an individual version of the structure you would like to replicate.
Then we’ll go on to build from there. In the meantime, as you begin
to think of yourself as a crystal builder, remember the following four
simple guidelines that defi ne our special type of moderation.

Don’t Jeopardize Your Career
No model for successful organizational change on any scale suggests
that it should be spearheaded by someone who is incompetent. What-
ever else you do as a result of reading this book, keep doing your job
well, and keep your workplace relationships as positive as possible.
We will discuss ways of doing this in future chapters; many other
resources exist that can help.* Even if you decide to abandon your
current employer and seek a new position elsewhere, conduct your
transition professionally and in an orderly fashion. To create a stable
cultural crystal, you must be competent, and you must be seen as
competent. If you interpret anything presented in this book as an
invitation to do otherwise, you have misunderstood.

Don’t Compromise Your Ethics
There are many good reasons to remain honest and ethical in the
workplace; some of the best are addressed in works of philosophy

*While fully acknowledging my obvious bias, I humbly offer one: Four Secrets to Liking Your Work
by Muzio, Fisher, and Thomas (FT Press, 2008). In this book my coauthors and I endeavored to get
very specifi c about how to perceive the needs and tendencies of those around you and adjust accord-
ingly to maximize both productivity and enjoyment in workplace relationships (see www.LikeWork
Again.com for more information).

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