A few years ago, I had an incredible time teaching management skills to a group of engineers in Canada.
One of the things I noticed in the engineers was the pride they took in the little silver pinky rings on their fingers. As they explained, the ring comes from the Ritual of the Calling of the Engineer. In this ritual, an engineer wears an iron ring on the pinky to symbolize pride in the profession but maintaining a humility to serve others.
In my travels, I’ve come across two kinds of people. Those who take pride in whatever they do, and those who simply go through the motions. I’ve spoken to a Marine who bragged about how important his job was, carrying the tripod to a weapon and then I’ve chatted with professionals who do little more than complain about every aspect of the job.
Which are you?
It seems to me that if you’re going to be in a profession, it wouldn’t hurt to pick something you could be proud of. After all, we spend the better part of our finest hours at work. I’m not saying we should live to work, but if we’re going to be working, how about taking pride in it? Imagine what would happen if everybody did:
- Gate agents for airlines would make it their personal responsibility to make sure you made flight connections.
- Mail would be delivered to the correct addressee every time.
- The person at the drive-through window of a fast food joint would personally inspect your bag to make sure your order was correct.
- Telecommuters would truly “work from home.”
I already thoroughly enjoy my profession so taking pride comes easier but I’m really going to examine my attitude towards it this week and make sure it’s correct. Why not do the same for yourself?
