Seth Godin recently surmised:
It feels safer to say that we’re born with talents and gifts, that we have a true calling, that we’re looking for what connects with our passion.
That’s not useful (because it means you spend a lot of time shopping around) but it’s also not true.
New research confirms that random choices lead to preferences, and then it follows that preferences lead to habits and habits lead us to become the person we somehow decide we were born to be.
So, if we’re not preprogramed to love a certain job, how do you find satisfaction in a career?
In short: If we commit to loving what we do, we’re more likely to find engagement and satisfaction. And if what we do changes, we can choose to love that too.
From a recruiting perspective, it’s a mistake to hire someone who is not willing to make a serious commitment to their career—both in general and in working with you.
You’re just sowing the seeds of dissatisfaction.
From a retention perspective, the agents who are struggling with dissatisfaction may be uncommitted or committed to the wrong things.
Fix the commitment issue and satisfaction will follow.
