The late great American novelist Sinclair Lewis once said, “There are two insults which no human being will endure: the assertion that they haven’t a sense of humor, and the doubly impertinent assertion that they have never known trouble.” There’s a lot of wisdom and an element of truth in Sinclair’s statement. 

After having been in the ERP consulting space for more than three decades, you learn to spot patterns and tendencies that indicate that it is time for someone to hang it up. One is when a consultant becomes less than tolerant. Where they essentially become a curmudgeon. It’s like they have lost their sense of humor or ability to see the absurdity of a situation which inhibits their joy. It’s like they should have gotten out of the game a long time ago, but for whatever reason, they stick around, doing themselves and people they interact with a disservice. 
Let’s face it, to be good at anything, you need to have a great attitude, accompanied by an element of passion, and yes, a sense of humor. Basically, you need to get over yourself and not take everything so seriously, especially yourself. Lighten up. Have fun. Find your joy. Yes, at work. 

I had a great Holiday season this year. Probably the best I can remember. I was able to check all the proverbial family, friends, and spirit of the Holiday’s boxes. Then, here we are back to what some would call, “The grind.” Whenever I hear someone refer to their work as a grind, I call it out. That it’s negative speak. Plus, where’s the joy in the grind? Whenever I say this, it hits a disruptive nerve that seems to interrupt their pattern. 

At Globalstar we started back to work on January 6th refreshed and ready to embrace our 25th year. My week has been a series of strategic planning sessions as well as reuniting with my colleagues. After a couple days, I realized how much I had missed the greater purpose of my work and the level of fulfillment it brings. I have found that I have more of a bounce in my step and a quickness to laugh that I had been missing. Crazy huh? After all this time, I still love reuniting with my occupational purpose. When I think about having a sense of humor, it’s like common-sense dancing, just moving at a different speed.