Some people have an inner desire that drives them to explore their limits to achieve their personal definition of success. There are many examples throughout history of individuals who achieved real success and whose legacies endure for the benefit of all. In a Harvard Business Review article described later, Robert Kaplan examines why many high achieving people feel dissatisfied and unfulfilled, and how each of us must determine our own definition of success, rather than simply going along with what others' definitions. Motivation is internal energy, and achieving a goal important to you is the result of commitment and the desire to succeed. From internal motivation, you gain the willingness to persevere, to endure discomfort and stress, and to make sacrifices with your time and energy in your pursuit of your chosen goal.

For myself, this past year, I took on the challenge of exploring my limits and being with others who were exploring their limits by participating as an athlete and as a member of a team in the Ultraman Canada Triathlon Championships [www.ultramancanada.com]. This is a very demanding invitational-only ultra-endurance athletic event, traversing 512.6 kilometers (10 km open water swim; 418.3 km bike, 84.3 km run), completed over three days. Personal resources —  mental, physical and spiritual — are shared in an atmosphere where every participant is a winner and where the pursuit of human excellence is the fundamental rule of the road.

Why was this such an important goal to me and why was I willing to make sacrifices in order to pursue it, particularly when there was no guarantee of finishing? To make a long story short, in my early years I was a total klutz when it came to athletics. Weak and uncoordinated, I was always the last to be chosen as a team member in school. As I got older, I wanted to grow as a person, and to push myself to places that I had never been before — both physically and mentally. I also wanted to pursue passions different from those that we traditionally seek from employment, and that would transcend employers. Seeking out others who believed in me, choosing a goal, and making achievement of that goal a priority in my life, avoiding the temptation to stop, and ignoring those who said that it would never happen, were critical factors in the pursuit of this goal.

My ultra-day began at 07:00 on 31 August, and my ultra-moment occurred at 18:28:51, when I crossed the finish line, completing the 273.5 km Day 2 bike segment of Ultraman Canada — my contribution as one member of a three person relay team. This was my ultra-moment,  and a defining moment in my life… and, yes, the hard work and sacrifices were worth it.

You too can have your personal ultra-moment. What do you define as a successful and fulfilling life? Check out Robert Kaplan’s article. Go for it!

Other Bytes

Here are some of the things going on in and around the engineering community:

• What does success mean to you? In “Reaching Your Potential” [Harvard Business Review,86(7/8), pp. 45-49, July-August 2008, www.hbr.com] Robert Kaplan examines why many high achieving people feel dissatisfied and unfulfilled. Some even feel trapped by their jobs and wished that they had chosen a different career altogether. The goal, as the author views it, is not necessarily about advancing to the top of the organization, but rather, looking at how you define success and then finding your own path to satisfaction and fulfillment. Understanding yourself, seeking honest feedback from others about your strengths and weaknesses, determining what you truly enjoy doing and what you are good at are some of the steps towards achieving real success. Managing your career is your responsibility. You need to take ownership and assume control of your life; do not go along with other people’s definition of success. As the author concludes: “those that courageously identify their dreams and develop the skills to realize them will find fulfillment — even if they hit bumps along the way.”

• According to the National Alliance for Care Giving [www.caregiving.org], more than 44 million Americans provide elder care for adult family members, and more than half of these caregivers are also employed. It is challenging for the caregiver to help elderly dependents, and to carry out responsibilities to their employer. In “Elder Care at Work” [HR Magazine, 53(9), pp. 111-118, September 2008, www.shrm.org/hrmagazine], Pamela Babcock discusses how some employers are making a business case for helping employees with their sudden, short-term elder care needs. The provision of elder care benefits to employees is also seen to be beneficial to the employer by reducing productivity losses, keeping employees' careers on track and bolstering loyalty and retention. Babcock provides examples of where such programs have been implemented.

• New products, new technologies and new initiatives offer exciting opportunities, coupled with the necessity of organizational change. Many organizations still do not understand the necessity of involving the people who will be affected by the change, helping them understand the importance of the proposed change, and giving them time to make the transition. In “Controlling the Perils of Change” [Training and Development, 62(9), pp. 38-43, September 2008, www.astd.org/TD], Merry Lee Olson discusses the views of change experts, who suggest that issues influencing acceptance of change are not only predictable but manageable. An excellent, reader-friendly, concise article that provides you with valuable strategies for implementing change.

• Today’s work environment is technology-enabled. Technology is assuming an important role in supporting project managers in effectively and efficiently managing projects . Vittal Anantatmula, in “The Role of Technology in the Project Manager Performance Model” [Project Management Journal, 39(1), pp. 34-48, March 2008, www.pmi.org], provides the results of his research into developing a model using interpretive structural modeling methodology, which was used to understand the supportive role that technology can provide the project manager for improving project performance.

• When committing to development of a facility in an emerging economy you should make sure that you work with the right standards and measures to match work force strengths with organizational needs. The workers must be able to get the job done. In “Evaluate Work Forces in Emerging Economies” [HR Magazine, 53(9), pp. 64-70, September 2008, www.shrm.org/hrmagazine], Damien DeLuca and Han Hu provide insights on evaluating the work force in emerging economies. You must carefully assess the country’s stage of emergence and determine whether it aligns with business needs.

• Pixar has a unique track record for producing technological and artistic breakthroughs. Creativity requires a large number of people from different disciplines working effectively together to solve unforeseeable problems. In “How Pixar Fosters Creativity” [Harvard Business Review, 86(9), pp. 64-72, September 2008, www.hbr.com], Ed Catmull discusses how the film studio Pixar fosters collective creativity. Strategies discussed include: placing the creative authority for product development firmly in the hands of the project leaders rather than corporate executives; building a culture and processes that encourage people to share their work-in-progress and support one another as peers; and dismantling the natural barriers that divide disciplines. Operating principles include: “1.everyone must have the freedom to communicate with anyone; 2. it must be safe for everyone to offer ideas; and 3. we must stay close to innovations happening in the academic community.”

• In a troubled economy, cutbacks and hiring freezes are routine. This is an unavoidable product of the business cycle. In “How to Protect Your Job in a Recession” [Harvard Business Review, 86(9), pp. 113-116, September 2008, www.hbr.com], Janet Banks and Diane Coutu discuss actions that you can take to make sure that you retain your job as the economy softens. Congeniality, versatility and looking to the future by focusing on customers are key factors. Topics discussed include “act like a survivor”; “give your leaders hope”; and “being a good corporate citizen.”

• The Center for Worklife Policy [www.worklifepolicy.org] published a report, “The Athena Factor: Reversing the Brain Drain in Science, Engineering and Technology: Where are all the Women?” This report provides quantifiable metrics on women leaving science, engineering and technology careers, the costs associated with those losses, and the business case for retaining skilled and experienced female employees. Innovations that support the entire work force build a strong and successful workplace. Jennifer Salopek, in “Retaining Women” [Training and Development, 62(9), pp. 24-27, September 2008, www.astd.org/TD], discusses new ways to attract and retain female employees. Salopek covers strategies and programs that organizations can use to support female employees and that are beneficial to the entire organization.

E-mail this page to a friend Tell us what you thought of this article