Last week I talked about the traits of great trainers. This week I want to continue with that theme. I just finished reading the book The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor and I will be adding it to my recommended reading list. In the book Achor talks about research done by Yale psychologist Amy Wrzesniewski who has discovered that people have one of three “work orientations” or mindsets about their work. People either see it as a Job, a Career or a Calling.
Job
- See work as a chore.
- Pay check as a reward.
- Work because they have to.
- Work to advance and succeed.
- Invested in their work.
- Want to do well.
- View work as an end in itself.
- Find work more rewarding.
- Work harder and longer.
- Fulfilled not by external reward, but because their work contributes to the greater good, draws on their personal strengths,and gives their life meaning and purpose.
I believe there are some good trainers who see training as a career. They work hard and want to do a good job. Training is an opportunity to do well and succeed and advance in their law enforcement career.
I believe that great trainers however, consider training as a calling.
Which of these three is your “work orientation”?
If training for you is just a job, get out of training and move on to something else. Training is too important to be ‘a job’.
If training is a career, great. Give all you have to it while you are there. You can make a positive impact on your people and your organization and in the process you will grow.
If training is a calling, then I want to thank you and encourage you to keep living the dream and living your passion. Know that you make a difference.
Take care.
Brian Willis
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