Can Wanting to Do Excellent Work Keep You From "Climbing the Ladder?"

“If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.” I don’t know that anyone’s ever actually said that to me, but somewhere along the line I picked up that message and it’s one of my core values. I don’t like doing anything halfway or leaving anything unfinished, usually to the point that I obsess over whatever my current project is until it’s complete (then I move on to the next one). And I take a lot of pride in the quality of my work. I don’t like taking shortcuts even if no one will be able to tell from the finished product and I can be very particular about details that I think matter (some of you might remember the measuring tape when you recently helped me place my carpet and table). I don’t want to specialize in becoming an absolute expert at any one thing, but I try to do everything I choose to do with excellence.

I also place a high value on teamwork. One of the reasons I’m so happy with my place of work is that it’s an environment that encourages excellence and we are all better because of each other. I’ve had some awesome team experiences, both at this job and otherwise, where we accomplished so much more than I ever would have been able to on my own. I’ve also figured out that I enjoy almost any work more as part of a group or team and that I don’t want to freelance or work in isolation.

The thing I’d known under the surface but not fully grasped or articulated, though, is that sometimes those two values are in conflict. If I don’t trust my teammates to provide the level of excellence I demand of myself, I’d rather do it alone. And if my ability to fully accomplish my goals is dependent upon someone else, I’d rather not take the risk. I hate with a passion missing a deadline, doing shoddy work, or looking incompetent due to my dependence on someone else who didn’t come through. If I’m in a situation where my ability to do my job depends on you, you’d better come through for me or I’ll be looking for ways to change that situation.

Like I said, this isn’t any great epiphany because even elementary kids know this when forced to do group work in school, but I hadn’t realized how much it affected my work habits until I really started thinking about it today. Being part of a large organization, I often have the opportunity to participate in system-wide efforts. On an unconscious level, though, I think I’ve avoided risking that as much as possible, instead keeping my head low and focusing on my own work. I also think the dynamic has played a major role in my desire to never be in a supervisory position, because my ability to excel in my job will be directly dependent on the people I supervise, and that’s just too much I don’t have direct control over. I imagine happy supervisors must have learned to let go of this hang-up and I won’t be one of them unless I can do the same (not that I’m trying because I love what I do; but it helps me understand why I resist the notion on top of that).