HR professionals are called upon to perform a variety of tasks, one of which is to counsel employees (and perhaps themselves) on performance metrics and career goals. So, along with sporadic watching of this year’s Olympics in Paris, I read with interest an insightful article by Derek Sivers titled “Think Like a Bronze Medalist, Not Silver.”
Gold, Silver, or Bronze? Better Vantage Point
A cognitive study shows Bronze medalists are happier than Gold medalists. Why? Well, Silver is so painful. You think to yourself, if only a fraction of a second faster, I would be the one standing in the middle. Full of envy, Silvers find themselves engaged in fruitless comparison to the Gold medalist. “Success is counted sweetest/ By those who ne’er succeed,” as Emily Dickinson lamented.
In his article, Sivers argues that instead of comparing yourself up to the next higher situation, compare down to the next lower one. He writes:
I’ve met a lot of famous musicians. The miserable ones were upset that they weren’t more famous, because they’d bitterly compare themselves to the superstars. . . . But most of the time, you need to be more grateful for what you’ve got, for how much worse it could have been, and how nice it is to have anything at all. Ambition versus gratitude. Comparing up versus comparing down.
Better Way
One of the great privileges of being a teacher is when a student comes back and says, “Thanks for the life lesson.” One lesson I impart comes from a wonderful book, 10 ½ Things No Commencement Speaker Has Ever Said, in which Charles Wheelan tells the story of his nerve-racking, knee-knocking appearance as a political commentator on live television.
Thirty seconds before the camera light blinks red “On Air,” the host turns to Wheelan and says, “Don’t worry about being great, just be solid.” Wheelan thinks to himself, “I can do that. I can be solid.” And he was. He advises that while we should try to be great, there are too many variables determining greatness, none of which we can control. But being solid? Now, that he could control. As with him, so with each of us. Be grateful for being in the race!
Michael P. Maslanka is a professor at the UNT-Dallas College of Law. You can reach him at michael.maslanka@untdallas.edu.