The Power of Positive Four Letter Words in the New Work World
Recently I was driving to Mass, and the sign in front of the church really grabbed me:
“TRY SOME OF THESE 4-LETTER WORDS:
LOVE, HELP, GIVE, CARE.”
I smiled, thinking how so many things these days — overall but especially in the recruiting sector in what I call the New Work World — perhaps bring different four-letter words to mind. But then I got to thinking that if we implemented the mindset that the words on the sign mentioned, perhaps better days could be in our future. And then I thought about trees and how they bend!
Sometimes objects in nature seem to call me to ponder their meaning and the metaphors we can draw from them. When I saw the sign in front of big trees swaying in the wind, I wondered: How does the symbolism of trees relate to the New Work World? A quote by the French writer Victor Hugo speaks to the changes and challenges we are all facing:
“Do like trees: change the leaves, but keep the roots. So, change your ideas, but keep your principles.”
As a recruiter for many years, I see many challenges for both employers and employees in the New Work World. Employers all over the globe are dealing with changes in business, as well as trying to fill new positions post-Covid amid unprecedented talent shortages. And candidates and employees post-Covid are scratching their heads, asking themselves why they are not getting offers or, if they have jobs, why they feel so unfulfilled and what they can do to have a career that better aligns with who they are and what they really enjoy.
Through the ages, trees have been noted for their strength and ability to survive difficult elements. Also, many parallels have been drawn between trees and humans’ characteristics and abilities.
Let's investigate how we can incorporate the words on the sign at the church and the words of Hugo in the context of the New Work World. Let's explore how the age-old symbolism of the tree and a positive mindset might have present-day meaning and allow us, both employers and employees, to overcome challenges.
1. Love Yourself Enough to Know You Can Bend and Change
The tree can symbolize one’s individuality, as trees are all unique with their branches sprouting differently at the base. A wide variety of current challenges can teach us to look deep within at who we are and evaluate how our life could have deeper meaning. Even if we have had to face some downtime — whether because of losing a job, losing a partner or making a change by choice — finding ourselves more alone affords us an opportunity to honor and nourish our unique talents and abilities, allowing us to become a better version of ourselves. By branching out and expanding those talents, we can root ourselves in personal fulfillment and growth for our and the company’s greater good.
2. Care Deeply to Change the Leaves But Keep the Roots
No matter how many changes try to disrupt our vision of our core, we need to change the leaves but keep the roots. This is the time to focus on allowing the roots of who we are, or who we can be, dig deep into the earth of our soul and not be shaken by job losses, not being able to check all the boxes on a job order of prerequisites or having to be more flexible on candidate requirements. The people who remain grounded through the many challenges of life will be recognized by bosses, peers and family as pillars of strength, with their determination to persevere, which will serve them well in the future. I’ll put it another way: As a gal from the Midwest accustomed to seeing leaves turn color this time of year, I suggest changing your own colors of success, if you will, to be in alignment with the New Work World. Be open to shedding those old leaves, aka ways of thinking, and be excited about the new growth that awaits.
3. Give Yourself Permission To Turn Over a New Leaf
If you tend to hold on to negatives or complain about what has happened — maybe you lost your job, or a friend or partner moved on — now is the time to see how you can make lemonade out of lemons. For example, if you have been a buyer in the retail industry, how can you transfer those skills and refine the keywords on your résumé to make you a marketable candidate in a new industry? Look at your transferrable skills and how you can package them in an honest and true way to fit the algorithms of today’s digital world to get your résumé selected for that interview. If you are an employer, how can you become more flexible in your requirements to consider a person who doesn't have every single requirement on the job order but has the passion, determination and proven track record of success in previous situations? Or how can you not let a big change in your life make you bitter and instead demonstrate gratitude in order to start over on a new life path?
4. Help Yourself and Others to Continue to Grow
We all need to keep growing. And volunteering or helping a friend or co-worker with that challenging project could pay big dividends. If in your company you are seen as a person who tries to help others or goes the extra mile, people take notice, and promotions can surround those efforts. Additionally, sometimes being forced out of our comfort zone is sometimes what we need for growth to take place in a new direction. The key is to never stop growing and adapting. We can get so comfortable in a role we’ve had for years that we stagnate. For the duration of this year and next year, look at helping yourself and others as a new lease on life to expand who you are and meet new and exciting people who can make your life more fulfilling and enriching.
I’m so happy I saw that sign in front of the church I attend with the trees blowing in the background. Consider how you can bend your mindset like a tree to get rid of the negative four-letter words and replace them with “LOVE,” “HELP,” “GIVE” and “CARE” going forward.
You have an opportunity now, like the tree, to branch out and grow in ways that you could never have imagined!
