The path to self-realization in the workplace – a journey not taken

It is worth noting that the social economic landscape in Tanzania has changed, but have the rules for survival changed also or just the environment in which we choose, oh sorry; we are forced to survive in.

Over the last 15 or so years, young job seekers have been hit by the grim realities that sometimes color the employment arena: endless job searches, work dissatisfaction, job insecurity, work overload, underpay and the list is seemingly endless.

Cries often denouncing the ‘system’ seeping through the corridors of both the formal and informal sector are relentless. But how much do we know about ‘the survival game’ to make a call to begin with? Are our views across the board or personal spits originating from the resentment we have over the situations we find ourselves in? Arguably a discussion along these lines is long and not likely to add much value to your personal plight and may outright diminish the read value of this article.

Let me begin with a dry overview of the basics (don’t fret as this will only take two sentences, ok three sentences).

In economics and business alike, it has been established that there are four production factors: labor, land, capital, and entrepreneurship. Depending on which scholar you are talking to, the entrepreneur takes the risks and reaps the rewards of employing and organizing the other factors of production to achieve an objective, be it, social, economic, political and so on. This is a fundamental truth that will save this author hundreds of pages if you, the reader, have understood its underlying meaning…

Entrepreneurship has, from a scholarly perspective and in the greater political arena, been limited to a proprietary concept relevant only to those seeking to do business. Hence, we preclude that everybody else without ‘entrepreneurial’

capabilities is by default a laborer, to be organized to achieve objectives set by others. As a result, those of us who are employed are actually ‘made to order’! Those who are employed are referred to as servants, slaving away for their almighty master – the employer. This makes employment quite disheartening and one cannot help but sympathize with those of us who resort to back office bad mouthing of the system as our only source of consolation. But to what extent are we to blame?

To begin with, if one assumes that entrepreneurship is for those who own or run businesses alone, then this is the first area of improvement. Entrepreneurship is a survival technique in a dynamic environment and is a clear reflection of the human nature that defines us. We all, arguably, have a desire to be masters of our environment, which would entail organizing other factors of production to achieve our objectives. So why would we compromise this when we are employed or seeking a job?

Life, in general, is a self-realization path; a journey that we often not taken. The things we do (work, relations and so on) help us to realize our potential in life. A critical determinant of being able to master our environment is being able to set clear life objectives for ourselves so that we can make decisions that are reflective of our long term intentions and not necessarily limited to the situations we are in at any point in time.

You may not have the right job, but it may be what you need to get the next job. As a result, don’t just look at the job you have, look further at the career you want to develop. A career path, not only ensures you a salary at the end of the month, but also work fulfillment, in that, you will also be able to realize your potential in life.

As one scholar argued, those who are assertive and attentive in equal share are more likely to harness success. Identify clearly what you want out of your career or life progression and asses how your current or any future job builds on this. Understand the dynamics of the environment; what is possible and what is not possible in the context of the environment.

Understanding the environment enables us to be objective. We may realize that we do not have what it takes for a job or the employer is not worth working for. Our needs and abilities may not match with our current or prospective employer’s needs and abilities. Loosing in a battle does not merit forfeiting the war; just find it in yourself to re-organize and re-enforce yourself based on the feedback you derive from the environment. Once you have done this, be assertive enough to drive your agenda, even if it entails driving it elsewhere…

Our inability to make our jobs work for us, is just as much a reflection of our lack of understanding of what it is we want and what sacrifices we are willing to take as a result. In this way, our dissatisfaction with the work we do is just as much a reflection of the employer as it is a reflection of us – the employee.