Multi-dimensional Identities
Earlier this week, my 6-year old daughter came to me with a playing card from a Loteria Bingo game. In celebration of the Hispanic Heritage Month, the card showed a picture grid of different professions in Spanish: Doctora (Doctor), La Compositora (Composer), Abogada (Lawyer), Cocinera (Chef). Excitedly, she said, “Mamma, I’m going to be a doctor, a chef and a painter.” My reflex reaction would have been to ask her how she’d find the time for them all, but then I stopped and smiled. If there’s ever been a time in history when people embracing multiple identities, blending passion with ambition, making dreams a reality with career choices, boldly and intentionally, its now.
The pandemic proved to be a catalyst in accelerating what people were already realizing was true: Life is short, possibilities are endless, we need to make each day count, the world is bursting with problems that need solutions and we can each make a difference. Its made us question what we accepted as status quo earlier — the meaningless humdrum of commute lasting hours, the chase for linear promotions, dissonance between personal and company values and the necessary choice between personal and professional passions.
It also let people lead lives they hadn’t previously imagined possible. Creating pitch decks and logos from a monasteries in the mountains. Having dinner and walking in the park every day with the kids. Starting a bakery. Fixing homes for friends and family. Gardening. Hiking. Painting after work. Cooking a fresh home-made meal with veggies from the backyard. Salesperson by day, photographer by evening, chef at night. Seeing the kids grow and not missing the firsts. Remote work has been a level setter — there are fairer opportunities to connect, advocate and promote — and less is dependent on who you hang out with after work for a drink, so why not use that time to pursue what truly makes you happy?
I started my career as a software engineer at Microsoft. Not knowing otherwise, I only saw one way to grow — upward — just like the lateral progression between grades/years in high-school and college. For the first few years, I focused on getting promoted from one level to the next. Till one day, one of the best managers I’ve had, Ricardo Venegas, asked me what my 360 goals were. That’s right. Not OKRs, not code quality, not titles. 360 goals — health, community, financial, family. It turned out to be one of the most thought-provoking exercises of my life, one I still remember vividly a decade later. Articulating these goals led me to seek change, embrace risk and optimize for learning over the following years. I learnt to be intentional about asking myself what skills I lacked in pursuing my dreams and sought out roles that let me build them. I made mistakes, learnt from them, dusted myself off and got back on the road. With every new adventure came new experiences, amazing mentors and lifelong friendships. Along the way, I married my best friend and biggest advocate, gave birth to two beautiful girls and traveled far and wide. I’ve laughed many laughs with friends and family, had many-a-shoulder to weep on when life didn’t feel fair and have created a canvas of everyday memories (quite literally one that prints to a Google photo-book). I’ve learnt to enjoy the present, seek out new horizons and connect the dots looking backward, in the aspects of life that matter most. To me.
The pandemic has done for working professionals around the world what the conversation with Ricardo did for me — pause, reflection and the spirit to decide and do. A year of more solitude and space than we’ve ever been used to has led to people seeking life’s meaning more often and in larger numbers. 4MM Americans quit their jobs in July 2021, with employees between 30–45 showing the greatest increase in resignations (+20% YoY). These are mid-career employees who have added responsibilities on family and life and who presumably delayed asking themselves life questions in the midst of life’s chaos.
The Great Resignation is here and is creating a job seeker’s market. The world’s workforce has far more choices, is bolder about embracing risk and is determined to find work that adds meaning to their life’s goals. Businesses that thrive will not just have a strong product market fit, wide adoption and massive scale. They will embrace these multi-dimensional identities and commit to nurturing the whole person — social, emotional and professional — in inclusive, value-driven environments. The definition of work and the workplace has changed, and its a change for the better.