Professional Goals Culture Can Be Toxic

 

On social media, an acquaintance remarked that they were recently questioned about their professional goals and that they don't really have any. They said it felt strange for them to admit that out loud. I have to say, I don't have major professional goals beyond paying my bills.

Professional Goals Culture: Can Be Toxic

I have experienced how organizations that equate the love of a job with being able to do that job can be toxic. I have also seen the toxic side of pushing people up the chain of command when they were not ready or interested. If someone loves their job, they may go above and beyond, but such love should not be an expectation of all employees. In addition, there are plenty of things I love that I would not be good at doing.

For example, at one point, I worked at a grocery store at the deli counter. My ability to slice deli meat and show up for my scheduled shifts had no relation to my love of the job. I lasted 3 years in that role. I cycled through three different team leaders and store managers in that same period of time. 

Since I showed up when scheduled and did my assigned duties, there was pressure for me to apply for leadership roles. However, I was aware of the dysfunctional leadership in my department. In addition, if I were in charge, I'd have to deal with far more customers. I was usually praised for how I responded to customers (since, in retrospect, I scripted my encounters), but I was actually masking. 

I didn't want the extra stress and less flexibility in my schedule for what would have amounted to an extra dollar per hour. While I can now explain that a leadership role would have overstimulated me and had an adverse impact on my mental and physical health, at the time, I simply refused to apply for leadership positions. 

Professional Goals Culture: Can Be Ableist

Professional goals can also be ableist. I am autistic and have struggled with my mental health. Sometimes my goals are to get up and do the dishes that have collected in my room, or do a load of laundry, or respond to one email that has become an "impossible task."

Pushing individuals, who are in positions that give them the flexibility and work-life balance they need, into leadership is ableist. If someone has the spoons to do freelance or part-time work, it does not mean they have the spoons to run a department or organization. 

Finally, it can be ableist for anyone who prefers what others consider basic tasks. If someone really likes updating Excel sheets, putting food on shelves, or working a few days a week, they are still living up to their potential. 

How Can Professional Goals Be Reframed?

A professional goal could be framed as a goal for the organization; for example, providing noise-canceling headphones so that an employee can focus, or having a goal of cutting the number of meetings by a third. This would get closer to the intention of asking such questions: How can employees thrive in their roles? How can employees help the organization's bottom line?