Where's Your North Star?

You don't have to be an Astronomer to recognize the wisdom of the metaphorical North Star.

The North Star is the only star in the universe that stands still and lets the rest of the night sky revolve around it. Whenever you feel lost or confused and don't know how to get back home, all you have to do is remember to look for the North Star to point you in the right direction.

For one senior level executive (who was the first to coin the term in this context) the North Star represents the business issue. When he gets annoyed and/or enraged with one of his bosses or colleagues or direct reports, he reminds himself to look for the North Star. By that he means: "What is the business issue?"

This is his way of redirecting his attention toward the business problem that is embedded in the conflict and away from the politics of personalities. It keeps him on a more even keel and enables him to maintain his composure and professionalism.

While it's definitely better to work with people you like and respect, it's imperative to learn how to work cooperatively with all different kinds of people. While everyone professes to hate "office politics", office politics are part of organizational life. You can neutralize your attitude toward office politics by reframing the concept. It isn't just about "kissing up" to people who can help you; it is about building professional relationships that are constructive.

Whenever you find yourself over-reacting to some real or perceived slight, try asking yourself: Where is the North Star? What am I trying to accomplish here? And what is the best way to accomplish that goal?

For one executive who, at the moment, finds herself working in a very chaotic professional environment (that is constantly reorganizing itself), her goal is to keep her job. To do that, she needs to be part of the communication grapevine. But she also knows that malicious gossip won't help her accomplish that goal. Rather than caving into the temptation to join into the gossip, she focuses her attention on getting things done. Her goal is to be able to demonstrate her value through her accomplishments.

This is its own form of security. Should the time come when she wants or needs to find a new job, her skills and accomplishments will be her new North Star. She will be able to identify them clearly and use them to guide her safely to a new employment destination.

To do that, you must know your own Achilles heel(s) or weaknesses and strategize to overcome them. In a future blog, we will turn our attention to some effective and interesting ways you can do this. For now, it's enough to introduce the concept of the North Star as a guiding metaphor for a successful work life.