Are you enjoying your work?

To a lot of people (at the gym) I am a superstar since I can run on the treadmill at 10.5km or sometimes 11.5km per hour (equivalent of 6.2-7 miles an hour) for a sustained period of 45 minutes or 1 hour and even guys look at me like I have some super power. So I usually y get the question: “Are you an athlete?” “Do you run for a living?” “Do you run the marathon?” Recently, there is this guy that I meet each Thursday evening about 5.30 pm when I come into the gym (it seems he is always coming in about 5 pm because typically he would have ‘crawled’ for about 30 mins before I get on the treadmill by his side). On this Thursday evening, he decided to find out something about me, first he was curious if I work and I said I do (I normally put “don’t disturb me” face when I am on the treadmill because for me it is serious business and not a play time). I never understand the group who come into the gym or get on the machine to make conversation. It always seems to me that they are wasting time and it really irritates me. I do not expect everyone to run a marathon on the treadmill but even if you want to walk, walk like you have bones and that you came to the gym to exercise not to look and prance around.

Anyway,(God I wish I can write without digressing ) on this Thursday, this tall gentleman who crawls (because that is how it seems to me). How can a tall man of almost 6 feet and young be walking on less than 5km per hour? It always seems de-motivating watching him or seeing him on the next machine. If you work out, you will agree that the next person somehow affects you, so you kind of try to set the tone. But I have found out that when everyone is running and steps are up and down at the same time, the time just flies and calories disappear effortlessly. This man anyway, decided that my hard face will not put him off and I heard him ask if I want to use the machine he was on, I though that was nice because that particular machine is the best for running but truly if I miss getting on it, I just carry on with anyone that is available. I thanked him and moved to the good running treadmill and I guess that opened the door for him to talk to me. Next he said, what work do you do? To start with I did not know how to answer that kind of question. I am used hearing “What do you do? But not really “What work do you do?” So I sought clarification and asked “You mean like my profession?” He said ‘yes’. I said “I am an HR professional” and he said “HR?” “You mean Human Resources?” I was going to say “what else is HR dummy?” But I did not blurt it out, so I said “Yes Human Resources” and I wanted that to be the end of the conversation. So I increased the speed and truly at that speed talking is out of it.

However, this man ( I will not call him a gentleman anymore because a gentleman will leave me alone on my machine and though he gave up the machine for me, he should at least let me concentrate on my workout) will not stop, then came the next question: “Where do you work?” I said “XYZ company” and went further to clarify because the name of the company is very deceptive. Everyone always thinks it has something to do with oil and gas but I am always quick to say, no it is an investment company. So I told Mr. inquisitive that it is an investment company. Another guy on the third treadmill then looked up I guess from the tone of my voice to find out if everything is ok. I am running at this fast pace and this man is still asking me questions and I am torn between ignoring him which will pass as rudeness and answering him which is really inconveniencing since I am not walking or crawling like him.

Mr. Inquisitive still would not let go, and then he said “so you do HR in an investment company” and I said “yes”. Then came the bombshell, “Do you like your work?” I thought this must be the height of it. How dare you ask me such a question. In the first instance, I am not sure the guy knows the first three letters about what HR is all about but I held my peace and I tried to be very civil. I said to him that it is like every other profession and when a function is that multifaceted, chances are that you will excel in some areas and will not in some others and likewise, you will enjoy some areas and others will be a drag. I am not sure that was the answer he was expecting and I am not even sure that, that is the answer to the question but that was what I said anyway.

Just a couple of weeks or rather months ago, I was sharing with other HR professionals about how people who are stuck in a job in the company can create problems because they have lost interest and fall into the group of people who are de-motivated and such people become poisonous. They just create problems. They rebel against everything and every rule. We took the discussion further and we asked ourselves if we are enjoying what we are doing or rather what else would we rather be doing. So this stranger’s question brought me back to where I have been for a while, the debate about “making a career lifetime change”.

I have even said that the next time anyone asks me what I do, I will say that I am a writer and if the person makes the mistake of asking me what type of writer, then he or she will be in for a shock at the answer because I do not fall into any defined type like a poet or a fiction writer or any such classifications. I am a modern day writer or a new generation writer and do not fall into any box whatsoever. But then no matter what else I do or how much I write, I will always be an HR professional because I believe in people and how to harness the resources they bring to the work place. I believe that the workplace should be a meeting point between their dreams and the goals of that company. So back to the question about if I enjoy my work…the answer will be coming in the following month but the jury is out there on what the answer will be but you can guess, cant you?