Most of us spend over fifty percent of our waking hours trying to win in the race of work and climbing the career ladder without being knocked down by events, misguided people, or poor choices. In similar manner, we all know the fate of unskilled runners of the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona, Spain. In his new book “Run with the Bulls without Getting Trampled: The Qualities You Need to Stay Out of Harm’s Way and Thrive at Work”, corporate psychologist Tim Irwin, Ph.D., applies the “running with the bulls” metaphor to parallel what unprepared individuals face, and offers sage advice that will help to steer clear of any 1,400 pound corporate charging bull.Our lives at work are full of challenges, opportunities, and yes, dangers. The bulls in the metaphor are representative of ill-fated strategies, poor processes, narcissistic leaders, misguided initiatives, hyper competitive peers, over-inflated expectations, economic circumstances, etc.—which are part of organizational life. Viewing corporate organizational realities as unfair or singling us out is naïve and unwise. In today’s fast paced corporate environment the race is won by working skillfully—and it comes down to demonstrating human virtues such as thoughtful commitment, authentic character, and exceptional competence.
The bulls in Pamplona are not out to gore anyone on purpose, but they are territorial and aggressive. They are indifferent to people unless you cross their path. It is in their DNA to charge anyone encroaching on their space. Irwin’s insight as a corporate psychologist for Fortune 100 companies offers that the game gets especially dangerous when we think the organizational bulls are after us. We need to know that like the Pamplona bulls, the corporate bulls are not unfair, they are indifferent as well. Our energies should not be focused on defensiveness or victim mentality; we need to believe that directing our energy towards meaningful ends is the best way to avoid being trampled.
A life of significance requires focus, intentionality, effort, and forethought. Complacency and the associated passivity that ensues can keep us from being thoughtful about where we are going in life and what we need to accomplish. Given an unfavorable situation we need rely on our values, and clear facts about the circumstances to decide what is best for us and our families. Life is the consequence of the choices we make. Furthermore, in life “you are almost always better off making a move—going on the offense rather than simply staying on the defense”. Inactivity and timidity are certainly the enemies of high performance.
Irwin’s work is based on thousands of executive interviews he has conducted during his career as a corporate psychologist. His work asserts that competence or our ability to perform effectively is a product of skills and seven (CSF) Critical Success Factors. “Skills get us in the race. CSFs help us win it.” What we learn in universities and on the job are hard skills instead of the success factors that are needed to win. The good news is that these seven CSfs can be developed: 1) Self Management, 2) Relationship Management, 3) Forethought, 4) Dependability, 5) Resourcefulness, 6) Ability to learn, and 7) Ability to Change. The seven CSfs are found on line at Run with the Bulls without Getting Trampled.
In summary Irwin provides a workable set of success criteria that is validated by research and practical experience. We are urged to be proactive, continually evaluate ourselves, and measure our choices against the success factors.
Work Cited
Irwin, Tim. Run with the Bulls without Getting Trampled: The Qualities you Need to Stay Out of Harm's Way and Thrive at Work. Nashville: Nelson Business, 2006.
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