Tooting Your Own Horn
I have a friend from college who is in ministry in Arizona. Her name is Fiona (not her real name) and for the past four years she has been on staff at a vibrant young church her family began to attend shortly before she came to PENN. She is a faithful servant of God, quite gifted at leading Bible studies and counseling people. She is competent when it comes to administrative things, but it’s not really her thing. Nor is leadership – even though she has seniority over others on church staff, wielding authority is still something she is uncomfortable doing.
Nevertheless, she recently confided in me that she is hurt that her senior pastor did not consider her for an associate pastor position that recently opened up. Instead, the senior pastor promoted another full-time staff person, one who certainly sounds qualified and earnest (according to Fiona’s description of him) but who has only been around for a year and a half. While she would never say so to the church leadership team, Fiona is hurt that she was passed over, given her seniority and faithfulness.
Disregard for a moment whether the new associate pastor or Fiona is more qualified for the job. What I’m curious about is when it is appropriate to toot your own horn. Should Fiona have let the senior pastor know she was interested in the position? I asked Fiona and it hadn’t occurred to her to do this, for in her mind, this would have taken away from her having earned the position, if she herself had to lobby for it.
Maybe Fiona could have been more “political” in her service in the church. It sounds crass to say, but while people knew she was gifted and earnest, Fiona never did the kinds of things that position oneself for advancement within an organization. In fact, she went out of her way to avoid such things, seeing them as disingenuous and self-serving. And yet she wanted recognition and respect and opportunity just as much as the others.
My conversation with Fiona touched on many hot button issues for me. At my former job, as at any workplace, we had our “office politics” (although, from what I hear from others, much less than at the typical organization), and it was always a fine line between being smart and playing the game. I think of Fiona as I recall past situations I was in, and present situations now that I am gone. Second, I study politics now, and as you can imagine politics is not only the subject matter but also the organizational culture (sort of a “meta-political” situation, with people politicking for position even as they are learning/teaching politics). Finally, I’m beginning the job search, and have to sell myself to prospective employers but in a way that is true to myself and authentic to the situation.
In all three cases, I do not use the term “politics” pejoratively, as though it were inherently slimy and selfish. But it is certainly not a neutral term, either. So again I will ask: when it is appropriate to toot your own horn? In my past workplace, my current studies, and my future job search, it is a relevant question indeed.
Nevertheless, she recently confided in me that she is hurt that her senior pastor did not consider her for an associate pastor position that recently opened up. Instead, the senior pastor promoted another full-time staff person, one who certainly sounds qualified and earnest (according to Fiona’s description of him) but who has only been around for a year and a half. While she would never say so to the church leadership team, Fiona is hurt that she was passed over, given her seniority and faithfulness.
Disregard for a moment whether the new associate pastor or Fiona is more qualified for the job. What I’m curious about is when it is appropriate to toot your own horn. Should Fiona have let the senior pastor know she was interested in the position? I asked Fiona and it hadn’t occurred to her to do this, for in her mind, this would have taken away from her having earned the position, if she herself had to lobby for it.
Maybe Fiona could have been more “political” in her service in the church. It sounds crass to say, but while people knew she was gifted and earnest, Fiona never did the kinds of things that position oneself for advancement within an organization. In fact, she went out of her way to avoid such things, seeing them as disingenuous and self-serving. And yet she wanted recognition and respect and opportunity just as much as the others.
My conversation with Fiona touched on many hot button issues for me. At my former job, as at any workplace, we had our “office politics” (although, from what I hear from others, much less than at the typical organization), and it was always a fine line between being smart and playing the game. I think of Fiona as I recall past situations I was in, and present situations now that I am gone. Second, I study politics now, and as you can imagine politics is not only the subject matter but also the organizational culture (sort of a “meta-political” situation, with people politicking for position even as they are learning/teaching politics). Finally, I’m beginning the job search, and have to sell myself to prospective employers but in a way that is true to myself and authentic to the situation.
In all three cases, I do not use the term “politics” pejoratively, as though it were inherently slimy and selfish. But it is certainly not a neutral term, either. So again I will ask: when it is appropriate to toot your own horn? In my past workplace, my current studies, and my future job search, it is a relevant question indeed.
Comments
Wondering...
:)