A Skateboarder's 'Tragic' Accident, A Unique Expansion To A Company's Headquarters, And A Cotton Salesman Who Changed Music History: Why Finding A Good Work Fit Is Essential
The 3-Word Quote: ‘Find Your Fit’
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1.
There was blood everywhere.
The ambulance sirens blared in the background as Tony lay on the concrete.
He was surrounded by his splattered blood and his stunned friends.
He wasn't conscious.
He had been skating for a few years since his older brother gave him a skateboard at nine.
He had been injured before but not like this.
This injury was different - not the usual scrapes, bumps, and bruises he had received.
He later described this injury as 'tragic.'
He was twelve now - and had been skating for three years.
He was trying to complete a new difficult trick and miscalculated his landing.
On his descent, he crashed into the cement - landing head-first.
He was knocked out instantly.
Next to him on the ground were little white pieces lying in the crimson puddle that surrounded him.
They were his teeth.
2.
The design was groundbreaking.
It was unlike anything else in the country.
An Indianapolis company recently expanded its headquarters, and the builders and the company were beyond pleased.
It wasn't a massive expansion - just a 10,000-square-foot addition.
But it was uniquely designed.
And it was expensive.
The three-level complex included three sections - including one section that was primarily outdoor space.
The significant addition was part of a 53 million-dollar overall expansion. Still, the 10,000-square-foot expansion took up most of the money.
The company built the space with its new employees in mind.
The entire expansion was for their 30 specialized employees from across the country and the world.
The CEO said of the space, 'We are immensely proud of what has been accomplished here. The complex is a major achievement…for our city, and is a major point of pride.'
The CEO continued that the expansion was 'extremely innovative' and 'establishes a new standard.'
An article about the building said it 'completely catered' to the new employees.
There were workspaces designed for individuals to work independently and many spots for gatherings for small or large groups.
All meals are free, and an on-site doctor is included. Bringing in nature was at the forefront of the expansion.
It is a 'remarkable, dynamic, and incredible community.'
An amazing place.
There is just one problem.
You'll never be able to be one of the thirty individuals that work there.
3.
Jim was born in 1900.
Like many boys in his area, he left school at 16 to find full-time employment.
He found a job as a cotton merchant.
He stayed there for years and was eventually promoted to cotton salesman at 28.
But cotton wasn't his passion; music was.
He and his brother played in a swing band called The Masked Melody Makers and eventually renamed the band The Jim Mac Jazz Band.
Jim played several instruments - including piano and trumpet.
His life was difficult.
But he continued working in the cotton business, playing his music, and eventually married Mary.
Eventually World War II closed the mill and put an end to his band.
Jim found a new job and played his music at home.
His life continued to be tough.
Eventually, he even had to give up his beloved trumpet after 'his teeth gave out.'
But he continued to play piano, and eventually, he and Mary had a child.
But when his son was born he said the newborn 'looked awful…like a horrible piece of red meat.'
After the birth, Jim raced home and cried.
The Takeaway:
So what do a skateboarder who lost his teeth in an accident, a company who created a unique expansion to their headquarters, and an amateur musician who was distraught after the birth of his son all have in common?
They're all about finding a fit when searching for a creative calling or career.
Finding your place - searching for that magical fit where your job lines up with all your requirements doesn't exist for many people.
Many love their jobs, but there are often aspects of them that do not perfectly align with what we want from our work.
That perfect fit is hard to find.
Let's look at the stories.
When Tony regained consciousness after failing to land the difficult skateboarding trick, he found himself in the pro shop of the skate park.
His face and clothes were a mess.
He was woozy, covered in blood, and missing multiple teeth.
And as he began to understand what happened, he had only one thought:
He wanted to get back on his board and complete that trick.
He thought he knew what he had done wrong and was eager to fix that mistake.
Most people wouldn't be so eager to retry a trick that perhaps could have killed them.
But despite only skating for a few years, he had found his fit - his passion.
And missed tricks and tragic injuries weren't going to stop him.
Tony Hawk became a professional skateboarder at 14.
He is an icon in the sport and is considered one of the fathers of skateboarding.
Two years after the accident, he was the best skateboarder in the world, and was World Champion for twelve years in a row.
But skating was dangerous and not always lucrative when he was participating.
But he continued skating because he had found his fit.
Injuries and monetary setbacks didn't discourage him.
Younger people may only know Tony Hawk from the dozens of video games bearing his name.
The games have generated over a billion dollars.
Tony Hawk is 56 years old today. But at twelve, he was unconscious, lying in a pool of blood with his teeth scattered on the ground.
And the first thing he thought was he couldn't wait to try that trick again. That's when he likely knew he had found his fit.
You likely are not a pro athlete and may not have been lucky enough to find your perfect fit at 12.
But when you do find that perfect alignment, those always-present obstacles and setbacks are far easier to overcome.
***
The Indianapolis company built an amazing addition to its headquarters.
Millions of dollars were spent, and no details were overlooked.
All of this was done to ensure there would be a perfect fit for the new employees.
Because how the new employees fit into the new space was paramount.
It doesn't seem like most companies work this hard to ensure their employees' happiness in their new jobs.
But they should.
But before you send your resume to this company, know you can't.
You'll never get hired there.
Because those thirty new employees coming from all over the country and world aren't human.
They're chimpanzees.
And that company is The Indianapolis Zoo.
The chimpanzees came from smaller zoos and private owners.
And now the chimps live in the Taj Mahal of primate homes.
The zoo did everything to ensure the 'fit' would be right for them.
The best fit would be in the wild, but these chimps are not able to be released.
So, the next best fit is their new home, where the zoo tries to recreate aspects of the wild.
They tried to create the perfect fit.
***
When the amateur musician had a child, he was distraught.
Recall that he called his new son 'a horrid piece of red meat.'
But despite his hard life and rough words about his son, Jim was a good father.
His passed down his love of music to all his kids - encouraging them to play piano and trumpet.
In fact, 'the horrid piece of red meat' grew up, and Jim gave him a trumpet for his 14th birthday.
His son was thrilled.
Trumpet songs were popular at the time, and his dad taught him to play.
But after a short time playing trumpet, his son, Paul, had an epiphany.
He realized he didn't love the trumpet like his father did.
And he realized you couldn't sing while playing a trumpet. And he thought he might want to be in a band like his father.
Not wanting to hurt his father's feelings, he asked his dad if he would mind if he traded the trumpet for an electric guitar.
The trumpet was a birthday gift, and his father loved it.
But the trumpet was not a fit for him and the son knew it.
So Paul McCartney's father allowed him to trade in his trumpet for his first guitar, a Zenith acoustic model.
While McCartney played guitar, he ultimately switched to bass for The Beatles.
But his fame, his music career, and even The Beatles would not have existed if Paul had stuck with the trumpet.
And once he knew something wasn't a good fit, he changed.
***
Tony Hawk found a fit early, the Indianapolis Zoo tried to create a perfect fit for its new chimpanzees, and Paul McCartney experimented before he found his perfect fit.
But a perfect fit may not exist for some.
It is often in learning what doesn't work for us that we learn about what does work.
The trumpet didn't work for Paul McCartney, so he made a change.
The Quality Improvement Center For Workplace Development created a list to help people find that elusive job fit.
The center defines 'employee fit' simply as 'the compatibility between individuals and organizations.'
It is a simple definition, but finding that fit has become more difficult for many.
The center breaks down the connection into several categories that help find that fit.
Ultimately, your perfect fit would align with all six from the list below:
1) Person-Environment: alignment between an individual and the overall environment
2) Person-Vocation- alignment between a person's career and their interest
3) Person-Job - alignment between a person's skills and what they are asked to do at their job
4) Person-Group - alignment between the employee and the group of people in the workplace
5) Person-supervisor- a person's goals and values align with the values of their boss
6) Person-Organization - compatibility between the company's goal and that of the employee
The list is broad, but a fit isn't found when one is off. However, not having an alignment on one item from the list may not be enough to make a change.
However, when several of these are out of alignment, it can be challenging to continue working in this role.
Tony Hawk and Paul McCartney strongly connected with the Person-Vocation item on the list. The Indianapolis Zoo focused on the Person (Chimp)-Environment item from the list.
A powerful connection from one of the six items can sometimes be enough to overcome weaker or non-existent connections.
Work dominates our lives.
When something is out of alignment, it impacts our entire life.
It makes our lives difficult and our jobs more challenging to do.
As musician B.B. King said, 'It's hard to sing the blues from the backseat of a limousine.'
But maybe that list makes finding that perfect fit too complicated.
Anthony Bourdain said, 'In some sense, what a great way to live, if you could always do things that interest you, and do them with people who interest you.'
Sounds like decent advice.
3 things before you go:
8 Secrets of Success: a short TED talk that gives you 8 things that lead to success
Listen: We Don’t Know- The Strumbellas - a good one
Listen: The Jayhawks- I’d Run Away - criminally underrated band; always simple and timeless songs
Thanks for reading.
-Jeff