Do you have your vision? Is your job moving you towards this vision? Do you do your best to learn on your job every day?

The early privileges I had at the start of my career journey exposed me to many lessons on organizational dynamics that helped me moderate my expectations from any employer. With this, I only limited my expectations to the express provisions of my employment contract and then explored opportunities to learn and grow. I saw myself as being on a journey.

While I may have been aware of and benefited immensely from other non-contractual benefits and opportunities that all my employers may have had to offer, I usually saw these as icing on the cake and not a center of focus. Like someone said to me some time ago, “the company is not in the business of making you happy.” My happiness was my responsibility same way delivering value to my employer to earn my salary was also my responsibility.

I learned very early about the dynamics of succession, termination, reorganization, promotions, and restructuring, and some shocking moments shaped my thinking and moderated my expectations from my employers, irrespective of how well I was doing on the job.

I enjoyed every job I did as an employee and ascended the corporate ladder enjoying all the pecks that came with it. Still, my main focus was working towards my vision and getting my employment to serve me as a means. I took every day on my job as an opportunity to improve myself, so I always put only my best foot forward, expanded my learning as much as I could, and built positive relationships.

What do you expect from your employment? What are you getting out of your job for your personal growth? What do you think your employer owes you?