About the author: Howdy! My name is Elliot and I grew up in central Pennsylvania. Fair warning: I’m a proud Nittany Lion. I had my first Williams experience, as an intern, working in Engineering and Construction for the Appalachian Basin Area. Upon graduation, I joined the rotational program as a Technical Services Engineer in the Four Corners Area in Bloomfield, NM. Most recently, I have relocated to Geismar, LA filling the role of a Maintenance Engineer doing a variety of inspections during a large plant expansion and rebuild. In my free time, you will find me playing lacrosse, swinging a golf club, or snowboarding in the Rocky Mountains. I pretend to fish every now and then as well.
What are goals? Why do we set them? Is there really a purpose? I asked myself these questions upon entering my first full-time position.
My perception of the working world was pretty far off base, even after a very successful four month internship. I was still under the assumption that our supervisors dictated our career development and specific task areas. Remember the relationship between Bob/Mr. Incredible and his boss in The Incredibles? That’s an exaggerated example of what I was expecting in the working world. I’ll go ahead and give myself a big red “F” on that pop quiz – I could not be more wrong. Our development, and its pace, rests directly on top of our own shoulders. So, is there really a purpose for goals? Yes.
How do we develop, and how do we do it quickly? That’s everyone’s plan, right? We develop most effectively by setting ambitious, yet achievable goals. It is important to note that not achieving a goal is not always a bad thing. Situations change. I’ve found myself stalling out when trying to accomplish a goal. When this occurs, it is important to start communicating your difficulties with your supervisor. This type of communication almost always opens up a new channel to accomplish that goal – brainstorming works.
Many of us get to our desks and make a list of what we want to accomplish for the day. We are good at getting wrapped up in the everyday rat race and we forget to think about tomorrow. Let’s all take a couple extra moments where we get to our desk and think about what we want our careers to grow into, and what accomplishments it will take to achieve those goals.