04-01-2013, 10:59 PM
11
Re: Ambition
Originally Posted by hazel
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To shorten a long story, I worked my way to the top again only to be struck down again this time by Parkinson’s disease.More later [[QUOTE/]]
Bobbyboy you know I like stories and it's later now.
04-01-2013, 11:35 PM
12
Re: Ambition
Originally Posted by jaywalker
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Ambition can be a dangerous thing - well, too much of it anyway, as Macbeth discovered.What I dislike most is highly ambitious people whose ambition exceeds their capabilities but who learn to play the promotion game and end up in positions of power over those who are actually more capable than they are. This happens in teaching all the time, often resulting in incompetent Heads leading schools on a downward path. No doubt in other careers as well.
I think it's very true what you say Jaywalker, in some jobs it's all about promotion then further promotion, capabilities don't figure in it for them, they spend their whole life chasing promotion, by the time they get to the top they are tired, worn out, out of touch with ground level and not fit for leadership, be it a man, my heart bleeds for his long suffering wife who had to put up with his career jealousy for all those years "That bloody so and so Hayes got the job, and me in the place two years before him.", but then maybe she'd just put on a sympathetic face while thinking of the young milkman who had plenty of time for her, never talked about his job and she had fallen in love with in the meantime.
07-01-2013, 11:38 PM
13
Re: Ambition
[QUOTE=hazel;230218]To shorten a long story, I worked my way to the top again only to be struck down again this time by Parkinson’s disease.Sorry to hear that. My best friend has recently developed it too and is on very new drugs here in Australia which are helping but it was a blow to her. She had to retire early as a result.
Yes, the Peter Principle is alive and well in education and I've just had experience of it. A new Head appointed to the school where we hold our U3A classes. School is under-enrolled and only has 260 kids and was built for 1000. He's 33. I'm currently the President and got a call to see him. He told us that he was sorry but requested that we vacate the school - just like that. Ha!Ha! - what he didn't know because of his youth was that I was also president of the teachers union here before I retired and have many old contacts. So I went straight o the top and within minutes was told that he had made that decision without any consultation with the Dept of Ed and that we WOULD be back there next year and there WOULD be room for us.
There are moments in life when being older and wiser are an advantage. And being young and inexperienced but ambitious do not always get you what you want!
08-01-2013, 03:49 AM
14
Re: Ambition
Hi Jaywalker,sorry to hear your friend has developed the PD,every case is different and it took years to get my medication right. It all seems less complicated these days so I am pleased that your friend is coping ok.
My dad worked for the same company for 50 years & was living proof of your comment about being older & wiser. He started off as bill poster & ended up as administrator for a company in the advertising poster business. THe same co. changed names & owners so many times in its history that my dad was the only continuous link. His knowledge f the location & size of poster sites was encyclopaedic.
One day an ambitious young exec stormed into the office & bberated my dad because he'd just passed a site in which the 7th panel was damaged & what was my dad going to do about it.
"I can assure you that panel 7 is not damaged "said dad.
"Why am I so sure, because I helped build that site in1962 & there are only 6 panels there"
"By the way, your flies are undone"
09-01-2013, 12:55 AM
15
Re: Ambition
Lots of the comments here paint a very negative view of ambition. Whilst ruthless backstabbers aren't nice, and whilst some people do get promoted beyond their capabilities, there is a positive side too. Ambition to be the best you can be is surely a good thing. Being rewarded for working hard is satisfying. Assuming that you need to work to earn enough money to live, it takes up a lot of your time - so is it not good to work towards the best, most fulfilling, career that you are able for?
09-01-2013, 07:56 AM
17
Re: Ambition
[QUOTE=Bluebell;230947]Lots of the comments here paint a very negative view of ambition. Whilst ruthless backstabbers aren't nice, and whilst some people do get promoted beyond their capabilities, there is a positive side too.I agree, Bluebell, I guess i started the ball rolling by mentioning the negative side because I've encountered it so often in my area but I agree there can be a happy medium. nothing wrong with a normal level of ambition.
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