Episode 090: Why You Should Be an Artisan at Work

In November, 2017, a painting sold for $450M at an auction.  It was more than 250% of the previous record.  Why?  Because of the artist’s reputation.  In this episode, we talk about three reasons why it’s important for you to be an artisan – no matter what line of work you’re in.

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On This Episode

Rhythm of Life – I Cried Reading this Book

Random Riffs – Found: A New Organ

Feature Segment – Why You Should Be an Artisan at Work

Today’s Quote

In a crowded marketplace, fitting in is a failure. In a busy marketplace, not standing out is the same as being invisible.  –Seth Godin

Rhythm of Life – I Cried Reading This Book

If you’ve been following my journey for a while, you know I left my job at the end of 2017.  My first priority?  To get connected with my body again.  Let go of tension.  Dance.  Sing with freedom.

Some of this came from old injuries.  Much came from stress at work.  And it’s taking longer than I thought to recover.  Sometimes I feel like it’s just me. That I couldn’t hack it.  I felt differently when I started to read a new book called Dying for a Paycheck: How Modern Management Harms Employee Health and Company Performance – and What We Can Do About It.

According to Dr. Pfeffer, many people are literally dying for their paychecks.  Here are some of the statistics he cites.

1. WebMD reported that work was the #1 source of stress, with 25% of people reporting extreme levels of stress


2. Job stress costs employers approximately $300B per year


3. The costs from stress to the US health care system are $200B per year


4. 60,000 deaths per year in the United States could be prevented if companies changed their attitudes and practices.


5. $63B could be saved per year in the United States if companies changed their practices.

We have to do something.  The question is – what?  I’m not quite sure yet.  I know the first step is awareness.  That’s always the first step to making social change.  I do know that we can’t make everything in life about the money.  Our primary goal should be to make life better for the human race.  Money is only a part of that equation.

So, for a start, read Dying for a Paycheck or Leaders Eat Last.   Then, start a conversation.  At work, by leaving a comment, or by emailing me at [email protected].  Change always starts with awareness and talking about it.

Then, what about this?

1. Create culture change within your own group.


2. Vote with your presence. Choose to work at companies that don’t have such a toxic culture.

I’ll keep reading the book.  If the author has any other suggestions I can pass on, I’ll talk about it in a future episode.  In the meantime, I created a quiz for you to determine how toxic your organization’s culture may be.  You can find it here.  Once you see the results, you can decide what type of action to take.

I wish I could change this myself.  I can’t.  It’s going to take a lot of people to make change to something so ingrained.  It does make me more resolved to support you with a toolbox.  One that helps you identify and execute on options you have to make your life sing. No matter how much work may try to muzzle the real you.

Random Riffs – Found: A New Organ

In April, US scientists announced they have discovered a new organ.  It’s a highway of moving fluid.  It has potential as a diagnostic tool, and new treatments too.  Listen to the episode so hear more about it.

Don’t Forget

Your voice is the most powerful tool you have to connect with others.  Yet, you might be missing that connection, and relinquishing that power, without even knowing it.  To find out more about you can develop your voice to reach your audience, try my free 20-minute voice consultation.

Feature Segment – Why You Should Be an Artisan at Work

In November, 2017, a painting sold for $450M at an auction.  It has been the most expensive painting sold at auction ever – at least so far.  The previous record was $179M.  The painting’s name?  The Savior of the World by Leonardo da Vinci.

What made this worth the price? – the reputation of the artist.  And daVinci earned his reputation.  He experimented with new techniques and brought them into his painting.  He strove for excellence.

I believe that your future success at work will come from being an Artisan – no matter what line of work you are in.

Why? Here are 3 reasons.

1. The changing nature of work will require more creativity and innovation.

Companies are looking to gain even further efficiencies, which will come via automation and artificial intelligence.  Repetitive jobs will further erode.  What will be left?  Jobs requiring creativity and innovation.  The ones machines can’t do.

If you are a business owner, the same could happen to you.  If your competition automates and undercuts your price, you have the same problem.

1. You have the satisfaction of a job done with excellence by focusing your efforts

Cal Newport talks about this in his book So Good They Can’t Ignore You : Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love.

In order to be innovative and creative, you need skill.  Know and understand the process.  The more you focus on one thing and get so good they can’t ignore you, the better.

1. Your work bears your signature – your stamp. It’s unique and personal.

Now you’re past just good.  You’re unique.  Even though daVinci didn’t sign his paintings, they still had his signature.  There were ways to tell they were painted by him.  Our work should be same.  Get so good that it reflects who we are.  It becomes unique.

Where would you like to start?  You don’t have to it all at once.  Just choose one: skill, innovation, or signature.

Don’t leave your career up to efficiency experts.  Become an artisan.  Start today by making a commitment to be one.  Then keep listening.  In the upcoming episodes, I’ll be talking about how to be an artisan with skill, innovation, and your unique signature.

What are you committing to in order to develop as an artisan?  Leave a comment.

The marks of a true artisan? Skill, innovation, and signing your work.
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