Every year my sister and I sing “We’re a Couple of Misfits” from Rudolph as we decorate for Christmas. This longtime favorite has been on my mind quite a bit in the last year. When asked what I do, I grapple for a straight answer because the eclectic nature of my role means I do not fit into a traditional HR mold. Neither do many on my team. I’m a misfit who has found the Island of Misfit Toys!
However, for those who do not love the song as much as I do, this metaphor is a bit striking.
What would television Christmas specials be without Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer? What would our workplaces be without individuals who break the mold, span divides and embrace what makes them unique?
Maximizing Misfits
If you feel like a professional misfit, be sure to:
Find your Hermey: Whether as an unsure elf or a determined dentist, find a peer who understands you and makes you feel less alone.
Help others: Use your unique perspective and skills to help others. You have the talents you do for a reason. Don’t waste them. You have what others need and vice versa.
Go back home: Rather than running away from tension and to faux security, develop the courage to be the contrarian.
Balance passion and humility: Seek to recognize when your individuality is a superpower and when it is a hindrance. Have the humility to ask questions, look a little silly and keep refining your craft.
Keep your nose on: Keep showing up authentically rather than dulling your light. Anyone can be a train with round wheels, a plane that flies or a Jack-in-the-Box…named Jack. Your rare skills may not save the day every day, but some days are foggy where you will and all nights are dark where you can shed light to ease the work and diversify perspectives.
If you lead a function or are an HR professional involved in organizational design, first, know who your possible misfits are, and second, consider centralizing them onto a team. By doing this, you can provide each Rudolph with his Hermey and even a Yukon Cornelius, aiding engagement, development and retention. The key is to scope and structure their work to avoid placing them on a perceived island. The benefits of doing this include:
Enabling efficient deployment of rare skill sets into areas when they are needed
Having multiple eyes looking for opportunities and surfacing challenges before they become problems
Developing strategically-minded employees who maintain tactical skills and the willingness to roll up their sleeves
Striking a balance between specialists and generalists for breadth and depth of skills
Put Another Way
As I was describing my role to someone, he quickly perked up and said, “Oh, so you’re a Swiss Army knife.” That has a different ring to it!
I bet the ostrich-riding cowboy on the Island of Misfit Toys had a multi-purpose knife in his holster. (Let’s pretend that’s canon.)
Whether your skills resemble a Swiss Army knife or the collective know-how of your team does, understanding which component to use when is key. A Swiss Army knife’s value comes from the sum of its parts. Keeping the components pliable by flexing skills and employing different combinations yields results. Reinforcing the central casing through clear strategy and crisp prioritization promotes longevity.
Built Differently
Some could say misfits are wired differently or that Swiss Army knives are made differently. As I’ve mulled over metaphors to represent my professional life, a colleague introduced me as a “solutions architect” and that term stood out.
Yes, when I see an opportunity, witness a problem or identify a gap, I become a singing, ostrich-riding misfit with a cool tool at the ready to build something new.
To the Point
Call it what you will…recognize what makes you unique and never sacrifice applying it for the good of others.
GIFs courtesy of Wix
Image sources: Vanderbilt University and Fandom
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