I Didn’t Know Fishbowl Is Shaped Like a Boomerang

July 14, 2011
What’s wrong with this picture? An employee is excited to go to work each day, he’s enthusiastic about his job, he loves the people he works with, and he’s having a lot of fun. But one day he suddenly leaves. How does that last part make any sense? Fishbowl boomerang, Fishbowl Inventory Blog I plead temporary insanity. Yes, I’m the employee I’m talking about. I left Fishbowl a little over three weeks ago, thinking I could find something even better than what I have here. I was wrong. I think Sebastian from The Little Mermaid summed it up best when he said, “The seaweed is always greener in somebody else’s lake. You dream about going up there, but that is a big mistake!” I quickly realized my mistake, and I was lucky enough to be welcomed back with open arms by Fishbowl. Since experience is the best teacher of all, I would like to share the lessons I’ve learned from my experience so hopefully you won’t make the same mistake I did.

Don’t Be Flattered

You might roll your eyes when I say this, but I didn’t go looking for the job I was offered. Someone called me out of the blue and then pursued me for several months. It was the first time that had ever happened to me, so I was deeply flattered by the attention. But that was a big mistake on my part. Never be flattered. It’s nice to be appreciated for your talents, but don’t lose sight of what you are doing and where you are going.

Ask Lots of Questions

It’s important to find out what people expect of you. If you aren’t sure about something, ask about it. Bring concerns out into the open so they can be addressed. Never assume anyone is thinking what you’re thinking. I can’t stress this enough. Worry just as much, if not more, what you think of a company as what they think of you. That’s how relationships are formed and strengthened.

Consider What You Have

Whether you’re hoping to move into a new house or looking at a new job, don’t take anything for granted. If you really like how quiet your current home’s air conditioner is, don’t assume the new home will also have a quiet one. Try to think of all the little things you enjoy about where you are right now and see if the new place has those same things. If not, you’ve just saved yourself a lot of trouble by finding out ahead of time.

Leave Doors Open

Now that my eyes are open, I know how happy I am to be here at Fishbowl. My coworkers like my jokes, the leaders are always available and approachable, accomplishments are quickly recognized, and employees have fun here. I was lucky that they left the door wide open for me to return after realizing all the things I had given up. Thank goodness Fishbowl is shaped like a boomerang, so even when I threw it away, it came right back to me. Hindsight is 20/20. That’s why I want to save you the trouble of having to look back with regret. Be grateful for what you have. If you love your job, don’t worry about anything else. Keep doing what you love. Even if I wind up writing a thousand blog posts about inventory management software, this topic will never get old to me because I love writing about it, and I love working here at Fishbowl. Now I see, and I hope you can, too.