Are You A Thermostat Or A Thermometer?
A question to consider whether established with-in an organization, in a new role, or in a job search. A coach can be a terrific partner on this journey.
I recently had the opportunity to attend the Confirmation Ceremony for a 13-year-old family member. The Officiant at the ceremony, is someone who has been the officiant at many of our family’s memorable ceremonies. A wonderful human being that engages people of all ages. At the start of the ceremony, the Officiant gathered the 13-year-olds together and ask them all a question. He asked them “Are you a thermostat or are you a thermometer?” Of course, at that point most of the 130 or so 13-year-olds were struck with fear and immediately avoided his gaze so as not to have to answer the question, out loud. That was kind of amusing. The officiant went on 2 provide a wonderful and very clear message to the 13-year-olds about their ability to set their own pace, establish their own messages and be a positive influence. In other words, act like a thermostat. After the ceremony, I reflected on the question that was asked; Are you a thermostat or are you a thermometer?
It occurs to me that this is a wonderful metaphor for so many aspects in life. One of those aspects is a person’s career. Whether they are established in a current career path, in a new role within their current [or new] organization or, in a job search. Asking the question of oneself, “am I a thermostat or am I a thermometer?”, can be useful in reflecting on how an individual “shows up”. Back to the confirmation ceremony for just a moment. The Officiant of the ceremony went on to point out to the 13-year-old group, that a thermometer is a tool that will report on what is currently happening in a certain space at that time. Specifically, of course, reporting on the temperature. On the other hand, a thermostat in that same space, will have significant influence over what the temperature is, in that space. I believe that this can serve as a metaphor for actions taken in a person’s career. Sure, it is plausible that in the career realm, sometimes we are in fact, the duly authorized thermostat. While at other times, it may be more appropriate for us to act as the thermometer.
Let’s consider the job search aspect of a career as an example. These are just a few examples of some of the points and commentary that arises in the search for a new role. Some interesting comparisons on when an individual chooses between the role of a thermostat and the role of a thermometer.
| On The Subject Of: | The Thermostat Approach | The Thermometer Approach |
| Age. | My Experience can be highly useful and add great value, in an organization. | I’m getting too old to be thought of as valuable. |
| Length of Time To Find A Role. | I’m going to take full advantage of the time I have to accomplish personal and professional objectives. | It will take me a long time to find employment in these conditions. (Economic, Political, Seasonal, to list a few examples) |
| The quantity of opportunities. | I have many transferable skills and there are other industries I’d like to explore. | There are only a few (or limited) opportunities posted for the work I do. |
| Being Pre-screened out of contention. | I’m going to seek some assistance and become efficient in tailoring my resume and cover letter to align with the roles that I am interested in. | Preparing my resume has become a very onerous task. I spend a great deal of time rewriting my resume and, second guessing what to include and what to omit from my application. |
| Getting called for Interviews | I’m going to revitalize and expand my Network Connections, start conversations, and enrich my personal brand in order to enhance my chances of landing interviews and securing opportunities that align with my career goals. | I am constantly applying to job postings, but I rarely get any response at all. |
Whether a person is established with-in an organization, in a new role, or in a job search, each of us will face situations where we’ll report on and be influenced by conditions or, act and be the influence on the conditions.
There is great value in making the right choice in given situations. A coach can be a terrific partner on this journey. I believe that making the choice to be more like a thermostat can be much more gratifying.