Are You Still Looking for the Wizard of Oz?

Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, we often have a powerful sense that there is a place in our life that we need to get to. Perhaps it’s someplace where we can engage in work that is a true expression of ourselves, and that is simultaneously valued by others; or a place where we can be comfortably at home with ourselves; or where we can love and be loved in relationships that work well. Like Dorothy, we follow the yellow brick road and have all kinds of mishaps and adventures, as we look for the wizard who will have the answers, and who will be able to make us smart enough, courageous enough, and compassionate enough to be happy with ourselves and also to be successful in other people’s eyes.

As we all know from the story, the wizard turned out to be a fake, and Dorothy could actually have gone home to Kansas at any time just by clicking her heels. What would it mean if we really believed that getting to that place of peace and fulfillment is within our own power, and doesn’t require waiting for anyone else to take an action to benefit us? If we truly believed this and started acting on it beginning NOW; the change might begin in our thinking, dreaming, and imagination; and in the productivity of our creative ideas. Perhaps there are limits that we have unknowingly put on our creativity, because we were afraid to mentally step over certain lines. Or maybe we have been limited in how we interact with people in ways that keep our work or personal relationships from being as successful as they could be.

As we begin to explore an expanded universe of possibilities, it’s helpful to have a global positioning system, a GPS, that helps us to know where we are. This GPS should be flexible enough to allow us as much freedom as we need, while at the same time providing a framework that stimulates our thinking and creative imaginations. What I’ve found helpful is to integrate the ancient concept of wisdom with the social scientific concept of competencies. This has resulted in a model called SOPPHIA, The 7 Dimensions of Wisdom. Sophia is the Greek word for wisdom, and the acronym SOPPHIA (with two P’s) represents seven sets of competencies or skills that have been shown by research to help people achieve success in their work and personal lives.

Let’s look at four of these dimensions that cover much of what creates both opportunities and challenges in our work and personal lives. These are represented by the letters S, O, P and I in SOPPHIA. The S is for Self, the O for Others, the P for Purpose, and the I for Innovation. By Innovation, I mean not just having creative ideas, but being able to develop them into activities, services or products that generate social value. This requires good skills in communicating and working with Others. Skills for reflecting about yourSelf and managing your own emotions obviously impact your ability to relate well to Others. Finally, being clear about your life Purpose, is what gives direction to your self-development efforts.

Using these four dimensions of wisdom (Self, Others, Purpose and Innovation) as axes to get coordinates in the GPS of our creative imagination, let’s go back to the metaphor of Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz. Dorothy was looking to get home. Let’s assume that getting home for you means finding your true vocation; the work in which you can express yourself and be fulfilled. Perhaps this involves building a business, or working on particular kinds of activities within an organization, or working as in independent professional. In any case, clarifying your main Purpose is a good place to start. Sometimes we focus on a result, like making a certain amount of money and end up trapped in a work or business structure that provides income but is mostly unsatisfactory. A better approach is to look back at your history and find the things that you have enjoyed doing, that you are good at, and that could potentially benefit others. From there, you can narrow the field down to some core interrelated activities.

Once you’re clear about your Purpose, you’ll want to work on the Innovation process. You must generate some ideas within your area of interest, that you could develop into signature activities, services or products that represent the unique value that you can provide to a customer or an employer. In many cases, these will be improvements on existing services or products; that represent your personal value-added approach. It could be simply, for example, the particular way that you interact with customers, that expresses your unique personality, and makes them feel truly listened to and cared for. Whatever the spark of the idea that you begin with, it’ll need to be further and continuously developed with the help of other people.

As you proceed down the path of Innovation and achieving your Purpose, you’ll find that the main limiting factors are skills in the dimensions of Self and Others. This is usually called emotional intelligence, and has been shown to have a greater impact than cognitive or mental intelligence on producing successful work results. Self-awareness and self-management skills and people skills are unlimited and sustainable resources, waiting for you to explore and develop. You can be helped most in this development by the right coaches or mentors. Coaches and mentors aren’t wizards who can give you the answers, but facilitators who can help you to find them for yourself.

Let me know what you think about all this at www.sopphia.com.