Ambition Has Nothing To Do With It

A Note from The Cube to Texas Slim's letter of yesterday . . .

Don't confusion Ambition with Standards. You give yourself away by writing things like "do" and "accomplish" - those are Standards of performance. Ambition is more about "gain" and "get" - personal possessions that exist outside your job performance.

Be careful, Slim, you also gave yourself away with the confession that your Ambition isn't centered around your Cube. No one nearby and above wants to hear that.

Oh, sure, everyone gives "have a life" lip service, and everyone knows that they would bolt the place in a second if offered something better. But to just do a good job? Don't scare people like that unless you've really got the Ambition to leave your cubicle behind and advance over your boss's body (or in his wake as he climbs the heap). There's not a lot of understanding of the good ol' Work Ethic, unless it's combined with a good ol' Profession of Faith in the Company, repeated like a mantra at an ashram.

And it even makes sense. Hell, who is going to trust anyone talking like you: what do you really want?