Marcus Buckingham writes in The One Thing You Need to Know that sustained individual success comes from figuring out what you don’t like to do and finding a way to stop doing it. Sounds easy enough.
I believe in this strengths-based principle. I want to make choices based on my strengths as much as possible. But what too many of us run up against is how to get out of golden handcuffs called health insurance benefits.
Speaking of which, isn’t the term golden handcuffs negative? I always thought so. Sure, it refers to benefits like insurance and retirement funds. But we’re talking handcuffs here. Being controlled by someone else. A punitive loss of freedom. Going and staying where you wouldn’t otherwise choose to be, doing work you don’t want to do, because someone more powerful imposes it on you.
But the other day I Googled golden handcuffs, and guess what turned up? Lots of human resource sites tout golden handcuffs as a strategy to retain “talent.” Makes my stomach sour and the rebellion crawl up the back of my neck.
Retain talent? If that’s the only reason you give people to hang around, no way. The people might stay, but the talent will go dormant.
