To Bee Or Not To Bee: That Is The Question

© 1998. William T. Wiley.

Growing up, we were told we would be our lives' protagonists. Our days could consist of battling the hydras of bureaucracy, escaping corporate labyrinths, or finding the golden fleece of purpose. Yet, the majority of people are not the active heroes of their stories. Instead, they are parts of the corporate machine. They have micromanagers and macro egos battling to be their supervisors. The work day does not begin at 9 am; instead, it starts with the buzzing of Slack or email notifications at dawn. When you eventually enter the workspace, your professional Baron von Rothbart doesn't transform you into the graceful swan but rather a worker bee.

Image courtesy of Joe Andoe.

Bees are a keystone species. Scientists can predict the ecosystem's health when there is an increase or decrease in population size. But what happens when you are no longer a bee? What happens when the powers at be say thank you for the opportunity, but we are going in a different direction. In one swoop, you lost your wings and stripes. You think: What would you do? Who would you be?

Gif courtesy of Wix

If you are a bee, you are lucky. When you first meet someone, the second question in the conversation is: What do you do? You can confidently say you are a part of X company doing Y things to raise Z% of the bottom line. You can account for at least one-third of your day having a purpose beyond personal responsibilities. You are accountable to an ideal. You are responsible to make something happen. No matter how small you might feel, you can tell the random person I am a part of a team. I can not say that. I am a freelancer.

Image is in the public domain.

Freelancers or freelancing is a catch-all term that describes what you do and who you are. As a freelancer, you are a jack of all trades while never being on a company 401K plan for more than one year. You have a tapas bar of random knowledge but no roots in company culture. When you tell people what you do, it is always accompanied by the awkward "ah." To be a freelancer, you somehow show perseverance and the inability to work well with others over time. To be a freelance, you wear a scarlet letter. You are already on the outside. Your impact is based on the output rather than personal connection.

Commissioned by William T. Walters, 1859.

We live in the decline of the professional bee. More and more companies are transitioning to contract-to-hire or freelance work. If you are not a part of the keystone species, how does your output benefit the environment? If you are not a bee, what are you? The answer is simple: you are you. Your productivity does not equate to the entire impact of your life. Your professional endeavors are only part of you.

Image courtesy of Wix.

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Hamlet ponders, " To be or not to be?" As Gen Z continues to work as freelancers and contractors, you realize that being a bee is not the measure of your worth. Your impact is measured by your kindness, bravery, and honesty. Your professional identity is one part of you.