Realise your potential regardless of the season.
GETTING A JOB IS NOT AN ACCOMPLISHMENT
“Getting a job is not an accomplishment.”
The first time I heard this,
I thought it was a harsh statement. Maybe you do, too.
Years later, it stayed with me.
Maybe it will stay with you, too.
I lived in New York City and
worked in Mayor Bloomberg’s Administration.
I was the Assistant to the
Commissioner at the Department of Consumer Affairs. It was a good job. But I
didn’t like it much. I’d say I was average at it. I had a great boss. I liked
him.
He was a strong leader.
He was always the smartest person in the room.
Every time. For 2 years.
He was always the smartest. I
learned from him. Every day, I learned from him.
I probably should have paid
him for hiring me.
One night, we left an event
together.
The topic of employment came
up on our walk back to the office.
He commented,“Getting a job
is not an accomplishment.
So many people think getting the job is the accomplishment,
but it was you do once you get the job that
is a true measure of your success.”
I wondered if he was talking
to me. Maybe he was.
I wanted to be better at my
job, but my heart was not in it.
I made a promise to myself
that night.
Once I found something I
loved to do, I would use this success metric.
Years later, I found
something I love doing.
Coaching, speaking, and
writing about topics just like these.
How do you set yourself apart
in the new economy.
Here are a few ways that have
helped me "do more" with my job.
I wish I would have figured
them out way sooner. But I didn’t.
I try to do them now. They seem to work for
me. I hope they work for you, too.
Realize getting the job is
not the accomplishment.
be fair, landing a job is a
first step. I get that. But, my old boss was right.
This is where your work
begins. It means nothing that you have a job.
There is no guaranteed
security. It can be gone tomorrow, unless you are invaluable!
So don’t waste much time
getting settled. Don’t wait until everyone at your job knows you.
Don’t worry if they like you
(yet). Just begin.
Care a little more than
everyone else. I am shocked at how
many people just don’t care
- about excellence, about
follow-through, about customer service, about growth.
When I have demonstrated to
my clients that I can care a little more than people are used to
(and believe me, that is a
low bar), I get repeat business.
Then those clients and
organizations refer business to me.
Then I show the new set of
clients I care a little more than everyone else. Then they are happy.
Then they refer me business.
Then the cycle continues. And it always continues.
Blow people’s minds. This is sort of connected to caring a little more,
but is even more important.
If only a small
percentage of people care, then close to no one is blowing people’s minds.
Especially employees. I
once offered to cover a Saturday shift for a co-worker of mine
who had a family birthday
party to attend. He did not even ask me (or anyone) to do this favor
for him. When I offered, he
was shocked. “You blew my mind,” he told me.
I had nothing else to do that
day, so was happy to do it. I just went through a breakup,
and was depressed. He was
doing me a favor by letting me cover the event.
But to him, it was a big
deal. He became my “go-to” if I needed anything
from our external affairs
department.
Translation: He saved my butt
many times when I forgot about a last minute tasks. Many times.
Know what other people in
your organization are working on.
Connect people within your
organization and company.
Spend time thinking about who
in your external network can help those you work with.
Become a bridge builder.
Bring opportunities, new deals, more business,
or increased media exposure.
Assistants are easy to replace.
Cubicle employees are being
commoditized. A bridge builder is hard to find.
A bridge builder who knows
how to connect others is impossible to replace.
Your boss knows this. You
should too. If you want a promotion, become a master connector.
If you like people and want
to succeed in life, become a master connector.
Think and Leverage.
Even if it is your first day
on the job, think about what your ideal next move would be.
I wish I would have done
this. I knew I wanted to leave the Mayor’s Administration
and start my own public
speaking career a year before I left.
My boss was asked to
speak at many events. He often had to pass because of other commitments.
If was smarter, I would have
offered to go and speak in his place.
I could have become an expert
in an array of topics.
I could have used the
credibility of the well-known and respected agency.
This would have been useful
since I had no credibility and no one really knew me.
I would have gained speaking
experience and exposure. On someone else’s dime.
Think about ways you can use
your current job to propel you into your next move.
Then get to it.
If you are not cultivating
the skills above, your entire future is in the hands of one person.
Your boss.
If your future is in the
hands of one person, you are a slave. You are owned.
You are a piece of property.
If you make yourself invaluable, you are free.
Even if you get fired, you
are free. In this economy, if you are not free, you are dead.
You don’t want to die.
You want to live.
`
About Brian:
Brian Rashid is a TED
speaker, public speaking coach, and high-performance trainer.
He works with Executives
from companies like Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, Jawbone,
Salesforce and others to help them
with communications coaching, branding, and innovation.
He speaks at companies,
organizations, and universities across the country on the topics
of entrepreneurship,
lifestyle design and how to make money in the new economy
doing what you love.
For more content, please visit brianrashid.com
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