Back at it; The First Full Week After New Years' Bliss
Well here it is, the week where people begin to find excuses to relieve themselves from the pressures of all those darn New Years resolutions. Sure last week was easy; it was the first week back to work after the New Year. We still had visions of watching the ball drop in Times Square and were strong in our convictions to succeed at our resolutions/goals so keeping on-track was quite easy. Tomorrow as we all awake for our first real "test", the true fitness loyalists will probably find a little more room in their gyms. It will get roomier and roomier and roomier.
People will soon start to go back to their old ways at work as well; the old "do the same thing expecting something different and when it doesn't happen blame the boss or the company" routine. Sadly many of us Americans feel we are "entitled" to success. Many of us expect our companies to reward us for our mediocrity and get upset when we aren't rewarded. We sure have some gall don't we?
There's an old story which has been told since the days when the railroads were king in America. A group of laborers were working on a junction in the middle of nowhere in the summer heat when a high-class private passenger train drove by. The train stopped for the engineer to check with the laborers whether it was safe to continue. One of the passengers looked out the window and saw one of the laborers and said "Dave is that you?" The laborer replied "Yeah it's me Tom". The wealthy gentleman who was on the train invited Dave to his private boxcar to talk in the air conditioned luxury. After what seemed like an hour, Dave came back out, and the engineer got the train going again. As the train disappeared around a bend in the distance, the laborers were eager to find out why Dave had been invited into the boxcar to talk to the wealthy man. One of them said "Dave, do you know who that is? That is Thomas Clark Durant, the owner of the Union Pacific Railroad (the first cross-continental railroad in America). How do you know him?" Dave said "Tom's my buddy, we started working for the railroad the same day". Bewildered, the laborers asked "but Dave, how is it that he is the owner of the railroad while you are still a laborer?" Dave answered, "I came to work for $3 dollars a day, Tom came to work for the Railroad".
Friends, most adults work 40 hour weeks. They work their normal hours, doing the same exact thing, and expect something different to come their way. Thomas Clark Durant put thousands of hours of time, energy, and ultimately his own finances into the railroad. He worked hard to get the most out of his time with it and ultimately became the owner of the company. He gave more thus he got more. Crazy idea right?
I'm sure you'll tell me about that one time when you worked really hard and someone stole your idea and got credit for it, or when you jumped in and took on an extra project and didn't get your pat on the back. I say "boo hoo". Get over it.
If you want to succeed you have to give your all, all the time. If you want to succeed you have to be the one to step forward and seek additional responsibilities even if they come with some risk. As I'm sure you've heard "nobody ever laid on their deathbed and wished they had played it more safe in their lives". I'm not saying do something crazy to endanger your career. I'm just sayin', you aren't going to get noticed punching that ticket in every morning at 9 and punching it out at 5 and having nothing but mediocrity to show for it in between.
As some of you may know, I am an active duty servicemember. When I am asked by a more junior Soldier "how" to get promoted I always tell them the same thing, "take it". Of course, I usually get the blank stare in return. The truth though is, while you cannot physically force people to promote you or give you a raise (unless you're in the types of businesses that don't pay taxes, then um, I figure you don't need my help), you can give them so many compelling reasons why you are the right person when that next raise or that next promotion comes along that your boss simply can't ignore it.
If you want to be an executive with your company for example, find out what requirements and qualifications one must have. See yourself already in that position. Carry yourself with that aura. Place yourself in situations to interact with those individuals in the executive jobs in your company or even other companies if necessary. Learn everything you need to learn, then become such a value-add to your company that you literally "take" that promotion or raise.
I'm sure you'll tell me "it's not that simple Jose". Actually, it is that simple. Even if all your hard work doesn't necessarily open up opportunities at your current occupation, how much more qualified will you be to search employment at your desired level elsewhere if you are already performing at that level? So you see it is that simple.
This is the year of getting it done friends. Times a-tickin'. All things in your future are possible right now, it all just depends on what path you take. Walk into your office energized tomorrow. Show your boss you are responsible and willing to take on challenges. Be positive and encouraging to your peers and also to your subordinates if you have any. Be loyal to your leadership and support them. They're human too (although I'm sure some of you may wonder somedays). They have their worries, doubts, and fears just like we all do.
You can do this! I believe in you; you just have to believe in yourself!
People will soon start to go back to their old ways at work as well; the old "do the same thing expecting something different and when it doesn't happen blame the boss or the company" routine. Sadly many of us Americans feel we are "entitled" to success. Many of us expect our companies to reward us for our mediocrity and get upset when we aren't rewarded. We sure have some gall don't we?
There's an old story which has been told since the days when the railroads were king in America. A group of laborers were working on a junction in the middle of nowhere in the summer heat when a high-class private passenger train drove by. The train stopped for the engineer to check with the laborers whether it was safe to continue. One of the passengers looked out the window and saw one of the laborers and said "Dave is that you?" The laborer replied "Yeah it's me Tom". The wealthy gentleman who was on the train invited Dave to his private boxcar to talk in the air conditioned luxury. After what seemed like an hour, Dave came back out, and the engineer got the train going again. As the train disappeared around a bend in the distance, the laborers were eager to find out why Dave had been invited into the boxcar to talk to the wealthy man. One of them said "Dave, do you know who that is? That is Thomas Clark Durant, the owner of the Union Pacific Railroad (the first cross-continental railroad in America). How do you know him?" Dave said "Tom's my buddy, we started working for the railroad the same day". Bewildered, the laborers asked "but Dave, how is it that he is the owner of the railroad while you are still a laborer?" Dave answered, "I came to work for $3 dollars a day, Tom came to work for the Railroad".
Friends, most adults work 40 hour weeks. They work their normal hours, doing the same exact thing, and expect something different to come their way. Thomas Clark Durant put thousands of hours of time, energy, and ultimately his own finances into the railroad. He worked hard to get the most out of his time with it and ultimately became the owner of the company. He gave more thus he got more. Crazy idea right?
I'm sure you'll tell me about that one time when you worked really hard and someone stole your idea and got credit for it, or when you jumped in and took on an extra project and didn't get your pat on the back. I say "boo hoo". Get over it.
If you want to succeed you have to give your all, all the time. If you want to succeed you have to be the one to step forward and seek additional responsibilities even if they come with some risk. As I'm sure you've heard "nobody ever laid on their deathbed and wished they had played it more safe in their lives". I'm not saying do something crazy to endanger your career. I'm just sayin', you aren't going to get noticed punching that ticket in every morning at 9 and punching it out at 5 and having nothing but mediocrity to show for it in between.
As some of you may know, I am an active duty servicemember. When I am asked by a more junior Soldier "how" to get promoted I always tell them the same thing, "take it". Of course, I usually get the blank stare in return. The truth though is, while you cannot physically force people to promote you or give you a raise (unless you're in the types of businesses that don't pay taxes, then um, I figure you don't need my help), you can give them so many compelling reasons why you are the right person when that next raise or that next promotion comes along that your boss simply can't ignore it.
If you want to be an executive with your company for example, find out what requirements and qualifications one must have. See yourself already in that position. Carry yourself with that aura. Place yourself in situations to interact with those individuals in the executive jobs in your company or even other companies if necessary. Learn everything you need to learn, then become such a value-add to your company that you literally "take" that promotion or raise.
I'm sure you'll tell me "it's not that simple Jose". Actually, it is that simple. Even if all your hard work doesn't necessarily open up opportunities at your current occupation, how much more qualified will you be to search employment at your desired level elsewhere if you are already performing at that level? So you see it is that simple.
This is the year of getting it done friends. Times a-tickin'. All things in your future are possible right now, it all just depends on what path you take. Walk into your office energized tomorrow. Show your boss you are responsible and willing to take on challenges. Be positive and encouraging to your peers and also to your subordinates if you have any. Be loyal to your leadership and support them. They're human too (although I'm sure some of you may wonder somedays). They have their worries, doubts, and fears just like we all do.
You can do this! I believe in you; you just have to believe in yourself!
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