These things didn’t work
Imagine, if you will, two individuals with equal intelligence and equal ability entering the marketplace.
Both given the same opportunities,
what causes one individual to achieve average success,
and the other to excel, really excel,
……………………………. possibly to Greatness!?
I used to ask myself these questions.
I went to work everyday. I showed up on time, I kept my uniform looking good. I learned all the basics of my job. I even went the extra mile to learn the details of each component task that contributed to the quality of the final product. Quality was, in fact, an important piece to the overall objective of the Company. If the quality wasn’t 100% accurate, the reputation of the company was severely damaged. Every detail was important.
My employer seemed to recognize my competance, the Company was flourishing, the bosses were happy, but I was miserable.
I had been with the same company for four or five years. I had a good relationship with my co-workers and my immediate supervisors. Why then was I always passed by for promotion? Oftentimes the Comany would hire upper management from outside the Company. I had even seen individuals that I had worked alongside, advancing in the Company, ahead of me.
What was wrong? I did a better job than most of them. Maybe if I had worked a little harder, worked more hours, or had been a more dedicated employee, I would have been recognized for what I was worth.
Or maybe not!
I was already one of the hardest workers. I put in the extra time. I was a model employee!
These things didn’t work!
They don’t work!
As it turned out, these were exactly the things that were holding me back.
Was I destined to remain miserable, underappreciated and underpaid ?
I was frustrated.
It was at this low time in my career that I discovered an important lesson.
No matter how hard I tried to succeed, I would not receive what I wanted, until I changed something internally.
It was still important to keep doing all the little things that made up my job,
But,
instead of wasting energy on further improving my job skills, (they were about as good as they could get ), I needed to focus on something inside.
I needed to focus on Me.
I needed to improve Me.
I needed to become more Valuable.
I needed to help others become more Valuable.
I short, I needed to develop my training skills, my relationship skills, my leadership skills.
I learned two very important lessons that eventually helped me move my career forward::
“ EVERY LEVEL OF ADVANCEMENT DEMANDS A NEW YOU. “
and
” LEARN TO WORK HARDER ON YOURSELF, than you do on the Job! “
I wish you every good wish,
On the Road to Greatness,
On the Road to Your Greatest Self.
Bill
