The Ultimate Career Builder
THE ULTIMATE CAREER BUILDER.
See full color web version at: http://www.SeniorManagementServices.com/pvt-105-career-builder.html
Last week, I discussed "Success is no Accident."
My message was that according to research, most businesses fail because of "management incompetence" and the solution is for management to build success into its business processes. I outlined a 7-step process for doing that.
I concluded with the question:
If what I've said is true for businesses, what is true for individual employees? For employees, again, I say, "Success Is No Accident."
I call this week's PVT, "The Ultimate Career Builder." It is a logical extension of last week's topic.
============================================================ How would you answer these 3 quest'ions? ============================================================
I recently received an email that said,
"Here are some sobering numbers from M0NEY Magazine, April 2005: 1 of 4 employees age 35 to 45 and 1 of 2 over 45 have been in the same job for more than 10 years!"
While we can imagine that some of those people love their jobs, I'm sure many are just plain stuck!
So, let us brainstorm three quest'ions:
What are the PROBLEMS with being stuck in a job? WHY does someone get stuck in a job? HOW can you get unstuck, even promoted to a new job?
============================================================ What are some of the problems with being stuck in a job? ============================================================
Have you ever been stuck in a job? I have. What are some of the problems?
Boredom - the job has become "old hat," same old routine day after day.
Can't stand the job, looks hopeless, uninspired, can't wait to leave each day.
No chance for advancement; can't see a way out.
Not making enough m0ney; only token raises, few and far between.
Just getting by; feel like a flunky.
Feeling trapped, unappreciated, no one cares that you're doing a great job.
Loss of self-respect.
_____ (Can you think of more problems? - list them here). _____ _____ _____
All too often, employees must learn their jobs from other employees or they are forced to depend on muddled, out-of-date printed instructions.
Often, there is little or no training. Often, employees don't even know when they have done a good job. What may be acceptable one day is unacceptable the next because the boss is having a bad day.
============================================================ WHY do people get stuck in a job? ============================================================
Again, let's brainstorm some possible reasons.
Personal atrophy and lost ambition.
Stopped learning, no advanced training.
NEEDing the mo'ney, health insur'ance, and the illusion of "job security".
Stick it out until things get better, better hang on to what you've got.
Can't afford to quit.
Company in stagnation, not growing, not innovating.
No time to look for a better job.
Boss doesn't like or appreciate you.
Politics instead of performance.
Not promotable.
Management not building the company.
No leadership.
But, you can "retire" in just 17 more years!
_____ (list more reasons here). _____ _____ _____
Sure, the job of management is leadership. And, management should take responsibility to discover the barriers that prevent employees from taking pride in what they do.
Employees know what these barriers are:
Emphasis on quotas and numbers instead of quality.
Emphasis on speed instead of quality.
A deaf ear to employee's suggestions, stifling creativity.
Too much time spent on rework.
Poor tools.
Problems with incoming materials, etc.
Of course, one of the reasons people get stuck is they BELIEVE they have a dead-end job -- instead of an opportun'ity to grow.
But, I say one of the main reasons is that employees protect their job by keeping how-to-do-it a se'cret. This tactic may make you irreplaceable, but simultaneously, it makes you unpromotable! You can't be promoted until you can be replaced!
============================================================ HOW can you get unstuck, even promoted to a new job? ============================================================
Let me say again. You can't be promoted until you can be replaced!
Unless and until someone can take over your job, that's where you'll stay, all things being equal. But, here's what you can do.
Whether you're a shag boy, supervisor, manager, or executive -- instead of thinking of yourself as your Job Title -- think of yourself as someone committed to Business Development.
That's right! Effective immediately, you can develop and apply Business Development techniques to get unstuck.
To do this, you will need to work ON your business as you work IN your business. At first, your mind may resist this whole idea of Business Development.
"I don't know how!" "I don't have time!" "Why should I care, it's not MY business!" "I am working too hard as it is!" "Why should I? My boss won't appreciate it!"
I understand. But for n0w, assume your business is your job. So, instead of being a _____ (Job Title), your job is n0w Business Development. N0w, you can take the same 7-step process (below) I suggested last week and apply them to your job.
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1. Assess current conditions to determine where you want to go (call it market research if you like).
2. Communicate your intentions (promote your purposes)
3. Organize resources for producing your product
4. Produce your product.
5. Qualify your product.
6. Distribute your product.
7. (Return to step 1.)
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"But wait," you say, "my product is widgets. I supervise Widget Makers. I don't understand!"
Let me
clarify. Your title is Supervisor of Widget Makers. Those widgets are your COMMODITIES. Under Business Development, your product is your JOB!
That means, you must document your job so someone else can take it over and succeed. You must document how-to-do-it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "If you can't describe what you are doing as a process, you don't know what you're doing." --W. Edwards Deming (1900 - 1993) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This will actually free' you from that job so you can move to another one. In other words, you turn your job into a turnkey SYSTEM for producing the required results.
I call that documented, turnkey system an Operations Manual.
Once you do that, you can be promoted out of your current job! (Remember that you were thrilled when you first got your job. Your replacement will be thrilled to take your job so you can move on.)
You win: Your replacement wins. Your boss wins. What could be better? Plus, you'll be a hero for helping to develop and streamline the business!
Here's why I call this process the Ultimate Career Builder.
You can repeat this process a few times, training people as you go, as you move up the ladder.
See my more detailed flowchart at: http://www.SeniorManagementServices.com/Images/7-steps-flowchart.gif
This way you become a business builder, set a positive example for others, and take charge of your own pro-motion. You show the way. You become a leader. And you reap the rewards with integrity.
============================================================ OK, let's review. ============================================================
We examined the problems with being stuck in a job. We looked at WHY people get stuck in a job, and HOW to get unstuck, even promoted to a new job.
As I stated, Success is no Accident. You can create success on purpose starting with your job, whether you're at the bottom, in the middle, or on top of your organization! I showed a proven 7-step procedure.
You can take these ideas and run with them. Or you can get my complete details on how-to-do-it in my new book called, "7 Easy Steps to your Raise and Promotion in 30-60 Days! The book smart bosses want their employees to read."
Here's what executives are saying about this book: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I've coached executives and entrepreneurs for many years and this is the first program I've ever seen that makes documenting a position or business easy. [...] I know many people who would ne'ver have been laid off if they'd had this program in place." -- Kathy Gillen, President GillenGroup Executive Coaching http://www.gillengroup.com
"The concept and the approach to put it to work are simple, effective and easy to implement. If I were starting a business, I'd put this kind of system into effect from the start, even before the first employee showed up!" --Noel Rodrigue, Consultant
"This isn't just a book for your next raise; it is a book for building an entire career. It can put a person of average intelligence and skills on the path to upper management in any company or institution... wish I had read this book 20 years ago. It would have changed my life." --Stew Walton, President, Sheaves, Inc. http://www.eSheaves.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more information about "7 Easy Steps to your Raise and Promotion in 30-60 Days! The book smart bosses want their employees to read," visit http://www.SeniorManagementServices.com/7-steps.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment." --Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You decide.
What did you learn today that you found most beneficial? How will you apply what you have learned at work? Comments are welcome. mailto:Mike@SeniorManagementServices.com
Until next week...
Best Regards,
Mike Hayden, Principal/Consultant Your partner in streamlining business.
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About the Author
Mike Hayden is Founder/CEO of Senior Management Services and the Documentation Express in Silicon Valley, California. Mr Hayden is the author of "7 Easy Steps to your Raise and Promotion in 30-60 Days! The book that smart bosses want their employees to read." ISBN 0-9723725-1-2. More articles at http://www.SeniorManagementServices.com/pvt-information.html
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