Tactics to Triumph in Tough Times
I launched my corporate career over 30 years ago when I accepted an entry level position in a corporation with over 114,000 employees. When I retired from that very same company in 2006, it had only 14,000 employees.
The first half of my career was wave after wave of layoffs, divestitures, restructurings and even a Chapter 13 filing. The second half included several industry downturns, more layoffs, consolidations, expansions and contractions. The bottom line is that "tough times" are not new. And neither are the keys to thriving in them!
Not only did some of us figure out how to survive tough times, but we learned how to thrive in them as well. It was the opportunities that only tough times bring that enabled me to rise from entry level to the top of the house. The following are my personal Tactics to Triumph in Tough Times based on my experience.
Tactic #1) Be a Star! Many around you will hunker down in tough times, trying not to bring attention to themselves for fear of being added to "the list". This is exactly your opportunity to step up and stand out remembering the three P's:
Perform! Great performance is where it all starts- it is the Triumph pre-requisite.
Positive Energy! Be the person who brings great
energy into the room, the office, the organization- it's beyond positive attitude, it is positivity in action!
Proactive! Be the person who fills in the white
spaces between the boxes on the org chart. In all
of my years doing so, I never once had someone say
to me, "No, please stop. All that work that you are
doing should really be mine".
Tactic #2) Do the real work of work. The real work of work is relationships. Make sure that you are investing what it takes to have the relationships you need to achieve the goals of your business. Influence and the ability to get things done all come from the credibility and trust that is only afforded to you through relationships.
Tactic #3) "One Up" your game! Always work, dress, behave, lead and perform to the expectations of one level above where you are in the organization. Leaders will not look at you and think "If we promote him/her to the next level, I am sure he/she will step up to it". They promote you to the next level because that see that you are already being it!
Lastly, to truly triumph at all times, love what you do and do what you love! Staying in love, whether its with what we do for a living or the people that we live with, does not happen on its own. It is a conscious choice that we make each and every day! Choose it and you too will see the opportunities in your tough times.
Coming soon! A more in-depth "e-book" look at this topic!
