Tell the Truth; Fulfill Your Commitments; Never Give Up; Stay the Course; Honor Your (Father/Mother); Love Your Self;
Do Your Job.
The best advice is almost always the simplest, comprised of the fewest words, the most basic principles, and carrying the most profound kernels of truth. The timeless power of simple messaging is evident today in the undeniable influence of social media apps like Twitter and Vine.
Let's poke a bit at the last one above, which I think is the
Best Career Advice Ever:
Do Your Job.
Have you ever received that advice when seeking counsel on how to further your career or grow your stature within your company? If you have been told that and thought it dismissive or trite, I urge you to take heed of it once again. There is enormous value and power in becoming known as someone who gets the job done.
If you struggle to understand exactly what to do with advice like that, it might mean that there are some roadblocks getting in your way of fully understanding what your job is, or how to perform it, or both.
Try this exercise on yourself and then have
everyone on your team do it:
EXERCISE: Tie your job title to no more than a
3-word deliverable
Some Examples:
Sales Associate = Close Qualified Business
Customer Service Manager = Retain Profitable Customers
Business Development Manager = Expand Company Reach
Trade Show Booth Model = Attract Buyer's Attention
CEO = Achieve Corporate Mission
Procurement Specialist = Buy Necessities Intelligently
Barber = Improve Men's Image
Salon Wash Girl = Prepare Women for Transformation
College Student = Prepare for Life
Executive Coach = Improve Professional Performance
Sunday School Teacher = Inspire Spiritual Growth
Be attentive to your team's approach and output from this exercise:
- Look for patterns of similarity - as that will be about your leadership
- Uncover areas of inconsistency - as that will be about their individual capabilities
- Pay attention to any struggles encountered doing the exercise: as you are positioned to fix or exacerbate them.
- Find those who had no struggle with the exercise: as they reflect the qualities you want to amplify as you develop your team's talent pool.
If you are thinking that your position, company, or industry is much too complex to skinny down to 3 words, I would respectfully push back on you and say: you're focusing on the complexities of your job and missing the essence of it...and you may just have uncovered what might be holding you back.
