All right, it's time for someone to talk to you like a grown up.
It's time for you to understand that the success you're trying to achieve has very little to do with other people and is completely inherent on YOU.
It's time for you to understand that the world is not made up of people "with connections" who work hard to keep people like you down.
Well, that last line is a bit untrue-- we do have secret societies, we talk about what a loser you are behind your back and we spend countless hours strategizing ways to make you fail. Or maybe, and more likely, you do that yourself.
First, be honest with yourself.
HOW HARD ARE YOU REALLY WORKING TOWARDS YOUR GOAL? And DO you even know what that goal is?
In my business I meet with clients, big clients, big clients in big offices in big cities. I walk through these offices and you know what I see each and every time?
People sitting in their cubicles wasting time.
I see people on Amazon shopping. I see people on eBay shopping. I see people on Facebook or Twitter updating their status "I am working now"-- actually no you're not you're on Facebook.
Face that cold hard reality-- are you really working towards your goal?
I don't dig social media. I waste enough of my own time trying to decide which Dave Matthews album I'm going to listen to next, I don't need the distraction of my sister's Facebook postings of my Uncle Dave's retirement party to keep me from working.
I do use LINKEDIN-- and this is why right here:
THE SEVEN THINGS SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE WILL NEVER SAY.
I love articles like these--- because they are completely on the money.
I'm going to add three of my own to bring it up to Ten so I can get two week's worth of posts out about this.
So each day I'll present one for your consideration, and if you're honest you'll look yourself in the mirror and ask "Is this me?"
1. WE JUST NEED A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP. I cannot tell you how many times I've heard employees blame the boss. I can tell you that almost to a fault each and every time said leadership changed those same exact employees bemoan the direction the new leaders are taking the company in. Be careful what you wish for.
If you don't like the leadership take a leadership role. Strive to be the boss. Strive to be the person who gets to make the decisions, but learn how to operate within the system. NO boss is receptive to an employee who makes it clear from the outset that they are not a team player and their single goal is to overthrow that boss. He or she has the power, you need to get the power.
Real life; when I was in the supermarket business I once worked for a District Manager I nicknamed Diaper Man. I called him that (behind his back) because he would come through the store ahead of the president and owner's of the company and literally pee in his pants out of nervousness. He was a wreck. I swear I remember him popping heart pills during one inspection.
I would react in a calm and reassuring manner, I would make it clear to him that I would ensure the visit would go smoothly, I behaved in a way that showed confidence and I delivered what I promised.
He was so appreciative of my efforts he gave me a big promotion. A few years later, and using the same strategy of understanding what my new bosses were looking for I continued on to success until I was above Diaper man in rank. I never belittled him or his nervousness, and even as his superior I still behaved in a calm and reassuring manner around him, it made him a better person and it gave us a solid relationship.
Making him feel inferior, even though I felt his methods at the time were ineffective, would have never gotten him on my side, and it would have created an animosity which would have found us at odds for the entire length of our service. Instead, I took the opportunity and improved it.
TOMORROW: #2
