Tag Archive for: getting ahead

It’s time to change – Your Business 2.0

, , , ,

The Brady Bunch sang “when it’s time to change, then it’s time to change, from who you are into what you’re gonna be.”

How is your business going to change AFTER the COVID-19 crisis and things begin to look a little more normal?

You’ve been forced to learn, adapt, and change with some level of success or failure to face the current reality. We are all waiting to get back to normal.

But normal is going to look a little different. Customer and team member expectations will change. New products and services will be born and old ones will fade away.  We may have new rules and regulations.  What worked before may not be sufficient or desirable tomorrow.

The question becomes “How will you make your company better based on your experience during the crisis?”  You need to begin thinking about how you re-envision your company’s future, what your business version 2.0 looks like.

If you aren’t thinking about this yet, you should be. You will have to answer this sooner than you think.

We are here to help.  Contact us at https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmatt/ or https://opalpg.com/contact-us/

/0 Comments/by

Gain more by giving away

, ,

“I’m too busy.”

“I don’t have time.”

“I have too many priorities fighting for my attention.”

Sound familiar?

In times where we are expected to do more with less and where immediate isn’t fast enough, we’ve all felt that way.

It’s worse when we think we must do it all ourselves.

That kind of thinking will make you less effective.  We all have the same amount of time in a given day.  There is only so much you can do, and while you can always do a little more, studies show diminishing returns for each extra hour worked; less time sleeping leads to increased mistakes and negative affects on health.

What is the solution?  Delegation.

The Oxford Dictionary defines delegate as entrusting a responsibility to another person.

There are several benefits to learning the art of delegation.  First of all, it allows you to have more time to do those things that only you can do.

Secondly, it helps you develop employees.  To effectively delegate, you have to clearly define the task, communicate the objectives, and explain its importance.  This gives the employee insight on the business they may not otherwise have.

Delegation also allows an employee to demonstrate skills you weren’t aware they had or to develop skills necessary for them to advance in their career.  Delegation is a key component of investing in your high-potential employees.

Delegation allows you to focus on what is most important for your business.  Effective leaders don’t allow their time and effort to be consumed by things than can be handled by others.  The more senior your role, the less time you spend “doing” and more time thinking and communicating.

By delegating, you maximize your efforts on those things that only you can and must do.  At the same time, you are building a stronger team, demonstrating trust, and teaching skills by allowing them to try new things.  Your company benefits because you are creating an environment where everyone is challenged and to put their skills to their highest and best use.

Stop trying to do it all yourself.  You’ll get more done by giving tasks away.

/0 Comments/by

It’s all in HOW you do it

“What do I need to do to I move up in the organization?” Whether I’m mentoring people just starting out in their careers or coaching an employee one-on-one, that is an often-asked question. Many assume learning a new product or service, earning certifications, or going back to school is the answer. I encourage people to always look for opportunities to learn more about life, work, and the world around us, and while that is well and good, it may not be the best way to move up the ladder in your career if that is your primary reason for learning.

Often it is not what you do, but rather how you do it that makes you successful and gives you new opportunities.

Yes, it is important to be competent and knowledgeable about your job and your industry. That’s the cost of admission. Unless you are entering a company or a role as an intern or in a training program, you must have the basic skills to perform the job or build upon them. And you should continue to grow those skills as you mature in the role.

If you don’t have the expertise needed for the role you hold and training doesn’t help, you won’t be in it very long – if your manager is doing his or her job. I contend that most people have the ability to learn and become proficient in new skills too and to move to new responsibilities within the organization that are different from the role in which they started. A younger worker may try out several different roles in different companies before discovering his gifts and passion.

So, if most employees have a set of applicable skills, why do some seem to move forward in their careers while others stagnate? The ones moving forward have figured out that attitude matters. That’s right – how you do your job is as important as what you do in your job.

Say what? Clocking in and taking care of my responsibilities isn’t enough? No, not if you want to be more valuable to the organization. Think of the people you admire at work and the ones who get ahead — what do you see in them? I expect you see people who do some of the following:

They have integrity. Their actions are always above board. They don’t do or say things that make you question their character.

They hold themselves and others accountable. They plainly say what they will do and then do what they say.

They lend a hand. If they can pitch in and do something to help someone else, they do. Everyone needs help sometime to meet a ridiculous deadline or deal with an urgent issue.

They realize that everyone in the company is on the same team. Everyone in the company is trying to do their part to make the company successful regardless of their role.

They know that every job and every person in the company is important. And they treat everyone with respect because of that fact. If the job weren’t important, it wouldn’t exist.

They volunteer. They take on special projects that aren’t necessarily part of their job. They teach others. They plan the next company outing. They decorate the office for the holidays and bring breakfast for the team.

They have a winning attitude. And it’s contagious.

They make mistakes. They make mistakes because they are trying hard and looking for better ways to do things, and they won’t always get it right the first time.

Take an inventory of yourself at work. If you want to move your career forward, are you focusing on what you do or how you do it?

/0 Comments/by