Participants: Eric Kelly (Host)
Series Code: WTD
Program Code: WTD000004A
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00:30 Hi, welcome to "Working the Dream"
00:35 I'm your host Eric Kelly and today we're going to 00:37 share tips on how your performance 00:41 can pave the way to further career success. 00:44 Years ago, I was blessed to learn from a mentor, 00:47 from Atlanta, Georgia, the unwritten rules 00:50 of career success. 00:52 Now the acronym for the unwritten rules of success 00:55 that I'm going to share is: "PIES" 01:01 Please don't get these confused with the kind that we 01:05 demolish at Thanksgiving. 01:07 But these are going to be the kind that ensure 01:10 that at work we are successful. 01:13 Let me share what PIES stands for... 01:15 The first letter is for "P" - performance. 01:18 We must be known as good performers. 01:21 The second letter is for... "I" - image, 01:24 and that image - does it match the image of the organization 01:28 that you're working for? 01:29 The third letter is... "E" - exposure. 01:32 How many people know you and how many people know 01:35 you positively? 01:37 And the last letter is... "S" - spirituality. 01:40 The other letters don't matter if you don't have that one. 01:44 Okay, let's look at it... 01:47 Excellent performance is the price of entry 01:51 in today's workplace. 01:53 Now, here's the funny thing... 01:54 People say, "Price of entry - yes," 01:57 unless you are a good performer, you'll get fired 02:03 because companies only want to pay for people 02:06 that get their job done. 02:08 They only want good performers, so, how do I get there? 02:12 Well, great performance starts with picking a field 02:16 that you want to work in and picking something 02:20 that you will enjoy doing for a long time. 02:24 You see, if you are just doing something for the money, 02:28 you probably will not be nearly as engaged as if you were 02:32 in a profession that you have a passion for. 02:35 Let me share a story that illustrates what I mean. 02:39 Several years ago, there were some students that 02:41 complained to the leaders of their university that something 02:45 was wrong with their education. 02:47 You see, these students had chosen fields of study 02:52 based on what they thought those positions in those 02:55 fields would pay when they graduated. 02:58 I mean, they went to the internet and they put in 03:01 the position they were studying to have and they looked 03:04 at the pay grades and they said, "Ha, ha, these jobs 03:08 are going to be at the very top of the pay grade." 03:11 Now, here's reality, 4 or 5 years later, the work landscape 03:17 was nothing similar to what they had started. 03:21 In fact, some of the jobs had been sent overseas; 03:25 some of the jobs had been completely changed 03:29 or eliminated due to technology. 03:33 Imagine a typewriter repair specialist now versus 03:39 50 years ago - I mean, technology changes so fast, 03:42 what you think is going to happen, it may be gone, 03:45 so at the end of these students' studies, 03:48 the job markets had changed so drastically, 03:51 that they were no longer going to be in the 03:54 top paid professions. 03:56 Now, let's not feel sorry for them... 03:58 they got their degrees, they were educated, 04:00 and they were going to have some pretty good, 04:02 well-paying jobs. 04:04 But the moral of the story is... to enjoy what you do, 04:09 pick a field that you are truly going to enjoy working in, 04:13 and your passion is going to come out of your performance. 04:16 There's nothing worse to running into somebody at work, 04:20 and they say, "They don't pay me enough money to do this job." 04:24 So, let's look in on our friend, Ron, and determine how his 04:28 performance might be viewed by his upper management team. 04:39 Ah, hey Ms. Green... 04:40 Hey Ron... I need the revenue projections for next quarter 04:44 for all business segments, how quickly can I get them? 04:47 I can have them for you in 5 minutes if you need me to. 04:49 Now did you want those with the Hillsdale account on there 04:53 or without - since that contract is still pending, 04:56 it could greatly affect our revenue and run rates. 04:59 So, I took the liberty of creating both scenarios. 05:02 Ahh... good work! 05:04 Yeah, I'd like to take a good look at both of them 05:07 and I think Mr. Martin would appreciate analyzing the impact 05:11 the accounts on the company, so YEAH - good work! 05:15 Thanks, no problem. 05:17 Oh, Ms. Green, do you want those in the spiral bindings? 05:21 I can run down to office support and have them do it for you. 05:24 Ron, you think of everything, don't you? 05:26 That's a good idea, excellent job! 05:29 Good! 05:40 Did you notice how Ron was proactive as he talked about 05:44 what was expected? 05:46 He asked questions to ensure that he did what would 05:51 satisfy Ms. Green. 05:53 Do you notice that he made sure that whatever it is 05:56 she wanted, he had a clear expectation in his mind 06:01 before he took off. 06:02 You see, he understands if Ms. Green is happy, 06:05 and if he delivers, he gets that BIG gold star... 06:10 And by the way, Big Gold Star performances... ha, ha, 06:14 they create manager comfort when assigning bigger 06:18 and better and more important projects to employees. 06:22 The more important the project, the more value that you have 06:26 as an employee. 06:28 Now in contrast, let's look in on Kim and see how 06:32 she's handling her work assignments. 06:36 Girl, I didn't finish the episode though, I feel asleep. 06:40 Anyway, finish telling me about this date you were on. 06:42 No way, who takes a girl out on a romantic dinner to a 06:47 fast food restaurant? That's just craziness! 06:50 Oh hey, I gotta go, the evil ice-queen is on her way, bye. 06:53 Good afternoon, Kim. 06:56 Hi Ms. Green - I love those shoes, they really compliment 07:00 your outfit well. Thanks 07:02 You were supposed to get the 07:03 Winkler Supplemental Report to me. 07:06 Yes, I am still working on it. 07:07 What's the hold up? 07:09 Is it systems? Have people been too 07:11 slow in getting you the information? 07:13 I... uh.. uh.. 07:15 Look, it was due last Friday, this is the fourth Wednesday 07:21 of the month - you know that every fourth Thursday 07:24 we have an executive team meeting about this project. 07:28 I need that report. 07:29 I know Ms. Green, I'm so sorry. 07:31 And you know what, I'm working on it and 07:33 it's just that with the special projects and the quarterly 07:36 reports all due at the same time, it's... 07:38 This is an opportunity for you to shine and get recognized 07:41 by the executives, Kim. 07:43 I know, Ms. Green... You know what, 07:45 I'll have it for you by tomorrow morning! 07:47 No. I need it tonight. 07:49 Before you go home, I need that report. 07:52 So, you may stay late. Okay, Ms. Green. 07:55 I understand. 07:57 Thanks dear. 08:00 "Thanks dear." 08:09 WOW! 08:10 I'm sure you're going to agree with me... 08:12 Kim's future - is about as secure as a germ 08:15 at a Lysol convention. 08:17 Her boss has no confidence in her whatsoever, 08:21 and she's so disingenuous when she's talking to her boss. 08:25 I'm pretty sure, Ms. Green, she's not feeling 08:28 good about her work performance. 08:30 You see, in performance, there's only one answer that's 08:34 ever acceptable and it is, "Yes, I got it done." 08:37 Performance is expected. 08:39 Now, we are fans of performers. 08:42 Just a few weeks ago, I got sucked into an argument 08:46 of who was the greatest basketball player 08:49 to ever play the game. 08:51 Michael Jordan versus LeBron James... 08:54 And we argued and we argued performance stats, 08:57 and we talked about who did what when 08:59 and what years they did it. 09:01 Well they were all younger than me and I sprung the 09:04 Dr. Jay answer on them and they 09:06 had no idea who I was talking about. 09:07 But here's the reality, whether it's sports, football, 09:10 basketball, golf, hockey, soccer, it doesn't matter, 09:14 we only talk about performers, the best performers. 09:19 Sports performers who cannot perform are dismissed 09:23 from the team... it's the same in the workplace. 09:26 Your performance is going to be proportionate to your 09:30 ability to get other people to cooperate and work with you. 09:34 Now, I was in an office one time, 09:37 doing my little consulting work and I walked past 09:40 an area where people were walking and talking and working. 09:43 So, I watched a supervisor take some work over to a 09:48 worker, but it seemed like the supervisor 09:51 was a little afraid to go there. 09:52 In fact, I actually heard the employee say, 09:56 "I know you're not trying to give me more work, are you?" 10:00 "Hmm," I thought to myself. 10:03 Uh, the supervisor can only give you work, hm, at work 10:09 which we go to work, so that we can work, 10:14 and we get paid for working. 10:16 So, yeah, of course the supervisor is bringing you 10:20 more work - where else would she bring you work? At home? 10:24 Now I thought about this person and wondered... 10:26 "I wonder how they're viewed," and I'm pretty sure 10:31 I don't have to wonder how they're viewed in the workplace. 10:34 They're not really ready to perform. 10:37 So here's what I want you to do... 10:39 I want you to grab a pen and paper and I want you to 10:42 take a performance quiz and if you have somebody that knows 10:47 you really well, have them around also 10:50 because I would like for them to help you give 10:54 the right answers. 10:56 Now, if you're ready, here we go... 10:59 Okay, true or false... are you ready? Good! 11:03 #1. My assignments are completed on a timely basis. 11:11 #2. I am always seeking to expand my skills. 11:16 #3. I belong to a professional organization or group 11:21 that supports my career goals. 11:23 #4. I present solutions to my boss, teacher or professor 11:29 instead of problems. 11:31 #5. I take on new projects, new responsibility without 11:37 hesitation. 11:38 #6. I work hard to make my boss look good. 11:42 #7. My work is neat, clear and thorough, usually more 11:48 than what is required. 11:49 #8. I'm willing to sign my name to any work I complete. 11:54 #9. I am continually seeking new challenges. 11:59 And the final question... 12:01 #10. I readily assist my peers even when not asked. 12:05 Now some of you might say, "Does this make a difference?" 12:10 Let's look at the first question... 12:11 "My assignments are completed on a timely basis." 12:16 Now let's look at what happens when the answer is "no." 12:21 I was in an office working with a client and the director 12:25 came out of the office and he said, "Tomorrow I have a 12:29 meeting with the vice president, a very important meeting." 12:32 But he had asked all of his direct reports for their 12:37 smaller reports - so that he could get ready to have his 12:40 meeting with the vice president. 12:42 Well only two out of six people had their 12:46 reports in on time. 12:47 So he stormed down the hall, brow was furrowed, 12:52 he walked into their office and said, "Where's that report?" 12:54 And people came up and said, "Oh, I forgot to get it to you." 12:57 And they quickly scurried to do something. 13:00 And he went to the next one... "Oh, I forgot to get it to you." 13:03 He went to the next office... "I forgot to get it to you." 13:07 Four times... On the way back, he passes me, he said, 13:10 "I need to fire them." 13:13 Now, if you're assignments are completed on a timely basis, 13:18 your boss has confidence that when they give you something, 13:21 it will be done when it needs to be done. 13:24 So imagine, when it's time to get a new assignment 13:27 or an assignment that has a lot of visibility, 13:30 would you give it to the ones who are late? 13:33 Or, would you give it to the person that gets 13:36 their stuff in on time? 13:37 Second question... "I am always seeking 13:42 to expand my skills." 13:44 Whether we like it or not, the world is changing 13:46 and new things are coming out all the time. 13:49 If you were a software expert 20 years ago, 13:53 I don't even know if we use any of the same stuff 13:55 we used 20 years ago. 13:57 So, how am I going to stay on top of my profession 14:00 if I'm not seeking to expand my skills and learn new things? 14:05 By the way, I've talked to people who have said, 14:08 "I just want to do my job and go home and nobody bother me." 14:13 Please wake up! Not going to happen. 14:16 See, the reason your skills need to expand is because 14:19 the people that are coming up the organization 14:22 have bigger and greater skills and sometimes, 14:25 just to stay comfortably where you are, 14:27 you need to be in the habit of expanding your skills 14:31 and your abilities. 14:33 Question #3... "I belong to a professional 14:38 organization or group that supports my career goals." 14:41 Now here's why that's important... 14:44 Let's say you are an up and coming accountant, 14:49 and you join a professional accounting organization, 14:53 think about the benefits of the networking. 14:55 There are going to be accountants that have 14:57 far more experience than you, so you're going to be able to 15:01 ask questions and get answers that you may not 15:03 be able to figure out on your own. 15:05 You're going to be at meetings where maybe there's a new 15:07 software package that comes out and all of the accountants 15:11 in your area are talking about it. 15:12 In this group, in this organization, you're going to 15:15 have access to information and that is going to make 15:19 an incredible difference to your career. 15:22 #4... "I present solutions instead of problems to my boss, 15:28 teacher or professor." 15:30 Now, there are going to be problems in the workplace, 15:34 but I had a pet peeve as a manager - when someone would 15:36 come into the office and say, "Hey boss, you have a problem," 15:41 and kind of plop it on my desk. 15:44 Do I have a problem or do WE have a problem? 15:47 Are you a member of this team? 15:49 You see, if you walk into the boss's office, the teacher's 15:51 office, whoever the authority figure is, 15:54 and all you do is present problems, 15:56 YOU are a problem. 15:59 However, if you walk in with this technique, here it goes... 16:02 "Boss, we have a problem... the problem is A, B, C, 16:06 but I believe I have a solution, it's D, E, F, 16:11 what do you think?" 16:12 At that point, you are no longer just a bringer of a problem, 16:17 you are also the problem-solver. 16:20 And, if you ever want to be perceived as an incredible 16:23 performer, be known as a problem-solver. 16:26 That's the greatest reputation you could have at work. 16:30 #5... "I take on new projects, new responsibilities without 16:36 hesitation." 16:37 Now this one might kill people if they're lazy... 16:41 simply because at work, you're going to get new 16:44 responsibilities, you're going to get new projects, 16:46 and supervisors and bosses that we work for - they want to 16:50 feel comfortable with giving us those projects. 16:53 They want to make sure that we're willing, we're able, 16:57 and we do it without hesitation. 16:59 Why should they have to beg us to take on new projects 17:03 and new responsibilities? 17:04 In fact, let's say that you're skilled at making your 17:08 supervisor take that project or responsibility 17:11 to somebody else, guess who gets the visibility 17:15 when the project is done? That person! 17:18 Long-term - THAT person is who is valued. 17:22 So, I want to make sure that if my supervisor 17:25 needs me to do absolutely ANYTHING, 17:27 if it's within my skill set, I'm going to do it 17:30 without hesitation. 17:32 Now, question #6... this was a little difficult for me to 17:37 handle for a while. 17:38 Question #6 simply says, "I work hard to make my boss look good." 17:44 The first time I met my mentor, we went into a session, 17:47 a training session and he was an incredible leader, 17:51 an incredible communicator and he had 12-15 of us 17:56 young, professionals and we believed we were going to be 17:59 upwardly mobile... 18:01 He said, "Gentleman, what is your purpose at work?" 18:05 Well we started coming up with all sorts of answers... 18:09 "My purpose is to bring new ideas." 18:11 And someone else said, "My purpose is to bring 18:14 my creativity and problem solving skills... 18:17 and each answer was more outlandish than the next. 18:21 And each time someone gave an answer, in is calm way, 18:23 he would simply say, "No sir, that's not it." 18:27 Well at the end of all these answers... 18:29 which went from the ridiculous to the sublime, 18:32 he simply said, "Gentleman, you have one purpose at work, 18:37 and that's to make your boss look good." 18:40 What? Our sole purpose is to make our boss look good. 18:46 Well, here is the rationale and it makes so much sense, 18:49 and after all these years, I will tell you, 18:50 it is true... the workplace is built on hierarchies. 18:54 There's the CEO, above him there's the chairman 18:57 of the board; below the CEO there are vice presidents; 19:01 then there are directors and senior managers, 19:04 and managers and so forth. 19:05 And everybody that's in that pyramid is looking to do well 19:10 so they can move up. 19:12 So, anybody that works for them, that makes them look good, 19:16 becomes an asset that they value. 19:20 So, if I work hard to make my boss look good, 19:23 who is valued? 19:25 In fact, if they have to make a choice during a merger 19:27 or a downsizing, who do you think we should keep 19:30 and the list of people includes someone 19:33 that makes them look good? 19:34 Human nature, tell me what do you think their 19:38 choices might be? 19:39 Question #7... "My work is neat, clear and thorough, 19:45 usually more than what is required." 19:48 Now it's the last part that throws folks... 19:50 A lot of folks can be relatively neat and clear, 19:54 but when you are giving more than what is required, 19:57 you are a standout employee because most 20:01 employees - they probably aren't going to do that. 20:04 Now remember, whatever work you turn into your boss, 20:07 they may be moving that upstairs to their boss, 20:10 so the better your work product is, the better 20:13 their work is and that's again something that they 20:17 praise and pride in a valued employee. 20:21 Question #8... "I am willing to sign my name 20:24 to any work I complete." 20:27 When things are thrown together and just, you know, 20:30 hodgepodge and just a mess, do you really want to 20:34 sign your name to it? 20:35 Because when you sign your name to it, 20:37 that's how you are going to be viewed. 20:40 #9... "I am continually seeking new challenges." 20:44 There is no such thing as treading water in a career. 20:49 Either you're getting better and you're learning more 20:51 or you're getting passed by everyone else. 20:54 Look for new challenges daily, God wants us to grow. 20:59 And 10 is - "I readily assist my peers even when not asked. 21:07 Now when I think about that, wouldn't Christ want us 21:11 to help the people around us? 21:13 So it's not just a business principle, 21:16 this one kind of comes from a higher power. 21:19 Now, does it make a difference? 21:21 Well, let's uh, let's see... 21:26 Phone dialing and ringing... 21:32 This is Analytics, Cynthia Green speaking. 21:34 Hi Ms. Green, Jonas here, how are you? 21:37 Oh hi Mr. Martin, what can I do for you? 21:39 Well, I'm calling you because I've got a very special 21:41 project I'm going to need your help on. 21:43 We've got something we're doing here and your group has 21:47 always done a very nice job for us here. 21:49 Graphics are good, your analytics are great, 21:52 and that's what I need on this particular project. 21:54 Uh, I think it's going to be about two weeks, 21:58 highly visible, so I'm going to need somebody that 22:03 I can really count on. 22:04 Do you have anybody like that? 22:06 Well yes, as-a-matter-of-fact I do and I think you'll really 22:09 enjoy working with him. 22:11 Great, great - I'll call you back with the details 22:13 and then we'll get together and set up a meeting, all right? 22:15 Oh sounds good, thanks. Excellent! Bye bye. 22:20 Now to win in the workplace, you must have a reputation 22:24 of being a strong performer. 22:26 It's not only what our employers are looking for, 22:29 it is what God expects of us. 22:31 We're His hands, we're Him in the workplace. 22:34 1 Corinthians 10:31 says the following: 22:45 Years ago, there was a good friend of mine 22:47 that I used to play basketball with and it was 22:51 quite a long time ago, and he translated that a 22:54 bit differently. 22:56 We'd be at a pickup game at the park or at the gym 22:59 or wherever we were and we'd come in to get dressed 23:02 and we're putting on our shoes and our gear and whatever, 23:07 and the guys that we were going to play against 23:09 they would start to share with us why it was futile 23:14 that we even showed up that day. 23:17 They would tell us about all their superior skills, 23:21 "alleged superior skills," and they basically said, 23:26 "You guys are no competition, there's no reason 23:29 for you to even be here." 23:32 Uh, but when you think about performance, 23:36 it's not just talking about performance, 23:39 you actually have to perform. 23:42 My buddy would simply say, "Gentleman, you gotta bring 23:47 some to get some." 23:49 In fact, the sportscasters put it a different way... 23:53 We talk about what's going to happen in the Super Bowl 23:56 or what's going to happen in the championship game, 23:59 and we're always guessing and the pundits are saying, 24:02 "We think this is going to happen, 24:04 we think that is going to happen," 24:06 but actually, we have no idea until it actually happens. 24:11 I heard a sportscaster say, "Folks, the reason why 24:16 this game didn't turn out the way we thought it was, 24:19 is because you actually have to play it." 24:23 As far as performance is concerned, 24:26 you can have all of the education, 24:28 you can have all the skill, you can have all the talent, 24:32 but you've actually got to play the game. 24:36 We LOVE performers! 24:40 Now I don't know if you're like me, but the Olympics, 24:44 they turn me on to something that I only watch 24:48 once every four years, swimming and gymnastics. 24:52 But the Olympics has given me new household names that 24:57 I didn't have before the events. 24:59 I'm watching swimming and these guys jump into the water 25:03 and they are stroking and they're pulling and they're 25:06 giving everything that they have and when they finally 25:10 touch the other end and the buzzer goes off, 25:12 and the flag goes up and they were winners, 25:14 I'm cheering, but I'm cheering their performance. 25:19 I was watching gymnastics and I'm watching these young 25:22 ladies go through the air and do things with their bodies 25:25 that are absolutely unbelievable, 25:28 but at the end, as they stand on the podium 25:30 when they get their medals, I'm cheering for their 25:34 performance. 25:35 Now, when we're at the work place, it's the same thing. 25:41 When I wrote a resume, I wrote on my resume 25:44 "I am a performer." 25:46 Hey, they even called me for an interview and during the 25:49 interview, I went into the office and I told them 25:53 "I am a performer." 25:55 And then on my first day, I was dressed up, 25:58 I walked in and I said, "Yes, absolutely, I can 26:01 prove that I am a performer." 26:05 So if I am a performer, I must bring some to get some. 26:11 Remember, you are powerless over what they can 26:15 do to you, but they are powerless over what God will 26:19 do for you. 26:20 Until next time, I'm Eric Kelly, 26:22 you keep "Working the Dream" and the dream will keep 26:27 working for you. |
Revised 2017-08-24