Surefire steps to getting
ahead at work
u by Levi King / © 2019, Mansueto Ventures LLC.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.CAREER QUESTIONS AND ANSWERSarly in my career, I hired a sales rep named
Ethan. Ethan was bright and likable, but he
consistently underperformed. After about a year of
struggle, he asked me how he could improve.
I wrote him an email explaining [some] things
that I thought were holding him back:
Life-changing advice
Years later, [Ethan] told me [my advice] changed
his life. He left sales to follow his passion and
now owns a thriving business. If you find yourself
struggling to find meaning and joy in your work,
take a good hard look inward. The answers you’re
seeking are probably closer than you think.20302505He treated his work like a job instead
of a career.
A job is what you do to pay the bills this
month. A career is what you choose to
spend your life on.
He had a middling work ethic.
Great employees arrive at the office early
and leave late. They do whatever it takes to
accomplish their objectives. Ethan, in
contrast, counted the hours until it was
time to go home.
He wasn’t serious about life.
It’s easy to float through life without
realizing it. We become masters of
killing time. For a great employee,
killing time is akin to murder.
His persona was sloppy.
Great employees have carefully crafted
professional personas. Ethan had a definite
slacker vibe, so much so that it struck
you in person and over the phone.
He played fast and loose with the rules.
The minimum [great employees] demand
of themselves exceeds company demands.
Ethan followed company rules at a
level that would keep him from
getting fired.He expected too little of himself.
Great employees expect more of
themselves than their bosses do.He had no personal vision.
Great employees craft a personal
vision, then align that vision with their
company’s vision.He didn’t see himself as an owner.
Great employees develop an ownership
mentality toward the company they work for.
Ethan refused to see himself as anything
but a paycheck. There was no urgency
in his performance, no sense that his
choices mattered.He was ambivalent about his craft.
Ethan did the bare minimum
to survive.
More Information
gig (n) [gIg]（非正式用法）演出；工作 an informal term for a job
ambivalent (adj) [,m:bIv/l/nt] 對（想要或喜歡）不確定的 describing
someone who doesn’t know if they actually want or like something