By Jack D. Deal
I recently did an interview with a nice young man. We had previously conducted a telephone interview and I was impressed with the way he expressed himself. He was looking for an opportunity. Unfortunately, for the past seven years, he has been in an entry-level position and not moved up. His company's strategy was to pay slightly above prevailing wage to make quitting a less attractive alternative. And it worked.--for seven years.
Now there was the obvious barrier--and I told the young man what he already knew: The experience I needed could be had in 2-3 years of work and study. He had seven years of time on the job and only knew the basics.
This problem also applies to owners and managers. The best example of this is the reluctance of many owners and managers to computerize and automate. By avoiding the inevitable, this group of owners and managers have chosen to write their own epitaphs.
That may be OK for them, but the rest of us want satisfying careers.
Are you doing what is necessary to get you where you want to go or are you marching to an imaginary band?
Here are some thoughts on results/goal driven strategies:
1) Money appears to be the top motivator. But be wary: money can trap, especially if industrial trends are away from your specific skill set.
2) If you have no challenges, you may as well be a rock. Rocks put in time -- not humans. If you have no challenges then find some!
3) Follow your interest. Interest is perhaps the greatest motivator. Don't worry about it -- we evolved this way!
4) Do you know your weaknesses and how to correct those weaknesses? Do not believe the experts who say 'its the strengths that bring results.' True. But a real weakness can mean you do not even enter the market. The analogy is not being able to play in the game.
5) What are cost factors in getting where you want to go?
6) What are the time factors in getting where you want to go?
7) What are your current options? Are any options better than the status quo?
8) What is your best option and what do you have to do to make that happen?
9) What are the short and long term trends in your industry? What are you and your company doing to anticipate and profit from those trends?
10) Take time to think about and work on yourself.
11) Do not be afraid to try the new or the different just because it is new or different. Many of us learn by trying the new and different. The current business environment demands we try the new and different or risk losing competitive advantage. By not getting to where we really want to go we construct our own house of resentment. As we human animals age, bitterness and remorse become more painful than physical ailments. The worst part of it all is we have only ourselves to blame.
Jack D. Deal is owner of the Deal Consulting Group, providing business knowledge services to meet the challenges of the New Economy. 831-457-8806 / jackdeal@ix.netcom.com. Related articles may be found at https://www.dealconsulting.com
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