Professional Success Considerations
Just like there is a formula for financial success, there’s also one for professional success.
A disclaimer
A lot of things today require disclaimers. A disclaimer is usually a legal notice that states, something to the effect of “we’re trying to give you the best information or product we can, but in some instances, things may not go as planned. When that happens, we can’t be held responsible. Use at your own risk.”
You know, I’m not an attorney but that’s pretty good. Yeah, I’m kinda proud of myself. OK, enough of slapping myself on the back, here is what I’m going to say. Getting ahead professionally is part science and part art. Here is what I mean. A mathematical calculation or a scientific principle will the same every time because they are laws that have been proven over time. Art, on the other hand, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. What one person thinks is beautiful, another thinks is ugly. And, they can both be right.
And so it is going forward as I describe opportunities for you to be successful in your career. The advice I’m going to give you is what works for me. I have a Master’s degree in Management and have held numerous leadership positions over many years. I guess you could say that I’ve had some degree of success. What I say is that people are people and they always have been and always will be. But, I also recognize that times change and which means some of the techniques and skills we need to be proficient at change.
But at the end of the day, here is what I do know. The most successful people, those at the top of organizations, are those who can manage people effectively. That does not mean that individual contributors cannot be successful, but any entity that has people in it needs people who can manage and lead other people. I hope you understand and agree with that, because if you want to lead others, then you need to learn how people operate. If you like writing code, write code. If you’re going to lead coders, then you need to learn how to write code and also learn how to lead people. Make sense?
And because we are learning about how to be successful in our jobs, and our jobs typically involve people, that’s where we are going to be spending our time.
What is a professional?
I don’t want you to get too caught up with this term professional thinking that you need to be wearing a suit and tie every day. In fact, I define the term pretty broadly in my book:
A professional is one who utilizes their skill and expertise to accomplish their assigned task in a noteworthy manner, going above and beyond what is normally expected to provide a high level of service or quality of work in an effort to delight their customers.
What this says is that anyone, in any job, can be a professional. Not just a lawyer, doctor, or engineer, the typical professions that are considered professionals. In my definition, a waitress, a lawn care individual, a plumber or hotel bellman can all be professionals.
Traits, characteristics, and actions to be successful
Well, that title was a mouthful. Let’s define each of those terms, shall we?
Trait-A distinguishing quality
Characteristic-Typical of a particular person
Action-The process of doing something
As you develop your professional goals, you will need to cultivate certain traits and characteristics, and then take specific actions to be successful. And I’ve put together an extensive list of them. Let me list them all and I’d like you to consider each of them carefully. Afterwards, we’ll review a few of them. Here we go:
Don’t allow negative people or judgments to affect YOUR career goals
Take ownership of YOUR career. Be relevant
YOU need a godfather (mentor)
Work harder AND smarter than anyone else. Be the best YOU can be
Be the first one in and the last one to leave. Carefully manage your time. Hmm…Thoughts on this one?
Be careful who YOU associate with-Envy and gossip
Associate with people who are positive and going places
Think differently
Make deliberate decisions. The value of sleeping on major decisions
The value of asking questions AND allowing others to figure it out
Might you need to relocate?
The value of reading
Be wary of others ignorance. Or everyone has an opinion…
It’s all about the people
Social obligations
Mixing business and pleasure
One-on-one networking and social media such as LinkedIn, etc.
Additional formal education
Continuing education, professional certification
Be sure your chain of command knows YOUR career goals. Why?
Find work/life balance
Be a servant leader
What happens if YOU get fired or laid off? Do YOU have a plan “B”?
Business ownership vs. corporate
You are ALWAYS networking!
More on networking
I’d like to spend a little more time on the last bullet point, “You are ALWAYS networking.” During your career, it will pay to network continuously with others. Typically, this includes using LinkedIn and meeting people through business and social functions. I experienced professional job transition 4 times during my career and was able to secure excellent positions because of a network of friends and professionals developed over many years. At OJT Tulsa, we counsel people that the best and fastest way to secure an excellent position is through the network you have developed. Even today with AI and other technology tools, we find that people secure better jobs with more money by networking. It’s still best to develop personal relationships, and I don’t mean so you can use people for your own advancement, I mean real relationships because humans are social beings, and that’s what we were made for. Yes, some of us are introverts and others are more outgoing, but we are all human at the end of the day and want and need these personal relationships. Personal relationships are built over time. This could be taking someone for coffee or lunch, playing golf or other sports with people, or through personal or professional associations.
All that to say developing professional and personal relationships throughout your career is essential if you are to achieve your dreams and live your best life. In the same way, you network with others for assistance when you need it, and be on the lookout for those you can help when they need it. The most gratifying professional accomplishment of my career was being able to mentor others and help them advance in their careers. That’s why I volunteer to help others in job transition, even while I am retired, er, not going to work every day. Remember, it’s all about the people!
That’s all for this week!
Professional Success Considerations
Afterburner Success Partners
http://absuccesspartners.com/
What’s in it for me?
If you want to get ahead in life, you must take meaningful action that follows a proven path. Yes, some people make it in entirely new ways, outside the standard methods. I happen to believe these people are rare and what seems like something different is really just doing something different in a proven manner. Think about that for a minute and see if you agree.
If you are a recent college graduate or otherwise looking for a meaningful career and are finding it difficult, consider if you need to pivot and do something else. If you do, then just do it. And don’t complain. No one wants to hear it and it does not help you. We’ve all heard the saying, action speaks louder than words.
Call to Action
Just. Do. Something. Make a decision on what you want to do, define the path and get after it. Do it today.
Recommended Resources
See notes below.
Up Next
Reflections…Standing the test of Time.
Notes
Please note that as an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn a small commission on the sale of any of these recommended resources.
Achieve Your Dreams: A Complete Guide to Live Your Best Life, by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/3IxEFgy