Grinding – Getting Ahead By Doing the Work

By Tom Stevens, VP of Administration

When I was first getting started in my career (many years ago), I was very intent on making a better life for myself.? I was hyper-focused on getting a job with upward mobility where I could grow my salary quickly.? After all, isn’t that the purpose of working?? I wanted to buy a home, drive a nice car, and take vacations that would make me the envy of my friends - you get the picture.

Early in my career, I bounced around a few jobs that just weren’t great fits for me.? I finally settled into a position with a company I loved working for, with a great boss—an ideal situation for someone in the early stages of their career.? After about eight months in that job, I was excelling; I had really found my groove.? I requested a meeting with my boss to discuss my future.? During that meeting, I laid out all I had accomplished in the eight months and voiced my desire for a promotion and, with that, more money.? After all, I had earned it, right?? At that point, my boss said three words to me that helped shape my career, “money follows success.”? Of course!? So simple and so profound.? I had been focused on the results and not the process. Something needed to change.?

From that moment forward, I invested all my energy in being the best I could be at my job.? I started “grinding.”? I came to work early, stayed late, invested my time into learning every aspect of my career at an expert level, volunteered for extra projects, and built strong relationships.? All my efforts turned to being successful at my job.? I no longer thought about things like “When will I get a promotion?” or “How big of an increase will I get this year?”.? Don’t get me wrong, “grinding” is hard; the days are long, you need to maintain a consistent effort, and you must keep your head down and do the work daily.? I can attest to the fact that results are rewarding.? I won’t bore you with the rest of my story, except to say that my boss’ guidance all those years ago profoundly impacted my life’s trajectory.? Once you make yourself valuable, all those good things I desired when I started my career naturally followed.??

As I look around the leadership team at SIS, I see “Grinders” in every division.? Professionals who have put in the work.? Dedicated individuals who have become experts in their field.? Maybe this is why I felt so at home here at SIS from the day I started with the company 13-plus years ago.? We live in a world where employees want immediate gratification for their work.? In my opinion, those focused on the results, not the process, are missing the most valuable part of being a professional.? Nobody can ever take away from you the knowledge you gain by grinding at your job.? The experience is invaluable.? So, if you want to get ahead in your career, try grinding; after all, money follows success.

Tom is a graduate of Rutgers University and worked for several high end retail companies in their internal security departments. He started with SIS in 2010, as Vice President of Retail. In 2021, he was moved to a new role as Vice President of Administration.