Three Pillars of Job Success

Several years ago, I wrote a piece titled “Three Criteria for Performance, Job Happiness and Career Development.”

A recent executive search engagement and success reminded me of the piece as it is a wonderful example of why what I term "Three Pillars of Job Success” is so powerful.

What are the Three Pillars?

First, will the position use all your skills and still challenge you? Are you fully utilized? If the job uses your skills and still challenges you, you will continue to personally grow and develop, stay engaged and be better prepared for the next step in your career.

Second, will you be able to have meaningful impact on the organization? Of course, this is a variable depending on your career level and the type of role you will be seeking. For an individual at mid-career or higher, will you be able to have strategic impact on the organization? The essence is, “Can I make a difference?” Said another way, “Am I relevant?” The word “legacy” comes to mind.

Finally, will you wake up every day and be “pumped” to go to work. You want that sense you are in the right place for YOU. Is the culture a true fit with your values? Does the work excite you? Do the people around you energize you? When you are doing work that excites and fulfills you in a culture aligned with your values, it is far easier to excel.

Importantly, what does this say about compensation? I believe, and have experienced, if an opportunity satisfies all three criteria, compensation will generally take care of itself. Why? Just as a candidate, a potential employee, recognizes this fit, so will the employer. The consequence is this three-dimensional fit causes employers to stretch while candidates will find themselves more flexible. Both parties want it to happen.

Great positions satisfy all three and thus support skill and career growth, contribution, alignment, and performance. Isn’t that what every organization, leader and employee seeks?

This is precisely why our client and the senior leader they hired will be remarkably successful. As the candidate told me in one of our final conversations, “This opportunity checks all three boxes. I want it.”

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