Want to move up? Get out of your own way!

I find myself wondering frequently what differentiates those that achieve from those that do not. Please note that when I use the term achieve it is meant to avoid any particular definition or criteria of success. It should be interpreted as intended, success in the eye of the individual. 

For some this will of course mean earning lots of money. For others, it will be a gauge of sporting prowess. Whatever interpretation you ascribe, it is accurate. 

Please ask yourself, are there those in your life that appear to have the talent to achieve but never seem to get out of their own way and let their talent drive them forward? Well, there are a few missing ingredients that leave the recipe of their personal brand bland and unappealing. I have narrowed this issue to three missing attributes, without which people get stuck and wallow. 

First there is the internal issue of pride. I observe again and again the symptoms of a proud person. In our modern vernacular, this is often referred to as ‘entitlement’. The notion that a person is owed something that they are by their very existence entitled to have. How often have you heard phrases like “if they want me to work fifty hours a week they’re gonna have to pay me.” Or, “if they respect me I’ll respect them.” 

This prideful attitude often stands in the way of otherwise talented folks who might very well achieve great things. Pride seems to be a growing epidemic among the younger generations evidenced by the apparent lack of drive in the emerging workforce. One Millennial explained it to me like this, “in older generations people thought ‘if I work hard now I can enjoy life when I retire. In my generation, they think ‘I am going to enjoy life now and work hard later’.” The pride of this logic is apparent and yet it is an undeniable mindset of the many in the current generation. 

“Have more humility. Remember you don't know the limits of your own abilities. Successful or not, if you keep pushing beyond yourself, you will enrich your own life--and maybe even please a few strangers.” ~A.L. Kennedy

Second must be a lack of self-discipline. All too often people feel as though they work hard but never get caught studying their job or sport or industry during off hours. They would never think to spend free time researching the trends or environmental conditions affecting their organization. They would not sacrifice time to practice their craft when not being paid or praised (see attribute number one). 

I have coached so many individuals who feel that their career is stagnated. I advise them to surf the net on the weekends and find resources that will better educate them on the big picture. To gain a deeper understanding of why we are doing the things we do and what organizations are leading the way. Who we should be emulating? Who are we competing against? What are leaders in my discipline reading? All too often when I follow up with these individuals I find that they have heeded no advice nor pursued any knowledge. 

As a senior member of the staff in my company there are few things as tedious and frustrating as trying to converse with a co-worker about our industry to find that not only are they out of touch, they barely understand our business and how we are positioned. 

Whether you are the receptionist, a department head, or the starting quarterback you will not advance if you do not possess a command of your organization and its core strategy, this is not information that will be forced on you. There is no spoon feeding in life. You must have the discipline to get the information yourself. If you have ever wondered why someone else got promoted there is a great chance they had this information and you did not. 

“Discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability.” ~Roy L. Smith

“More the knowledge, lesser the ego, lesser the knowledge, more the ego.” ~Albert Einstein

The third problem for most is the complete absence of the knowledge that the work you perform is, at best, half of what matters. The perception that others have of you is an equal or greater a factor of your success than the quality of your outcomes. 

Your work could be stellar but if people believe that your work is shoddy how far will you go? Conversely, your work could be mediocre but people think that it is genius; you will ride a rocket ship through the ranks. Of course, the latter model is very difficult to sustain long term but be honest, have you ever known a co-worker whose work was crap that got promoted and wondered how? 

Now, do not go too far on this, you must do good work in general to survive. Quality work is ultimately the foundation of a strong perception; however, it only takes you so far. If you are not aware of the fact that in your organization there are two realities, then you lose. There is the reality of the work performed in support of the outward mission of your organization. But, there is also the individual branding and influencing of self-promotion.  

This hidden layer of work life can be a strong negative force that causes significant reduction in overall productivity (especially when the leadership of the company suffers from issues one and two above). A politically complex environment is certainly not ideal but is all too common. In a perfect world, we would not have to worry about things like influence, diplomacy, and yes, politics. Unfortunately, even in organizations that are not overly political there is a game being played daily, one that you are omitted from entirely if you are not aware that it even exists. 

When a person is not engaged in the game, whether by choice or ignorance, they have virtually no chance of achieving success by any definition. How many people make the starting roster of the team when they do not even try out because they were not aware that the sport even existed? There are thousands of tools available to develop influence savvy though none are more powerful than the simple acceptance and awareness of the game itself.

I am not going to attempt to teach you anything about the game, its rules or how to win. Please seek the advice of more learned teachers then myself and seek mentorship from those who have already achieved success in your discipline or organization. I am only imploring you to acknowledge its existence and get in the game!  

“Here’s what I think: the only reason I’m not ordinary is that no one else sees me that way.” ~R.J. Palacio

In closing please allow me to summarize.  

Get over yourself and get humble. 

Get knowledgeable. 

Get your head out of the hole you have dug in the ground, and realize that you are being played if you are not playing (it seems so simple when you say it like that.) Until next time…