Why José is more successful than you!

Ever wondered why some people have that vibe of success around them? Why it seems they always get the best out of everything? And why, no matter how hard you think you work, they seem to get all the promotions or right opportunities thrown at them? If so, you are now either angry at the world, or you are letting your head down and going through life feeling sorry for yourself. Whatever place you are in right now, just know that it's probably because of one single reason..., you are not a linchpin.

What is a linchpin?

Before I read the amazing book of Seth Godin, I also had no clue :) A linchpin is somebody that creates art in everything he does. He tries to make a connection and leaves some sort of impression, feeling or product behind that will create a change in the experience or maybe even in the life of the other person(s). When I read this book (Big thx to Tom Van Den Bergh btw, for giving it to me as a gift), it was like having the meaning of life explained to me. Ok, maybe a bit exaggerated, but you will get it in a minute :) The only question you need to ask yourself after reading this article is, "Am I making a difference and making myself indispensable? Or am I just a cog in the system that can easily be replaced by somebody else, or in the near future, a robot?"

The story of the waiter and the restroom lady...

A great way to explain the power of making a difference and its effect on your life and career, is by looking at the hospitality sector. Raise your phone if you ever been to a restaurant, where the waiter was angry, frustrated and not loving his job at all. He gave you the feeling he was too good to be doing this job and therefor every question of a customer was one too many. This waiter has no added value at all and can easily be replaced. Not one single customer will miss him. And for that reason he will never roll into the job he wants and will never get the respect or success he thinks he deserves. Starting to make a difference isn't something you do once you are where you want to be. It starts right now, because it is the thing that will decide if you are going to stay that waiter or will own your own restaurant in the near future (if that is your ambition of course). Ask yourself: "Are you that waiter?"

On the other hand I met a cleaning lady at a recent marketing event. This lady was in her early 50's, she had done her hair, had put on a nice professional outfit and was one of the first staff members to arrive. She started cleaning and preparing her restrooms and when the people came in, she saw that the cloakroom staff couldn't keep up, so she jumped in to help them out. Not part of her job, but she just had some time to spare. When I walked into the restroom, I was amazed on how clean it was. 'Like it should be', I hear most people thinking, but it was just as clean after 400 people passed by during the break. When I was done with my speech, I went in to freshen up and she was there on a ladder, cleaning the ventilation pipes. I said: "You are pretty thorough" :) She answered: "Keeping this thing clean doesn't only mean the toilets, you know how much dust gathers on these pipes? Btw, is there anything I can do for you sir?" I said I was fine and she started taking away the ladder and cleaning materials. I told her she could continue, but she insisted on giving me my privacy while washing my hands. When I was about to leave the venue as one of the last people there, I passed by and saw that she was still there. I asked her why she was still present, seeing the venue was over and most of the people had left. Besides she was already there as one of the first. She said: "There are still people here and so my job is not yet done. Long days indeed, but I love what I do and no matter what other people think of my profession, I take great pride in it." Ask yourself: "Are you this restroom lady?"

What is the point of all this?

Instead of giving you a long theory on why this attitude, view on life and making a difference is going to help you get ahead. I'll just let José explain it to you :)

José is a guy I met at the Cascais beach in Lisbon. He was always talking to people, helping, making them smile and getting to know them. He was not the owner of the beach chair service, but to returning customers he was their beach chair man :) So I asked him about his job and why he did it the way we got to experience it for the last couple of days. He said: "I'm not a guy who wants to get rich or have a huge corporate career. Too much stress and it would only make me unhappy. Look at me, I'm making a good living for me and my family, I get to work in the sun everyday and people are mostly in a good mood, seeing they are on holiday. I not only love my job, but I also realize that being friendly, going the extra mile and connecting with my customers is the only way I can make a difference for myself and the business. What is the difference between us and the other beach chair suppliers? Chairs, umbrellas, sand and the sun are all the same, the only thing that makes a difference is the way I treat people. Everybody with a good back can do my job, nothing to it, easiest thing in the world, but not everybody has the will or the attitude to make a difference in it. This way I stay relevant, even though I am not as quick and strong as my younger colleagues. Plus I just love chatting and having a good connection with people." José makes art on that beach everyday and by the smile of his boss, he knows it too.

Ro(bots) are no threat

If you are a person like those described above, you will have very little to fear in the future. There will always be a need for people that make art. It is something that separates us from machines and will be very hard to mimic by robots. Ted Livingston gave a good example recently at the Websummit concerning the situation of the waiter. He provides bots to take over different tasks for a broad range of businesses. He said that there are restaurants where they tested the use of bots in taking over the simple tasks of order placement and handing the billing. Simple tasks that customers can do themselves with the help of a bot. While they feared the waiters would be against it after the test, fearing for their jobs, they actually reacted in a very positive way. They said by eliminating these tasks, they can focus more on the customer experience instead of getting distracted by billing or taking orders. Customers get more attention and the waiters can make more of a difference in their jobs. A surprising reaction that even his team didn't expect when testing their bots in restaurants.

A linchpin that makes art everyday

Have you figured it out? Are you that frustrated cog in the system that is easily replaceable and not getting anywhere in life? Or are you making a difference in whatever you are doing today? The answer to this will most likely determine if you are ever going to be happy, land that dream job or grow a successful business.

(Special thx to Seth Godin for writing such an awesome book and Tom Van Den Bergh giving it to me :) )