When my father
graduated from university and got his first job as an Electrical
Engineer, his manager told him the following on his first day:
"Congratulations on earning your degree. But I want you to know the only thing it shows me is that you know how to learn."
My
father was stunned. He had worked hard to get his degree over several
long years; surely all of what he had learned counted for something!
Engineering was a hard degree to get and covered a lot of knowledge
areas in depth...what was his manager talking about?
For the manager, my father's value proposition
was the potential for a future of great contributions to the company,
based on his educational focus and demonstrated ability to learn complex
things (provided he continued to apply himself and work hard, of
course). To be sure, the company must have seen value or they would not
have hired my father in the first place - but it was still a shock for
him to hear that message on his first day.
My father didn't tell
me what he was thinking before he entered the office, but that first
meeting with his manager had a profound effect on him. I even believe it
was a defining moment for him. It forced him to look forward - to what
he could do with and for the company, rather than dwell on his prior
accomplishments.
What you have done is not as important as
what you will do next. The past only shows what you were capable of
then; it merely lays the groundwork for what you might become on your
journey.
Image licensed from Fotolia #45593398
For many of us,
our value proposition is often quite different than what we think it is.
In fact, our value is always defined more by the other person (the
receiver of your services) than by you (the giver of the service).
They
want to know what YOU can do for them, and how you can help them solve
their needs and problems. This is your Value to them.
But there is much, much more to it than that...
Listen to the podcast, or read the full article on Gazza's Corner blog.
"I got here first!"
"No, I did!"
"Me!"
"No, me!"
I just got back
from a three day school camp with my youngest son. We went to new and
interesting places each day, and everywhere we went, walking or driving,
the adults were constantly serenaded by the same chorus when we arrived
at each destination.
"I got here first!"
Somehow, it
seemed vitally important to be the first one to arrive wherever we went,
or at least it was if you were under 10 years old.
The playground is
a useful place to hone skills and promote competition, but it is
equally important to learn to work and compete together as a team.
Often, when
children compete in teams, you will have individuals claiming they were
the fastest in the team, and therefore they are the reason the team won -
so really "they" won and the rest of the team's efforts did not
matter.
Unfortunately,
some people never outgrow this. They are in constant competition
with everyone else, even though the others may not even know there is a
race going on. They may not say it out loud, but they likely feel a
small satisfaction in reaching the traffic light first, so they can be
ready to launch off again - first - as soon as it turns green.
Even as adults,
some people within teams will promote their personal contributions to
the detriment of the team - just like back on the playground, they
believe that they (and themselves alone) are the real reason the team
succeeded.
It is true that one person can make a difference.
It is also true that one person can help to bring a team together - or destroy it.
Fortunately, most people do outgrow these playground behaviors, and become great team players. There is hope!
Listen to the podcast, or read the full article on Gazza's Corner blog.
