If you think doing a good job is what it takes to get to the head of the pack, you’re naïve, confused, delusional, or all three.
Doing a good job is the starting point. It’s what’s expected. There are plenty of people doing a good, even a great, job. But they’re dead in the water. They aren’t going anywhere, other than out the door in the next restructure.
Tough words, but they don’t need to be the last words. Here’s what to do:
- Drop the idea that doing a good job is good enough.
- Next, stop dwelling on what your company should do for you.
- Now that you’re rid of the junk that’s in your way, focus on getting to the head of the pack.
- Develop a skill set for solving problems, where you will get attention.
Skill No. 1. Make stuff make sense. Very little of what passes as communication in business – emails, letters, memos, reports, webpages, proposals, ads, or presentations – makes sense to those who can benefit from their message.
What causes this incredible communication failure?
The answer is most messaging starts with everyone asking, “Will what I’m saying pass the boss test?”
If you rid your mind of what’s acceptable, you can make sense to your audience by focusing on them.
Skill No. 2. Get out of yourself. We beat up on millennials for being too self-centered – obsessed with selfies and constant texting. Besides, we value talking to each other when dining out. … Could it be that we’re the ones who feel entitled and expect accommodation just because we’ve been in line longer?
We put the brakes on our future unless we get out of ourselves.
Skill No. 3. Let your mind run wild. Even though such an idea is a treasonable offense in some companies, it’s the mental engine that stimulates thinking, fosters dialogue and, most of all, drives creativity.
What’s helpful is contrarian thinking that challenges what “sounds good” and what others want to hear.
Skill No. 4. Be a magnet for the tough jobs. If you want to get to the head of the pack, be a magnet for tough, problematic jobs that need fixing.
Skill No. 5. Make yourself memorable. Doing a good job is like living in the shadows. To change that, make yourself memorable.
That’s what one couple learned about marketing and sales when looking for a second home. The first agent was enthusiastic and lined up a couple of showings quickly, but neither was of interest. Promising to get back to them with other properties, she went “offline.”
They contacted another agent, who asked questions and sent them a weekly message featuring an in-depth description of only one property based on their profile. Not long ago, the husband asked his wife, “What was the name of that first agent?” Thinking for a moment, she said, “I don’t remember.”
Customers buy, when they get ready, from those who make themselves memorable. •
John Graham of GrahamComm is a marketing and sales strategy consultant and business writer. Contact him at jgraham@grahamcomm.com.
