The World Revolves Around Others

The harder you work, the greater your rewards. These words are pounded into our brains from an early age - but are they true? 

Unfortunately, our rewards are determined not just by how hard we work, but also by those we work with, and especially our managers.  If we want to succeed - or sometimes even keep our jobs - a better approach is to generously help the people around us.
                            
 - Help your manager deliver on their goals.  The better your manager looks, the better protected you'll be.
 - Help your colleagues look good to others.  Beyond the obvious, this helps develop allies and a mutual support system.
 - Help your staff deliver on their goals. When your direct reports perform, it reflects on your abilities as a manager and coach.
- Volunteer for the assignments that no one else wants.  It will give you more experience - and everyone will appreciate your "can-do" attititude.

This week's action item: Hard work definitely will reap rewards, but more is needed if you want to distinguish yourself... or in some cases, even keep your job. Helping others is a prerequisite before they will help you. Each day this week, add one item to your to-do list that explicitly helps your manager, a specific colleague, or your staff. If your world revolves around helping others be successful, soon their worlds will revolve around yours.

Tough times postscript: Investing in others' success is key to getting a reference from them later.

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Randall Craig is an expert on Career Development, Work-Life Balance, and Networking; to find out how his workshops, webinars, and keynotes can help your team or add to your event, contact him through www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com, or by email at editor@ptadvisors.com.

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Copyright © 2008 Knowledge to Action Press and Randall Craig. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: Dec 16, 2008