The 85% Solution by Linda Galindo

Author:Linda Galindo
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2010-05-10T16:00:00+00:00

SELF-EMPOWERMENT STRATEGY #3: ME, ME, ME

My friend Janet was telling me about the boss she has to “put up with” as he continues to get promoted to his “level of incompetence.”

“Why don’t you look elsewhere?” I insisted. “Don’t you know how incredible you are? Your talent far outstrips what you’ve been allowed to do for the organization. Where is your perspective?”

“Good point,” she acknowledged. “I really haven’t done anything to see what’s out there and to understand, in an expanded sense, who I am.”

Then she blurted out the all-time most common statement I hear from even remarkably talented people: “One day they’ll notice how hard I have worked and realize I could do a much better job than my boss.”

“Are you secretly hoping he’ll just quit and you’ll be the obvious choice to take his place?” I asked.

At first, she was incredulous. But eventually she admitted that’s exactly what she was doing.

“I am waiting,” she confided. “But I don’t know why or for what.”

Figuring that out will create for Janet a powerful awareness that is quite freeing.

Once she knows why she is waiting—instead of going after what she feels she deserves—she can begin to move forward.

Likewise, getting some perspective on why you are marching in place can be a powerful tool that will allow you to choose your future rather than wait for it to happen to you.

It’s possible you will realize you are waiting for something that is unlikely to happen.

Once you do, you create a space for movement—forward movement.

Are you waiting to get noticed? Or are you secretly glad that nobody is noticing you?

Be honest.

When it comes down to it, if you kept a running catalog of your work-related accomplishments, you probably would be astonished at how much you have done.

Don’t count on your boss or her boss to keep track of that for you.

They too often pay more attention to your screw-ups, bad-attitude days, and other negatives that can prevent your next move.

Be responsible for letting them know about the many good, important, and amazing feats you have accomplished during your time at the organization.

Before you can do that, you need to take stock of your accomplishments and triumphs.

Create a “self-empowerment” binder. Here’s how:

Divide a loose-leaf binder into ten sections. Fill it with your back-patting, raise-deserving, promotion-worthy accomplishments!

Tab 1: Your résumé

Tab 2: A list of accomplishments that don’t appear on the résumé

Tab 3: A tally of all your skills, talents, and abilities

Tab 4: Letters, thank-you notes, certificates of acknowledgment, and complimentary e-mails you have received

Tab 5: Copies of peer-to-peer and manager-to-subordinate evaluations

Tab 6: A list of your goals and your definition of success

Tab 7: The self-examination tools you have used, like Myers-Briggs, Birkman, and the DISC behavioral assessment, for example

Tab 8: Your dreams

Tab 9: Your hobbies and community service activities

Tab 10 and beyond: Other categories of accomplishments that are uniquely yours

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.