When I assert that you must achieve more than just doing your job well, I am not suggesting that doing your job well is not important. Conversely, in today’s excruciating work environments, good performance is expected. Your organization is finding less time and spending less money to train you to be a good performer. In her recent Wall Street Journal article, Herminia Ibarra of INSEAD continued to reflect that “Businesses are putting managers in a tough spot: They’re forcing bosses to take on many new responsibilities – but they’re not training them to get those jobs done.”
At the same time, your organization is spending more time and money finding the “right fit” for your organization under the premise that good performance is a given. Organizations like Zappo’s will pay you several thousand dollars to leave if you feel you are not a good fit. Not a good fit at Netflix? You are cut. These organizations at the leading edge of their respective industries would rather pay you to leave than invest in you to fit. Good performance no longer stands alone as a strategy to differentiate you from your colleagues. In order to be a valuable employee, you must be a good performer and an individual whose activities create value for your organization.
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Ed’s new book, Raise Your Visibility & Value: Uncover the Lost Art of Connecting on the Job is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Please check it out and share the word!
