Apr
03
Are you an employee or an owner?
Posted under Goals and Goal Setting, Uncategorized
One simple way to improve your career is to make a mental shift from being an employee to being an owner. I am not talking about buying your company or purchasing majority stock. No, the shift I am talking about is a powerful way to stand apart from the average run of the mill employee and to gain promotions, benefits and a higher salary. Additionally, if you do it right, the owners will come to you for help utilizing your influence to move the company forward.
A lot of people may give lip service to this, but do they really act as if they are owners or partners in the company? This is one of the differences between the average employee and someone on the fast track to success. You see, a partner in the company cares if there is trash on the floor in the lobby and takes the 2 seconds to pick it up. She knows a wadded up sheet of paper on the floor may lose a customer. An employee decides he’s above the trash - it is not his job - and waits for someone else to pick it up.
A business owner sees a task that must be done (even though nobody else was hired to do it) and does it himself. An employee waits for an owner to find or hire someone else to do it.
A business owner notices problems and works to solve them. An employee notices problems and complains about them.
I have attended quite a few staff meetings over the years where the CEO/management is practically begging the staff to take some initiative and to do some thinking outside the box. What an opportunity. Yet it is only the rare individual who takes it.
Some people would argue that your customer is your direct supervisor or boss. Make your boss happy and everything else will fall into place. One sure way to make any boss happy is for employees to become owners. If you own projects, own your workplace surroundings and seek to lead rather than follow, the higher ups will take notice. And when it’s time for promotion, they will choose between the owners. Just make sure you are on that team.
You may argue that where you work things are different. It’s the "good ole boy" network or the backbiters who get ahead. It’s true, some companies get this wrong and shame on them. But don’t make their problem your problem. Take ownership anyway. There is no need for you to develop the bad habit of being a run of the mill employee just because management is screwed up. Management can change. You can get noticed by a different department. A customer may notice your dedication and enthusiasm and hire you as an owner at their company. Anything could happen.
Besides, employees have to do what they are told, owners seek out opportunity and do. Therefore, as an owner, you get to decide your own work rather than have someone dictate what you will be doing.
Technorati Tags: gtd, success, goals
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Own Your Own Business (WellSort Of)
Brad Isaac has a great post about the idea of being an ownerat least conducting yourself like oneinstead of an employee:
A business owner sees a task that must be done (even though nobody else was hired to do it) and does it himself. An …