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Take
This Job and
Love It!
—How
to Become a "Fire-Proof" Asset to your Company
By
Doug Kelley, CH, CSL • April 2001
"5,000
Jobs to be Cut," so says a recent newspaper article about a
well-known technology company. But that company was not alone. Other
companies, especially the "Dot Com's" are also cutting jobs,
primarily due to a declining market and economy. Although business has
been difficult for the Technology sector, it has also affected related
companies due to the ripple effect that one industry has upon another.
But
job cuts and downsizing are not exclusive to the Technology sector, nor
are they anything new. No longer does a person enjoy guaranteed employment
until retirement with a single company. Consequently, many people are
rightly concerned about the ongoing stability of their jobs.
The
important question is, "With all of the job cuts and downsizing going
on these days, is there a way to position yourself as a
"Fire-Proof" asset to your company?
On
the other hand, losing your job due to downsizing may not be an issue, and
you may really enjoy your work. But for so many people, going to work
every day is a begrudging experience. If this is true in your case, rather
than thinking, "Take this Job and Shove it," is there a way you
can "Take this Job and Love it"? Is there a way to find more
satisfaction and fulfillment in your current employment?
Having
founded a successful office equipment dealership over ten years ago, I
know first hand the uncertainties of business. Furthermore, I know what it
means to employ a person who is virtually indispensable, and also what it
means to let someone go who is really not interested in doing his or her
best. In addition to being a business owner several times, I have also
been an employee several times. This has allowed me to live on both sides
of the business experience.
As
a result, there are three areas that I believe are essential to success in
any job:
-
Understanding
how business works in the real world;
-
Providing
Exceptional Customer Service, both internally and externally; and
-
The
attitude you choose regarding the first two.
Another
equally important area is how business owners and managers deal with their
employees. After all, an employee might be doing a very good job, but if
the owner or manager is unbearable to work for, it can be very
difficult—if not impossible—to enjoy the work or perform well.
This
article will address each of these areas in four consecutive parts:
Part
1: How Business Works in the Real World
Part
2: Displaying Exceptional Customer Service
Before
we continue, let me qualify a couple of things. First, no job or
employment is guaranteed in business, because unexpected circumstances
arise from time to time. The term "Fire-Proof" primarily refers
to not losing your job due to traits such as a lack of initiative, weak
performance, being difficult to get along with, or laziness, to name a
few.
Secondly,
you may not really like or enjoy your current job or work. If this is
true, then it will be virtually impossible for you to really excel and
find enjoyment in what you are doing. If you find yourself in this
position, then do your company, those around you and, most importantly, yourself
a favor and QUIT! Discover what does bring you fulfillment
and do that. (For more on
discovering your true purpose in life, read The
Game Rules for Life, By Doug Kelley. Click
Here to read a relevant section of the
book).
Also,
as you consider this series of articles, please notice three undercurrents
or themes:
-
The
importance of attitude in positioning yourself as a
"Fire-Proof" business asset;
-
Showing
high regard for the human element or condition; and
-
Empowerment—both
personal and job related.
It
is my firm conviction that both business and life run much
smoother if each one of us loses unnecessary control issues and shows
honor, dignity, and respect to one another.
Part
1: How Business Works in the Real World
I
admit it, I'm guilty. In my early years as a new employee, I really had no
understanding of how a business operates and only a vague idea of what its
all about. My lack of understanding went on for years —quite
unintentionally—until I founded my own business and got a heavy dose of
reality.
By
simple definition, any business is in business to make a profit by
providing a product or service that people want or need. Though this is
the long and the short of it, making it happen is not nearly so simple.
This is because every business owner or manager must juggle many different
aspects of the business, but primarily three:
-
Employees;
-
Customers;
and
-
Products
and/or Services.
Every
business in existence has these three essential components or legs. Which
of the three do you think is most important? To answer, picture in your
mind a three-legged stool. What would happen if one leg were to break? The
answer is obvious. Without the support of all three legs,
the stool fails to support its own weight, let alone the weight of
something sitting on it. Likewise, a business without employees, customers
and a product or service, cannot support itself and fails. (Just to
clarify: even a one-person operation still has one employee—the owner).
Furthermore, if one leg is weak or wobbly, the business will not be
stable.
As
a new business owner over ten years ago, I quickly discovered the reality
of being in business for myself—it is very difficult. Consider what a
business owner or manager has to deal with everyday:
-
Employees—including
training, performance, and various problems, etc.;
-
Cash
flow—payroll, inventory, owner income, and other overhead;
-
Sales
and marketing—remaining competitive;
-
Customer
satisfaction and problems;
-
A
myriad of other areas, such as accounts receivable, accounts payable,
bookkeeping, taxes (and man are there a lot of taxes!), inventory,
property maintenance—and the list goes on and on.
Each
of these areas must be managed properly to ensure business success. It is
no wonder that most businesses fail in the first few years of starting!
On
top of all this, now factor in a business owner's personal life, family,
outside interests, and/or personal problems to his or her assortment of
business challenges. It becomes easy to see why owning or managing a
business can be so difficult, draining and demanding. Owning or managing a
business can even take a heavy toll on one's mental and emotional health.
It is not uncommon for a business owner to deal with depression due to the
stress involved in growing his or her business.
The
Ownership Attitude
In
my experience, most employees who have never owned or managed a business
are simply unaware of all that a business owner or manager has to contend
with—I know I was unaware in the beginning. It is quite common for
employees to quickly conclude that a business owner is making a lot of
money and has it good. While this is no doubt true in many cases, it is
rarer than one might think. But with a little education and effort, any
employee can learn and better appreciate the challenges business owners'
face without becoming a business owner him or herself. When an employee
does this, he or she takes on a new attitude—an Ownership Attitude.
An
Ownership Attitude is defined as:
Taking
responsibility for and performing your job as if you owned the
company.
You
demonstrate an ownership attitude when you take full responsibility for
your job or career, and show initiative in performing your
responsibilities. You mentally consider that you are part
owner of the company, and so do all you can to make the business grow.
After all, if the business grows, so do your chances of advancing. If you
as an employee are to offer your maximum value and position yourself as a
"Fire-Proof" business asset, you must put on the
Ownership Attitude.
Business
101
 The
area in which I received the heaviest dose of reality when I started my
own business was in cash flow. Just like your personal checking account,
money flows into and out of a business as a result of sales and expenses
respectively. Cash flow can be good or bad; a double-edged sword; a real
beauty or a terrible beast. Furthermore, negative cash flow is a force to
be reckoned with and is completely unforgiving. Just ask the
business owner who has had to meet payroll, but didn't have enough cash to
cover it. This is where lessons in the art of juggling are learned and
mastered. To
say the least, a situation like this is an intense educational
experience—and a stressful one at that! Very quickly, a business owner
learns to avoid similar experiences in the future (just ask me how I
know!).
A
"Fire-Proof" employee with an Ownership Attitude must fully
comprehend the basics of cash
flow. When products or services are sold, cash is generated and flows into
the business. From this inflow of cash, expenses such as payroll and
overhead are paid and flow out of the business. What is leftover is the
net profit. Figure 1
illustrates a cash-healthy business. Cash from sales flows into Bucket A
where expenses are paid. Any surplus cash then flows into Bucket B which
represents net profit. From the net profit comes cash for things like
owner salary, business growth, and employee raises, among other things.
 But
what about the opposite, that is, a business that has an unhealthy cash
flow? Figure 2
illustrates a business that does not have enough cash to record a net
profit. This means that there is no cash for anything else, including
raises. It also means that the owner doesn't get paid (ouch!). I can't
tell you how often my own employees earned more income than I did in the
early years of my business—and I had all the headaches! But this is the
trade-off a business owner makes—the security of a regular paycheck for
the prospect of a successful business and a better life.
The
situation can, however, get worse. The cash flowing out for overhead
expenses can exceed the cash flowing in from sales. In this case, there
are only two real outcomes: Either the business owner scrambles to
"beg, borrow, or steal" the cash to cover expenses, or the
business fails. Moreover, if the business owner doesn't learn the lessons
of cash flow and make the necessary changes, the business will
eventually fail.
Applying
the Lessons of Cash Flow
Armed
with the foregoing lessons of cash flow, the "Fire-Proof"
employee with an Ownership Attitude will begin to see the business he or
she works for in a new light. Hopefully this describes you. If it does,
you will begin to see the value of scrutinizing every expense to determine
if it is really necessary. You will begin to take better care of things,
and look for ways to get more life out of the equipment and the tools of
your trade. You will begin to see customers in a whole new light—they
are responsible for your paycheck! You will begin to take full
responsibility for the business as if you owned it. The
very essence of an Ownership Attitude is to combine a higher knowledge of
real-world business along with self-empowerment to be and do the very best
you can.
But
what if you work for a bigger company with perhaps hundreds of employees
or more? Let me qualify the Ownership Attitude in this regard. Displaying
the Ownership Attitude and acting as if you owned the
business must be kept in perspective. Obviously, the Ownership Attitude,
in and of itself, does not automatically give you more executive
authority, privilege, or control. And since many companies have several
different departments, you as an employee with an Ownership Attitude
cannot control the departments you don't work in.
Having
the Ownership Attitude means to take full responsibility for your
position within the company, and to the full limits of your
position. In other words, control what you are authorized to control, and
mentally operate as if you owned and were fully responsible
for your department, and by extension, the entire company. And the
interesting thing about it is if you display the Ownership Attitude long
enough, you will gain more authority, privileges, and
control. This is because you have demonstrated a higher understanding and
awareness of the real world of business. Quality employers are always
searching for quality people who show the Ownership Attitude, and this
Ownership mentality is what will make you a "Fire-Proof"
business asset!
Armed
with the Ownership Attitude, you will begin to look at the people you work
with, as well as customers, quite differently. Part 2 of this
series is entitled, Displaying Exceptional Customer Service,
and refers to both internal and external customer service.
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