I know most of you are probably wondering if this post is a joke being it’s a simple 8 step post about things that you would imagine most of us already know. Assuming that everyone knows anything is always a mistake, as I listen and watch my 15 year old son grow into a young adult it becomes more clear to me daily just how little people really do know. I mean in reality, you only know what you know until someone teaches you more.
It sounds a little ridiculous but when you think about it it’s really true. There’s a billion sayings to go along with the importance of teaching people things vs assuming that they already know whatever it is that you assume they know. Tricky, I know.
Anyway, enough of the games. I want to keep this one short and sweet, hopefully a few young up and comers or newbie business owners, can learn something from this and put it to use in their own business. More importantly I can only hope that the young, soon to be young adults read these 8 simple steps to being a better associate and LEARN FROM IT.
8 Simple Steps to Being a Better Associate and Advancing
1. Listen
I know, so simple it sounds doesn’t it? Good, now do it. You would be amazed at exactly how much you can learn from a conversation if you take the 2 minutes of silence rule and put it to use. Basically shut up for 2 minutes and listen, then process the information your hearing, then figure out how you can use the information to better yourself in your position and run with it.
2. Do What’s Asked of You
Small business owners, young entrepreneurs and big business owners all have one thing in common. They expect the things they asked to be done, to be done. Trust me along with the business owners, etc. that I mentioned I can assure you that managers feel the same way. When someone asks you to do something or work on a task, just do it. Don’t cry about it, don’t ask how unless you already thought the process through (refer to step 1) and no matter what do it to the best of your ability.
3. Ask Questions
By now it’s safe to say everyone can learn something everyday. No one knows it all. Now try telling that to a teen and see how far you get. Ask questions, don’t ever forget that you should learn something new everyday, the more you know the more your worth.
4. Be Different
If your looking to get ahead of all the shleps standing around you there’s a good chance your going to need to stand out from the crowd, your going to have to be different. Now I know where I live telling someone to “be different” can turn into a tattoo, piercing disaster very quickly. By saying, “be different” I simply mean be different then everyone else around you. There’s a good chance in today’s market place that the people around you are complacent, bored and in many cases useless. Be different, the complete opposite of them and use their laziness to blow their doors off and move forward.
Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank turned being terminated into a multi-billion business and they did it by being different then everyone else, their competition and their former employers. On opening day Bernie and Arthur could be seen handing out $1 bills to people coming to their Home Depot location, they could also be seen in the parking lot asking their customers why they were leaving empty handed.
5. Do the Bosses Job
I would imagine by this point you would like to personally tell me to jump off a cliff, that’s fine I don’t mind the adversity.
Have you ever heard the saying, “To be the man you have to beat the man”? Same goes for women btw, I didn’t make up the saying I just repeated it. Anyway, the quote is simple and it’s true. Do your bosses job if you want to show that you CAN do the bosses job. One of two things will happen, you will either get the bosses job (sucks for them) or your efforts will be noticed (sooner or later) and you’ll be rewarded for it.
6. Avoid the Negative Bandwagon
Let’s face it, any wuss can jump on the bandwagon that everyone else’s is screaming about. Sooner or later the wheels go flat when too many people get on the bandwagon, either get in the drivers seat of a positive bandwagon that you control or find the strength to tell others that your not going to be part of their negative bandwagon.
7. Be a Chameleon
Moving ahead in business doesn’t mean your suppose to love every part of what you need to do in order to get ahead in business. Sometimes I get the feeling that many people today just assume that “having a great idea” is going to guarantee them the highest levels of success. Your drunk if you think that, sorry I just had to put it out there.
Advancing and being a better associate means working it at every aspect of the game, smiling when you want to superman punch the moron in front of you. Dealing with some of the dumbest “managers” you’ve ever had to deal with. Smirking at dumb jokes, yet avoiding the tasteless ones and having the strength to tell someone when something is tasteless. Now take into consideration avoiding the bandwagon then work it into being a chameleon. Good luck.
8. Smile
Misery loves company and in today’s work place there’s plenty of it. Suck it up, that’s life at this point and it won’t be changing anytime soon. While everyone else around you continues to find ways to be part of the crying crew you should do the complete opposite, smile. In the early stages smiling and being positive is going to be tough. It will surely bring on some skeptics that hate you for being so damn chipper all the time, but over time watch as you transform the group you work with into a group of non-crying, smiling, balls of energy. It sounds crazy, but I dare you to try.
O.k I need to stop here or I will be re-writing the title to this post another 50 times, not to mention I would love to hear what you would add to the list. Leave a comment with a few of the things that you feel it takes to be a better associate.
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- “Whole Foods and Home Depot” and related posts (rightontheleftcoast.blogspot.com)
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{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Twitter: LittlePhilz
Nice post John. Love all these points you have made… I cant think of any others to add but I do like the ‘Smile’ and ‘Negative Bandwagon’ points you have written.
I used to be Negative a lot in the passed looking on the bad sides of things and in all honnesty all it did was bring me down and also the people around me, nobody likes Negativity, keep your chins up and keep moving.
Regarding keep Smiling… There will be times when things dont work out its happened to me and im sure one day it will happen again, its all part of living and learning… We just have to grow some balls and put up with the fight. Nobody wants a crybaby in the pack.
Twitter: extremejohn
Right on the money Phil. The way I see it we only control 50% of what goes on, which means we better be ready for the other 50% that we don’t control and crying through it certainly isn’t going to fix it.
The hardest part these days is doing what you told to do. I know it was for me at the beginning. I once managed a baseball card shop all by myself and I had a different way of doing business then others, and then the owner took me aside and told me if I wanted to keep working there I would have to follow the rules. I listened very quickly lol.
Twitter: extremejohn
Following direction can be hard for anyone in the beginning but at some point you either have to turn the corner and become the leader or learn to take direction.
Love the list.
Especialy the SUPER MAN Punch.
We have all been there.
Work is work, so put on your game face and
suck it up it you want to suceed.
Twitter: extremejohn
It sounds so simple doesn’t it. The superman punch would be nice to fall back on from time to time.
Twitter: SheilaAtwood
The first step to learning is to know you do not know everything.
This is a great list. Last night I watched the Cowboys loose to Oakland. They could have use this list. Almost every player and the commentators got on the losing bandwagon and failed to do what was asked of them.
Sheila Atwood´s last [type] ..How To Build a Better Blog Discount Code
Twitter: extremejohn
As soon as that happens you can see it start to collapse on the field, at that point unless something turns it around it’s turn off the game time.
Great points, so simple and so hard to do. In the end getting the job done is what matters so you have to do what it takes to get it done, including putting the Superman punch into your pocket and keep smiling. Use it to help with your Football/Baseball/Any Sport later, you will surely play your best game.
Twitter: extremejohn
Putting the superman punch aay for another day is probably a very good choice, especially when it comes to getting the final project done.
Twitter: andrewrondeau
Yes, life is a continuous process of learning. So even if you think you know everything already but it isn’t the case, there’s always new things to learn. It is because of this that I listen to everyone I meet because I don’t really know what I might learn from that person.
Twitter: extremejohn
People really have a lot to offer if your willing to listen. A tough thing for so many.
I like the list but I would add one thing to it.
And that is… to be a better associate communicate what it is that you want (particularly career path goals). If you don’t tell anyone what you want and they are not aware enough to see that you want it… sometimes things that could be handed to you pass you buy. I find that to be the case in the work place all the time. I communicate what I want and that puts me ahead of the rest just cause I told others what I wanted instead of keeping it to myself and they think of me first.
Twitter: extremejohn
Amelia, GREAT point. Communication is the key when it comes to getting what you want and achieving the goals that are set for you, know your goals and communicate them.
Great list john… perhaps a few more topics to throw on this already well written post would be 1. Be ambitious.. nothing is handed to you on a silver platter (grant it your not a prince, queen, king or descendant from a wealthy family). Therefore, be diverse and unique… study what it is you want and apply whatever goals an objectives you can to achieve your aspirations. The other is APPLY good work ethics… I do not care who you are or where you came from… common sense is instilled in us at birth. We all know what’s right an what’s wrong, so apply these ethics, values, norms in everyday situations. However always remember what might be acceptable in your culture or.upbringing might be different than that of another… very valid points john!!!
Twitter: extremejohn
Thank you Brendan and thanks for taking the time to add some great things to the list, things everyone should ACT on.
Awesome post John,
We think that we know everything but in reality it’s just opposite of what we think, We are here to learn and then implement things based on our knowledge. The more we know about anything the better we get about that.
Das@Tinnitus Treatment´s last [type] ..Tinnitus Treatment Permanent Tinnitus Treatment updated Fri Oct 29 2010 11-57 am CDT
Twitter: extremejohn
Great comment Das, I couldn’t imagine going through life not learning new things. it would drive me bananas.