June 28, 2006
Growth Is a Natural Process
In response to yesterday’s post about seizing big opportunities in small business environments, a friend called me up and told me her story:
A couple of weeks ago, the office manager had to take an unexpected family emergency trip out of town for a week. Work had been piling up, and the owner was feeling a little frantic. He told Lana he was planning to hire a temp to help out with some of the simpler tasks, and wondering if she would be willing to take over some of the office manager duties for those five days. Lana, who is a friendly and motivated go-getter, said she would be more than happy to help.
In that week, Lana says she believes her boss’s respect and trust in her increased by leaps and bounds. Routine and essential functions that no one knew how to do because the office manager never had time to show anyone didn’t take Lana long to figure out. She handled matters that were completely new to her, but with a brief explanation of the situation to clients, a positive attitude and big smile, and sense of discovery, Lana sailed through the week gracefully.
During that week, her boss began sharing more personal stories and asking Lana about her interests outside of work. He thanked her for stepping up to the plate and doing such great work at such an important time. He even asked her for help with his computer. Most important of all, he began to come to her for input on critical business decisions.
Lana’s week in the spotlight serves as a reminder of several important career truths:
Opportunity is ever present. The world is what you make it. Where many see obstacles, superachievers see challenge and a chance. Wherever you come from and wherever you want to go, there are plenty of ways to get there. Opportunity is rarely the limiting factor. In most cases, limitations are self imposed, created by a negative attitude or a lack of willingness to work hard. If you want something and you’re willing to persist in attaining it, you can get it.
Growth is a natural process. Every living thing grows—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Set yourself up for success and your accomplishments build on one another. Generate value consistently and you won’t be able to stop your career from barreling ahead.
Value begets success. We’ve all got problems. Every individual, every business, and every system has problems that need to be solved. Finding solutions to these problems is the best way to build security for yourself. Lana had an opportunity to shine. She grabbed it and proved how valuable she is. In so doing, she took a big leap forward in her company and her career.
Filed under: Motivation
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The Personal Development Carnival - July 9, 2006
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