Kamis, 21 Oktober 2010

The Building Blocks of Success

By Mark M Pierce

Jobs Vacancy, Employment Jobs, Employment

When I was in my early twenties I was working at a gas station barely earning enough money to make it from one week to the next. Then one day a customer drove in and asked me to go to work for him in the air conditioning business. I did and a decade later-after learning the trade-I went into business for myself. I succeeded in the business and today I am retired at age 50 and living a very comfortable, content life. One of the things that I like doing is especially helping young people turn their jobs and careers into success stories. We'll start with the cornerstone.

The first question is, why did the stranger offer me, a kid pumping gas, the opportunity for a better paying job that could (and did) turn into a successful career?

The answer is that I have always been absolutely service orientated. While I realized that my job at the service station was not going to be my life's work, I gave it the effort as if it was; I treated all the customers as if they were my own, giving them caring service and even a little extra whenever the situation called for it. The fellow who hired me was impressed-he liked me and offered me the better job. During all the years I worked for him and during the many years I worked for myself, I maintained this same enthusiasm to be helpful to others and always be willing to give more than what was expected of me.

To see what I am getting at, just think about how you feel when, we'll say, you walk into a store and when someone waits on you they act as if you're bothering them; as if they are doing a favor to wait on you. You feel the pangs of agitation and the chances are you don't shop there anymore. On the other hand, when a clerk is attentive, caring and conscientious you become a repeating or even a lifelong customer. This is human nature and this also applies to when you work for someone else-when you give your job, no matter if you are a custodian or a top executive, your attentive, caring and conscientious efforts are always rewarded.

As a short aside, I want to thank my father for motivating me to maintain this attitude throughout my life. Indeed, as a young man during the 1950s he worked as a waiter-and because he was so customer orientated and gave that extra effort at his job he managed to save $5,000.00 from his tips in a very short time. I remind you that $5,000.00 was a nice nest egg nearly 60 years ago.

In regard to all this there is a wonderful book penned by Marsha Sinetar with title, Do What You Love the Money Will Follow. I agree with this but I believe, since work is work that it is much more important to love what you do no matter what your job. So what I say to people who ask me about succeeding is, put your love into your work and not only success will follow but greater joy will follow also.

It doesn't matter if you, the reader, think that all this is Pollyannaish or so much bunk or not, I challenge you to simply muster the courage to give your love (and so your enthusiasm) to your work even if you dislike your job. If you like your job all the better of course but, in either case, give your love and so your attentiveness and caring to your work and more, to all those you serve starting today-customers, fellow workers or employers! Do this for one short week and start seeing positive changes occur in your life. And, the added bonus is that you will not only be more esteemed by those around you but you will have gained greater self-esteem as well.

Deciding to Love what you do is the first building block of success.

Watch for follow up articles by Mark as he places the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th building blocks for a foundation of a happier more successful life.


Bookmark                   and   Share

Tidak ada komentar:

Posting Komentar