Vision is the compass of a meaningful destiny. A lack of vision makes it impossible to live by the discipline of restraint. Great organizations are not any different. To succeed, every organization must be guided by the compass of vision. Anyone who joins the organization is employed to help the organization achieve its vision. In interview sessions, it is normal to expect to be asked questions about what the organisation you want to work for stands for in terms of its vision and its values. Any employee who functions contrary to the corporate vision is a misfit. If you do not know the vision of an organization, do your due diligence before applying for a job there. Does their vision align with yours? Do your values align with theirs?
If you don’t share the vision of an organisation, don’t work for it!
Jesus succeeded because He shared the passion of His CEO. No matter how much you are paid on a job, if you don’t feel like waking up in the morning to go to work, something is not right. Money is not the exclusive indication of job satisfaction. I have been on a job that paid me almost three times what I earned in my previous job. It even came with a very comfortable SUV Toyota Landcruiser. And that was as far back as 1991. It was not long before I discovered that accepting that role was a huge mistake. I came there with a clear vision of what I thought I was bringing to the job. Unfortunately, my employers didn’t think along the same lines. In no time, I felt a sense of deep-seated frustration and going to work became a chore. That experience taught me a great lesson. You can only succeed well at something that unlocks your passion. Whatever you do in life that does not unlock your passion can never propel you in the direction of your loftiest dreams. The man does not exist who can sustain enthusiasm without passion. Find something that unlocks your passion and you’ve found your future.
It is however important to know that life doesn’t always give you what you love. If you find yourself on a job that is less than desirable or has a vision and values you do not subscribe to, no matter how bad you feel about it, give it your best shot while it lasts while you keep searching for the job of your dreams. Sometimes, the best case you can make for landing your dream job is what you did on the current job. So, until you find what you love to do, learn to love to do what you found. Having said that, it goes without saying that when you do what you love, it is easy to love what you do! Find your dream job and it won’t look like work.
As much as possible, bring the best of you to work daily. Work with a smile, not a frown. Commitment is the choice you made when confronted with options. Commit yourself to delivering a good day’s work for a good day’s pay. If you work for an organisation because that’s the only place that can hire you, you’re a liability, not an asset and your commitment to the job is suspect.
The employer would want to know if you chose to work with him or if you are compelled to do so by adverse circumstances – like the pressure of paying bills or because you have not got anything better. The bottom-line questions here are, “Does your employer fear losing you to the competition? Or would he be very glad to see you go?” If you send in your resignation letter and nobody in the organisation feels unhappy seeing you go, it means you added no value to the system. No employer is happy to see his best hands leave.
People meet you before they meet the organization you work for. If people saw you abusing someone in a taxi or causing trouble for a bus conductor over change and later found you at the front desk of an organization that they plan to do business with, would they want to continue patronizing the establishment? How would you feel getting to the front desk of a hotel or any organization and being greeted by a staff whose mouth odour makes you want to throw up or who obviously had not combed his bushy hair that day? As an employee, no matter your level in the organisation, you are a 24/7 advertisement for the organisation you work for. If you join people external to the organization to run down the organization or employer that helps to put food on your table, you are deserving of your position in the establishment.
The way you dress on the job is the way you are addressed. Your physical appearance, carriage and comportment speak volumes about your work and your organization. Always package yourself for the next level. If you are a clerk, carry yourself like an officer. If you are in Officer cadre, carry yourself like a Manager. When you become Manager, comport yourself like a Director. Always have a positive attitude. Wear a smile as part of your dressing. Treat people the way you would love to be treated if you were them. The purpose of any business is to solve problems for its customers. You were employed to serve people, not vice versa. The people who walk through the door in your place of work are the reason your employer is in business! The clients don’t come because of you. You are there because of them! If the people the organization serves don’t think you are good, then you are not. Unfortunately, the same feeling is extended to the organization, unless it gets rid of you!
Your personality determines your performance on the job. Every man performs to the degree of the development of his own person. Never allow a job to determine your self-worth. You are not what you do. Rather, you do who you are! This is why we are called human beings and not human doings! Know who you are, so that no one will try to sell you even a close alternative. Work on your self-esteem. Invest on your personal development, not because of the job but because of you. The greatest investment of your life is the investment you make on developing yourself. It is the only guaranteed way to enhance your own value.
You define the job; the job doesn’t define you. Be a leader right where you are. The sun shines where it is placed. So does the moon. Make a mark on the job. Make it difficult to find your replacement. Successful people succeed because they do small things in a great way! If you wait till you get the platform you want before you do your best, you may NEVER have it. Instead, use the platform you currently have to earn the platform you need… continued.
Remember, the sky is not your limit, God is!
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