24/10/2024
PRINCIPLES OF WORK.
This picture was taken 12 years ago when my career was kicking off, Just like any discipline, work has some principles that one can apply and succeed at any level of one’s career. Before we go any further, I would like to share a background story and how I managed to apply these principles to my advantage.
What started as a part time job to raise funds for my university studies became the beginning of a long and fulfilling career, over a decade ago when I was a sales agent, there was a promotion going on for the next step up – Sales Team Supervisor. There were two possible candidates, me and the other guy, both of us were just sales agents. On paper I stood a better chance because of my high school grades.
One day, as I was chatting with one of the team members and asked him what he thought my chances were. ‘Very slim’, he replied. I explained to him what I could offer, ‘you are right,’ he replied, ‘but you don’t walk like a supervisor’. ‘And the other guy does?’ and he was right, the other guy got the job. What he was simply trying to say by “I don’t walk like a supervisor” was that I don’t carry myself as one.
Now I had to work under someone I thought was not better than me, but the difference was that he walked right. From that moment, I studied that walk very carefully. My other colleague was right, there was a supervisor’s walk in this guy. I noticed that every team member had their own walk, in short, they carried themselves in a certain way.
As I spent time watching the walk, I realized that there was another walk, the manager’s walk. This was our overall boss, the Territory Sales Manager at that point, and he became my inspiration, till now I still see him as one of the people that have played a major part in my career. His style of attire, way of speaking, his behavior and just how he carried himself all together. At this point, I realized that having good grades only isn’t enough for a job, what I needed was an entire makeover. And to top it all, I enrolled for my Business Admin with the University of Zambia. And gradually, as I watched, I realised that how you carry yourself was more important, how you talked to colleagues, what you said at meetings, all that was being judged, evaluated and acted upon.
It wasn’t enough to be able to do the job only, if you wanted to get promoted, you had to be seen as the right type, it’s all about creating that type. Of course, you’ve got to be able to do the job in the first place. But a lot of people can do it too, what makes you stand out? What makes you a suitable candidate for promotion? What makes you different?
After observing our manager’s walk, I switched from practicing the supervisor’s walk and jumped ahead to the manager’s walk. A few years later, our boss left the organization, and I was promoted to the position of sales manager. I was now the supervisor’s manager.
The other guy had the walk, he looked right, sounded right. But the bottom line was, he couldn’t do the job as well as he should have done. I was put over him because they couldn’t demote him after having promoted him just a few years ago, it would have looked bad. All they needed was someone to oversee the business and correct a few issues.
By practicing the manager’s walk I got the promotion, but I also got it because I paid great attention to doing my job well. Once in this new job, I had to quickly learn not only my new role and all its responsibilities, but also the position below, which I had not really held. I had stood in for supervisors, but I had never really been one, and now I was the supervisor’s manager.
There was only one secret that led to this, I spent every spare second available, evenings or weekends studying everything I could that would help me to get the job. But I told no one about it, in a short time I had mastered enough to be able to do the job well.
I see you have questions. “How did you manage to climb up the ladder, were you not manipulative?” No, I didn’t make anyone do anything for me, it is me that changed and improved myself over time. The right people just saw my potential.
One would ask.
• Do I have to become someone else? No, you may need to change your behavior a bit, but not your personality or values, you’ll go on being you, but a smart and better you.
• Is it easy to spot others trying to observe the dynamics around their bosses’ jobs and use them to their advantage? Yes, but the good players will never let you see what they are doing, they’re too good for that. But once you become a player too, it becomes easier to see what strategy people are using at any given time.
This just allows you to be awake and aware, living in the moment and taking advantage of your own abilities. The bottom line is that you must be able to do your job right before anything, do it well. These principles are not for impostors.
If you don’t perform your duties well as expected of you, you will just mess up along the way, if you do your job right, you will benefit as follows:
• Get promoted.
• Get on better with your colleagues.
• Feel better about yourself and enjoy your work more.
• Understand your job better and your boss’s point of view.
• Take more pride in both you and your work.
• Set a good example for junior staff and contribute more to your company.
• Be valued and respected.
These principles are simple, effective and practical. They are your steps to building confidence and creating a new and more powerful you, morally and ethically. They enhance personal standards and elevate your individual capacity.
All the best as search for better days.
