Put Yourself in the Profit Stream
Bringing value to your company's bottom-line is
one of the best ways to
start your career on a winning streak.
Have you ever wondered how some people just keep winning...
and winning... and winning?
They always manage to land on their feet, while other equally talented
people stumble again and again.
This seemingly magical ability is the result of the Halo Effect.
The Halo Effect, first described by Dr. Edward Thorndike in 1920, is the
impression people have of you. This impression significantly impacts how
they judge everything else you do.
When people view you as a winner, they give you even more
opportunities to win -- higher visibility projects, more support,
and more resources to work with.
When people view you as a winner, they give you the benefit of the doubt.
Sometimes they even make excuses for you like, "He must be having a
bad day," or, "You can't expect her to do everything perfectly all the time."
Rising Stars pay close attention to developing a positive halo. They know
that having the right image can put them on a winning streak and make
their future careers easier and ultimately more successful.
While your physical appearance plays some role in your "halo," it's not
the most important thing. Far more important is the impression people
get from what you say and what you do.
One of the most important things you can do to build a winning image is
to put yourself in the profit stream and add value to your company's bottom-line.
The way to do that is to:
- Figure out how your company earns a profit
- Understand how your job contributes to that process
- Take action to increase the bottom-line value of what you do
- Make sure that the people who matter most know about the value you deliver
Jack Welch used this very principle to put his career on the fast-track at General
Electric and set himself up as a Rising Star. In his book, "Winning," he relates
how he constantly looked for opportunities to make himself stand out, or, in his
words, "get out of the pile."
As a brash young chemical engineer, 5 feet 8 inches tall, already balding and
with a heavy Boston accent, he hardly fit the image of a future corporate chief.
Yet even in his first job, he was anxious to be seen as a winner.
His first job at GE was as a chemical engineer responsible for developing a new
plastic. One of his early tasks was to update a visiting company vice-president
on the status of a new product Jack’s lab was developing.
Jack prepared the report his boss requested; however, he didn't stop there.
He researched and reported on the competing plastics and their position in the
marketplace. And, most importantly, he included in his presentation several
ideas for how GE's new plastic could be positioned to gain a competitive advantage.
Jack's boss and the Vice President were bowled over!
When the first round of promotions and bonuses were handed out, Jack was
disappointed that he only got the standard raise. But when he decided to leave
for a job that promised more money, his boss intervened. He recognized Jack's
value to the company and got him the money and career opportunities he wanted --
all because the young engineer took the initiative to develop his winning image.
While Jack's first job didn't give him a direct
impact on company profits, that didn't stop him from finding ways to
exceed expectations and deliver bottom-line value.
You can do the same in your career.
Take time now to understand how your company really creates profits. Then
consider how you can structure your work to have a greater
impact on your company's bottom-line.
While it may mean some extra effort in the short-term, this approach will pay
long-term dividends as you find yourself magnetically attracting the kinds of
opportunities that accelerate your career.
© 2008 Dr. Robert Karlsberg & Dr. Jane Adler
Dr. Robert Karlsberg and Dr. Jane Adler are leading experts in Expert Performance, and authors of
How to Become a Rising Star in Your Career in 60 Days or Less.
For more information on the New Expert Performance System that gets YOU where you want
to go, visit StarIn60.com.