There is a common misconception that successful people are successful because they possess a special skill or gift that helped them get that way. This is not true and it can make the average hard-working person feel like they will never get where they want to in life because they don’t have that special thing.
I am successful not because I am talented or smart or handed down anything. I am successful because I care. When I interview people occasionally someone will swing caring as a negative or a weakness. They say things like “I care too much”. If you think that caring too much is a weakness then we are not going to work well together. I want people who care too much. I want people who care more than I do, if that is even possible.
Caring about your work and how it affects your company is more than just about doing a good job.
Caring means that you:
- Listen, not just wait for my turn to talk.
- Am willing to put in more effort than is required.
- Give support to the other employees even if it isn’t asked of me.
- Give credit to individuals who go above and beyond.
- Do not complain about extra work.
- Am patient with the people who know less than me and the people who think they know more.
- Do not think that I am above doing jobs that are below my pay grade.
None of these things require talent or skill.
If practiced regularly, these tips will lead to success. If anyone tells you that you work too hard or that the extra effort you put it will not pay off, you need to it block out. No one who has earned anything has been an overnight success. Keep working hard and keep caring and you will succeed no matter what industry you work in.
Jack Holmes, Operations Manager