My mom recently retired and there aren’t enough ways to explain how happy and proud of her I am. She’s been an inspiration in my life for so many reasons, but I especially have always admired her business savvy, work ethic and even her stylish work wardrobe (which she’s often had to share from time to time). She always seemed to have so much fun and was highly respected as a leader and co-worker. She was the definition of girl boss, to say the least, and I hope to be just like her one day. My mom shared a lot of her books with me that she found helpful throughout her career and the other day I picked up “Seeing The Bigger Picture” by Kevin Cope. It’s one of my 2018 goals to read more, especially work related content, and this title sparked my interest. After reading it, I would recommend this book to anyone working at any company, no matter what your title may be. At the end of the day, everyone makes a difference and YOU CAN contribute to the success of your company. A few things from the book I wanted to share that I liked and have advice for are:
1. See the "big picture" of your organization- how the key drivers of your business relate to each other, work together to produce profitable growth, and relate to the job you do each day.
To do this you're going to have to ask questions. Don't worry, you aren't being nosy. You are "seeking to understand" and people love to share information about what they do. For example, someone in from out of town sat in the empty cube next to me last week so I used that as an opportunity to not only welcome him, but pick his brain on what he does in an area of the business (operations) I'm interested to know more about to enrich my business knowledge. He seemed genuinely excited that someone was so interested in the nitty-gritty details of his job. In return, he hopefully learned more about my world in marketing. See? It just takes two people asking questions and sharing thoughts to expand their "big pictures" :)
2. Understand the important company communications and data, including financial statements.
Find a way to get a general sense of your company performance if you don't already receive it. I work in a sales oriented business and look at our performance daily so I am ready to speak on it as if I had a meeting with the CEO his or herself. You can and should too. If you want to make it to the top one day, try to put yourself in the shoes of someone who's already there. I guarantee they have a pulse on business performance as if it were their own heartbeat.
3. Use your knowledge to make good decisions.
And forgive yourself if you don't always know the best decision to make. Lean on people around you if needed but I'd caution not to get caught up in getting feedback from EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON. Use your best judgement and just move. There aren't a million quotes about failure leading to success if it weren't true. 2018 is not a year to be slow in decision making. There are a thousand other companies out there who are quicker and evolving just as fast. Find a way to make things happen and you're company stays relevant. Stand still and wait for decisions and you're going to die.
4. Understand how your actions and decisions impact key company measures and the objectives of your company's leadership.
Be a sponge and listen and observe the actions of your leadership and find a way to make an impact on what their objectives are, and you can't go wrong. Asses your daily work and if it's not laddering up to the overall company goals, you need to ask yourself if it's worth doing at all.
5. Effectively communicate your idea to other employees, managers, and executives.
I feel like a lot of people are fearful of this especially when it comes to executives and my advice is to not be. If I've learned anything as a YoPro (young professional), it's to not be scared to communicate with leadership about your ideas when carefully thought through. In my experience, they're actually interested in your life and career goals and, if you're as lucky as me, actually care about your growth and want to help you do that. Ultimately you're a better asset to the company when they do. If they don't care to listen, then maybe you're at the wrong company. Or you can use it as an opportunity to be a better leader one day by doing the complete opposite of what they're doing. I'm so grateful to have been surrounded by so many people who've made a positive impact in my career by encouraging me and motivating me and truly wish that for everyone.
There's a song I heard the other day called "Mind On Fire" and the lyrics say, "have you seen the girl with a mind on fire?" and it stopped me for a second because I thought, that's actually how I feel right now. My mind is actually on fire with a passion to learn, grow and work really hard to make a difference. And since starting my MBA I am totally filled with energy and a desire to expand my knowledge in business and marketing. Paired with an interesting time in the company I work for, I'm experiencing a blend of emotions and different things for the first time. Ultimately, I'm learning that nothing is guaranteed in this world and you owe it to yourself to continue to evolve, improve and be the very best version of yourself. That way, no matter what happens you're always prepared for anything and ready to shine when your time comes. Set your mind on fire for things you believe and want to accomplish and there's nothing you can't acheive.
If all else fails and you're not sure what to do, call your mom and dad.
Have a killer week at work and thanks for reading All Kinds of Vibes// Megan