Work hard and do great work. But it is not how hard you work or the hours you
put in that will determine your reputation or your future, it is by what you
produce.
It’s not unusual for the hardest working people to get laid off. They worked crazy hours. They are the first ones in in the morning, every morning, for years. And they are the last ones to go home in the evening, every evening, for years. They work their butts off, missing their kids’ sporting events and any semblance of a personal life. Work was their lives. And yet, they aren’t any good. Regardless of how many hours they put in, they produce mediocre results, and everybody knows it.
And because giving direct feedback, as we’ve already established and you already know through a lifetime of personal experience, makes people uncomfortable, they don’t get any, for years and years. They linger in their same jobs, toiling away, being continuously ineffective, but no one tells them, until eventually their roles are eliminated. That’s the day they get feedback, loud and very clear feedback. But that’s not the point.
The point is that how hard you work makes no difference. Now don’t take this the wrong way. I am not suggesting you become a slacker loser who comes in at ten, takes a two hour lunch, surfs the internet while sipping a double, skim, decaf, vanilla latte during the afternoon and knocks off early. You already know that everything you do makes an impression and that you only want to put in front of people what you want them to see, so you can manage their perceptions.
You should work hard. Working hard will help you get the right reputation, get noticed and possibly get ahead, but only if the work you produce, while working hard, is good. If the work you’re producing is mediocre, then work a normal work day and go home, because anything beyond that and you’re wasting your time. Pick up a hobby. Learn to play pool. Make new friends. But doing more of something ineffectively is an utter waste of time. Eating M&M’s while running on a treadmill would be a better use of your time.
Now, how do you know whether or not you’re doing great work? I’m quite certain that the poor souls mentioned at the beginning of this entry were pretty convinced that they were doing great work. If you want to know how your work is being perceived, you need to ask people. Know your reputation, remember?? Ask for feedback from people who will give it to you, straight between the eyes. And look for signs.
Here’s how to spot the people who are perceived as doing good work:
They get asked to do more. It’s one of the unfair realities of the working world. The better you are, the more you’re asked to do. Think about it, if you are launching a project and you want it to go well, are you going to give it to a rock star to lead or someone who does mediocre work?
People who do good work tend to get put on lots of projects or initiatives. They’re asked to participate in areas that extend beyond the sphere of influence that their ‘real’ job creates. They’re one of the go to people. For example, you need an answer to a question or something done in the Marketing department. Regardless of who you ask, you consistently get referred to one or two of the same people, no matter that what they do in the Marketing department has nothing to do with what you need. They’re perceived as being good and good people often know more than their titles or job responsibilities would lend you to believe they know, and if they can’t answer your question, they’ll find someone who can. Also the good people in the company know the other good people in the company. It’s like the I’m famous you’re famous phenomenon. The good people hang out with the good people and the not-so-good-people, well quite frankly, they have no idea, but they pretty much hang out with the other not-so-good people.
If you want to excel at work, get on the best team. The best teams, with the most capable people, get the best projects and they get the money to lead those projects effectively. It’s hard to deliver results without the right funding. You also want to work for a perceived power player who delivers results and is respected. It’s really hard to work in a department or for someone who isn’t respected. I’ve been there, and it’s lousy. Regardless of how good you are, others associate you with the overall ineffectualness of the department or with the person who is not-so-good. And it’s hard and awkward to distance yourself from your department or boss to elicit the respect of others. It’s a double edge sword. You need to be close to your boss for him/her to know enough about what you’re doing to feel comfortable moving you forward in the organization, but if you’re too close to an ineffective manager you get lumped with that person. The key is to generate your own positive results and promote the heck out of those results.
People say good things about them and the work they do. You don’t often here the not-so-good people getting a lot of accolades.
They get promoted.
So work hard and do great work. And if you aren’t sure how your work is being perceived, ask someone who will tell you. And if you aren’t any good at what you do get good, switch fields or work 40 hours a week and pick up a hobby.
Shari leads The Harley Group, a Denver-based training and development firm focused on helping organizations develop and retain key talent. Shari can be reached at shari@harleygroupllc.com or http://www.harleygroupllc.com.