THE PLAN

Learn From Others

OK, all you “know- it- alls” out there. It is time to face reality. You don’t know everything. I think it’s fair to say no one does. Unfortunately most companies have one, or two know- it- alls and everybody knows who they are. Though they are certainly well known they are not usually well liked. Do you fall into this group? If you do, you are hurting your career and chances for advancement. It’s time to swallow that pride and start listening to others. Soon you will find out just how much intelligence surrounds you.

Start by letting your guard down and just being yourself. And then practice the following strategies.

·         Ask for input on projects from your superiors, peers and subordinates.

·         If you are the boss, involve your staff in everyday decision-making.

·         Allow people to participate in the decision making of major company issues. It will give them a sense of ownership.

·         Treat everyone with respect and always hear them out. Some of the silliest ideas end up being the best ideas.

Start practicing these techniques and you will soon become the hero instead of the dreaded “know- it- all”.

There is a saying that I truly believe in. Individually we are intelligent people but together we are a genius. The intelligence of a team is always far superior to the intelligence of one person.

I urge you to start now. Get in the habit of creating teamwork within your organization. It doesn’t make any difference if you are the CEO or the lowest person on the organizational chart. Everyone can learn something from others. Don’t be a closed minded fool. Start listening to others. If you don’t the only one that will lose is you.

Here is an old saying you might have heard before; you become the company you keep. For example, if you consistently associate with lazy people, you will eventually become one. If you consistently keep the company of people with negative attitudes you will also develop a negative attitude. So choose the company you keep wisely. If you want to become successful, you need to surround yourself with successful people. This is a simple strategy and an extremely effective one. You might be asking yourself, if this strategy is so simple, why isn’t everybody doing it? That’s a good Question. Many of our beliefs are learned early in life. From the time we were infants the values and beliefs of our parents were instilled in us. And many of them are still with us today. You might have heard your parents talk about the high and mighty people that sat in their ivory towers while they worked their butts off to support them. The very successful were frequently looked down upon and were loathed by their subordinates. And this is still very true today. Consequently we take on the same views as our parents and we too believe that the people at the top are not to be associated with. As adults these beliefs create fear and intimidation of the hierarchy.

If you really want to move up that ladder you will have to let go of yesterday, live for today and plan for tomorrow. To do this you will need to start thinking of successful people in a new light. I might suggest that you write the following saying down and refer to it often. Success is a good thing and successful people are not enemies but inspiration if I follow their lead, I too will live my dreams. As you start surrounding yourself with successful people you will soon find this to be true.

Try this action step, make a commitment to introduce your self to a few people you work with or have been associated with in the past that you feel are successful. Give them a call or stop by their office or work area and simply introduce yourself. Compliment them on their success and let them know that you’re working hard to better yourself. Tell them you would appreciate the opportunity to meet with them and hear their stories of improvement.

Most people love to help others so don’t be surprised if they welcome you with open arms. Try to accommodate their schedules since they are willing to help you. Their time is valuable so be concise and to the point. Ask questions, listen intently and take notes. Let them set the pace of the meeting and genuinely thank them for their time.