Submitted by Don Doman.
Who knows our limitations? Who knows our abilities? Who is the only person in control of our goals, aspirations, and horizons? It’s us. No one may label us. We set our own limitations and abilities, and we are the only ones who can change them.
We set our own limitations and abilities, and we are the only ones who can change them.I’ve gotten jobs before when I knew less than I should have. I knew that I lacked information, but I had confidence that I would be able to do the job and find out the information I needed.
Oprah Winfrey tells a story . . .Oprah Winfrey tells a story about her early days in journalism that illustrates the same principal.
I always liked the story of Hannibal and his war with Rome thousands of years ago.“I sort of began to create my own luck. I said I knew how to edit when I didn’t. I said I knew how to report on stories. When I went to my first city council meeting, I wasn’t quite sure of what to do, but I told the news director that I did. You have to be willing to admit that you know nothing. So I walked into the city council meeting and announced to everybody there, ‘This is my first day on the job, and I don’t know anything. Please help me because I have told the news director at Channel 5 that I know what I’m doing. Pleeeeze help me.’ And they did. And from that point on all those councilmen became my friends, and I’d come in the council meeting, and they helped me out. And I realize now it was because of my willingness to say, ‘I don’t know, but if you will just, you know, help me.’ So that’s how I learned.”
We must find a way, or make one.
You’ll often find that the person hiring you has less of an idea of how to perform your new job than you do. It’s up to you to create that aura around your job and expectations beyond what any previous employee has done. Don’t be afraid to stick your neck out and create a niche that no one else occupied or expected. You’re unique and so should your approach to your job. Better yet: create your own job by becoming your own boss!
John,
That you for your nail-on-the-head comment. When I worked for Burlington Norththern in the early 70s I worked the extra board. Somebody was on vacation or sick, I got the job. I found myself working in the South Tacoma Shops doing payroll. “It’s an all day job.” No one really knew what the clerk was supposed to do. The job for me consisted of reports and “looking busy” for seven and a half hours . . . I kinda liked payroll. No one complained, so I must have done it correctly . . . whatever it was . . .
Thanks, again.
The thing about asking directly for what you want is you get targeted support right when you need it from the person you believe can help you.
Who doesn’t like being seen as knowledgeable and resourceful? Who wouldn’t respond when asked for help.
You begin to create your own luck when you expect to succeed. You begin to get great support when you ask the right person for what you want.
Nice article, Don.
Terry,
Nice hearing from you. Thanks for the comments. Just like with organizations doing good in the community . . . you still need to ask for help, and so why not tell people exactly what kind of help you are looking for? And yet . . . quite often it doesn’t happen.
Thanks, again for reading and for writing.
Don