“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” Dr. Wayne Dyer.
Storyline:
Once upon a time, during a corporate training seminar on creativity, a wise old teacher asked his students: “How many of you here are working for someone else?” Everyone raised their hand.
Then the instructor said, "Let's ponder this from a different point of view. Instead of considering yourself an employee, what if you consider yourself as the owner of a business; and this business is what you are doing in your current job? How would you manage your 'job' then?"
The eager students responded with a few good points to ponder:
- A business can not survive long without continuous improvement, and without introducing new products and services. If my job is my business, I have to keep on learning new skills to increase my value.
- If my job were my own business, anyone who receives my work output is no longer a fellow employee; he/she is my customer. I cannot expect to survive long without happy customers.
- The most important business relations are personal ones. When I go to meetings or conferences, it is not only to discuss the subject at hand, but also to build new relationships that can open up new opportunities.
- Since this is my own business, I must seize new opportunities outside of my current job description. Instead of "this is not my job", the predominant thought becomes "this is my moment to grow the business."
- Since money comes from my wallet, every minute of time matters, and every cent of spending goes to the bottom line. I can’t afford to waste precious time debating irrelevant issues, postpone important decisions, or defer responsibility to someone else.
- My attitude changes from "This is just a job" to "This is my livelihood". Since my performance is judged by my customers/investors in the value chain, I have to offer them the best return on investment ... or I cease to exsist!
Reflection:
If you take this attitude about your job, a whole new world opens up. Your sense of security and confidence builds: because you are continuously growing, trying new things, meeting many people, building relationships, and improving your business acumen.
It's no longer just work, it becomes your way of life; and you will come to realize that the world is very big, and there will always be room at the top for your talents.