I am reminded of the remarkable opening to Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of time...". These are uncertain times and thus more important than ever that we do the right work for our organization. What is that right work?
Doing the right work will be different for each person that reads this blog, so are some questions to help you find your own answers.
- What is your company's strategy?
- Considering the current business climate, how has your company's strategy changed?
- How do those changes affect what you were doing and what you are supposed to do now?
Understanding the current key strategic objectives of your company can help you better comprehend your own objectives - what you do that directly impacts those strategic goals.
- How does the current organizational strategy directly apply to your job?
Sure, every company wants to be number one, but what is it you do that helps get them there? Most companies specify that happy customers get them to be number one. Well, how does that apply to you if you work in, say, the accounting department? And when you hear your bosses at the company meetings saying "Sell, Sell, SELL.", what does that mean if you are in a non-sales position? Don't wait for the executives to translate strategy for you.
Every organization needs people, like you, that use their imagination and initiative to figure out how they can impact these goals, no matter what their position in the company. Your organization is counting on you to work smarter, as well as work harder. The strategy plan is your guidepost.
So even if you aren't in sales nor have a customer-facing position, you can still have an affect. Because your job is more than just a series of self-involved activites, you have to find that connection between what you do and how it impacts others. You have to figure out how your job changes the world.
I hope you can think of at least one person from somewhere else in your organization that is just a joy to work with; someone you can count on, someone who helps you out and does so enthusiastically. Someone you may depend on to help get your job done. That person changes your world, right? Well, being like that to others is only part of what you need to do. You can still be doing a good job, without doing the right work.
The corporate strategy should give you the clear priorities of what needs to be done. You use your initiative and imagination to act in the best interests of the company and get the right work done. Have an attitude of changing the world for the better while you are doing that right work.
"...it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only."
This can be a great year for you and for us. Think strategically to keep on track and to do the right work. Change the world in these best of times, worst of times.
