Common Sense Ideas for Becoming the Career Star You Are Meant to Be

Today is Wednesday, so this post in on outstanding performance.

Yesterday, I picked up a copy of Fortune: The Excellence Issue.  It will be on newsstands until November 6.  If you’re interested in becoming a high performer, it’s worth getting and reading a copy.  The cover story is What It Takes to be Great.

The article begins with this point:

• "Research now shows that the lack of natural talent is irrelevant to great success.  The secret? Painful and demanding practice and hard work."

Bad news for the get rich quick crowd.

The article debunks the myth that some people have an innate talent that makes them great.  It ends on an interesting good news/bad news note:

• "The critical reality is that we are not hostage to some naturally gifted level of talent.  We can make ourselves what we will.  Strangely, this idea is not popular.  People hate abandoning the notion that they would coast to fame and riches if they found their talent.  But that view is tragically constraining, because when they hit life’s inevitable bumps in the road, they conclude they just aren’t gifted and give up.  Maybe we can’t expect most people to achieve greatness.  It’s just too demanding.  But the striking, liberating news is that greatness isn’t reserved for a preordained few.  It is available to you and to everyone."

As I read the conclusion of the article, I was struck by something I wrote in a post on this blog on October 16.  I was quoting the Dalai Lama who said:

• "One can be deceived by three types of laziness:
  the laziness of indolence, which is the wish to procrastinate;
  the laziness of inferiority, which is doubting your capabilities;
  and the laziness that is attached to negative actions, or putting great effort into non-virtue."

I find it fascinating that Fortune Magazine and the Dalai Lama are in alignment here.  They both say that blaming your lack of talent – rather than your lack of hard work -- for your failings is futile.  Pretty cool, huh?

Again, the good news – we can all become successful.  The bad news (for some) – we have to work hard in order to succeed.

The Fortune article had a side bar that listed five things to practice if you want to be a high performer:

1. Approach each critical task with an explicit goal of getting much better at it.
2. As you do the task, focus on what’s happening and why you’re doing it the way you are.
3. After the task, get feedback on your performance from multiple sources.  Make changes in your behavior as necessary.
4. Continually build mental models of your situation – your industry, your company, your career.  Enlarge the models to encompass more factors.
5. Do these steps regularly, not sporadically.  Occasional practice does not work.

These are simple, straightforward, common sense steps.  But, like most common sense, they take real commitment to follow -- see step five.  However, if you do commit to following these steps, you’ll become an outstanding performer – and outstanding performance is one important point on the career star model.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for reading.  Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more common sense.  Check out my other blogs: www.CareerSuperStar.com for common sense advice on becoming the life and career star you are meant to be; and www.CommonSenseDay.com to learn more about Use Your Common Sense Day -- November 4, and to read stories of common sense in action.

I’ll see you around the web, and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Bud

PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand – my fundraising page is still open.  Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.