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

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

I subscribe to Gary Ryan Blair’s GoalsGuy newsletter.  Yesterday’s post was entitled “Taking Care of #1 – The Customer”.  In this post, Mr. Blair made three crucial points about taking care of customers:

1. Adopt the “Everything Counts” customer service maxim.
2. Deliver quality and excellence
3. Focus on the customer experience

Mr. Blair was addressing his words to entrepreneurs and business owners, but they are applicable for building a career too.

For example, when discussing his first point about everything counts, Mr. Blair says “Everything Counts! is a maxim that sends a powerful message. It means that you see every customer interaction as an opportunity to retain a valued customer, increase your value proposition, build loyalty or strengthen a brand.”

Here’s how to apply these thoughts to building a great career.  See every assignment as an opportunity to build credibility with your boss and other people higher up in your organization.  Take nothing for granted, do your best work on every job – no matter how small or insignificant it may seem to you.

In discussing quality and excellence, Mr. Blair says: “Quality and excellence don't happen accidentally; they are the result of careful planning and exceptional execution.”

In other words, think before you act and then execute.  A few minutes planning can mean the difference between a good piece of work, or an outstanding one that gets you noticed by people up the ladder in your organization.  Don’t jump into tasks without first giving them some thought.  If you follow this advice, you be a winner in the long run.

Finally, even people who don’t have any contact with external customers can focus on the customer experience.  Mr. Blair points out that companies that do a good job focusing on the customer gather the rewards in the form of loyalty and referrals.

If you service your main customer (your boss) well, make him or her look good you will get rewarded too.  You’ll get praise, recognition, better high visibility projects – and the financial rewards that come with them.

So, if you want to be an outstanding performer, take the advice of the GoalsGuy, and take care of your number 1 customer – your boss.  Make him or her look good, and you’ll end up looking good yourself.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for reading.  Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more common sense.  Check out my other blog: www.CommonSenseGuy.com for common sense advice on leading people and running a small business.
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.