Every single one of us are, I believe, extremely talented individuals, capable of great things and endless creations. Yet, it is becoming ever more prevalent that
we have forsaken the great things that we could have done, and settled for merely being good at what we do.
Be it for the decent salary, that irresistible benefits scheme, or merely that lack of drive that makes us settle for mediocre positions in the workplace that have little or no relation to our true passion, I believe that the path of going from Good to Great lies in a few key factors.
If you find yourself tired with work, and find the 9-5 to that somewhat mundane job becoming increasingly boring in every aspect; besides that pay check you get every month (which, might not be a bad thing depending on your circumstance), then there might be times where you are finding a way past the barrier of doing good work; to doing great work.
Chances are; there might just be 3 simple things you are overlooking that’s stopping you from being truly satisfied with work at your workplace.
This 5 minute read might be just the thing you are looking for.
Now, before you think doing great work means an entire change of what you do, and you want to go off running to set up your muffin shop to satisfy that little inkling of a childhood passion – think again.
This article shall not talk about drastically changing your industry or field of work – but rather how to get to where you want to be in your current workplace.
Step 1: What’s Your Purpose?
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21).
Every single one of us was born with a brain. To compute, understand and analyze everything. That’s what we were brought up to believe in, and that’s what we might sometimes think businesses value in us. Which might not necessarily be untrue.
But at the core, it is not just how good we can crunch numbers – computers in the future will crunch them better than us. It is not how we analyze certain things – there will always be someone smarter than us with a stronger opinion.
No, it’s about why we do what we do. Many a times, we fail to think of our purpose at the workplace; and instead forsake the “why” in light of what we think are more important that businesses are paying us to do: our skills. Whilst this might work now for you; without a solid purpose, we will very soon find that without the lack of purpose, we become disposable human robots – replaceable in the eyes of the business. Thereafter – we become bored – and we do good, not great work.
By finding our true purpose, and what we want to do with our skills and lives; that is what makes us truly stand out from our peers – and this vision makes us indispensable in the eyes of business owners. Find your path.
Takeaway 1: Find your purpose at work, align them with where you want to be in the company (as a creative person? In branding, and not accounting?) Speak to your Human Resources department and see what they can do to help you get there. You never know, a higher paying position that satisfies your innate desires might just be available in the company.
Step 2: Find A Role Model, And Emulate Her
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)
Now you’ve found what you truly want to do with your skills and beliefs. It’s time to find someone just like you to speed up your growth towards that level. Think carefully here. Do you want to become someone who is the idea generator in the company instead of the analyst?
Is there a creative person in the company that has the direction that you are moving towards? Speak to her. What does she think about his/her work at the company and what do you think about it? If it’s a resounding yes, then why not talk to her about working on some of her projects together, to see how it works out for you?
Say she agrees. How would you tackle the project at hand? How would she tackle it? Following someone who has already been there and done that is a much surer way of ensuring that you get to the top of the mountain – doing great work – faster.
Takeaway 2: The reason why you might be disheartened with getting past the barrier of good work to great work might be because of the lack of role models to emulate after. Aligning your new direction from Step 1, conduct case studies and speak to people already in your field to learn about how they got to where they are today, and follow them to your best.
Step 3: Team Up
As one piece of iron sharpens another, so friends keep each other sharp. ( Proverbs 27:17)
Many a times in the pursuit of great work, we find that the path is arduous and filled with tough corners at every step of the way. That’s normal. When you’ve become so used to staying inside the box and settling for less, of course getting past that box requires more effort than usual!
But that is also where the power of teams come to play. More often than not, the journey alone towards greatness can be challenging, and unbearable even for some. However, working together as a focus group of sorts that moves towards this goal together provides support and faith of tumultuous volumes.
GCPWA, for instance, connects professional Christian women with various interests in business and ministry to outdo their own potential. Our members find that they are able to connect with one another on a personal level in their pursuit of greatness, and strive together to make sure they reach the top as a team.
Takeaway 3: Finding groups that have the same interest in growing from good to great helps expedite your path to success and satisfaction in the workplace.
In conclusion, whether or not you achieve goodness or greatness in the workplace depends on three simple facts. Faith, Mindset, and Teamwork. It is almost impossible to achieve it alone – and almost guaranteed success when you tackle it together with people just as driven as you.
