In any job, once you’re trained and reach a level of competency, there can be a lot of freedom in how you spend your days. There’s the stuff that you must do, the things that are clearly outlined in your work agreement—but then what?
Then it’s up to you to create your own to-do list, and this is where we separate the men from the boys, so to speak.
If you’ve noticed that your department’s web page is in serious need of updating, do you assign yourself the task of finding the person who can help you fix it? If you don’t think the system you’re using is the most efficient, do you looked for a better one to recommend? If you’ve noticed that your competitors have started producing a new and popular service or product, do you start researching on your own how you could offer something better? Are you even keeping an eye on your competition?
Any employee can complete a to-do list, but the innovative and valuable ones know that the real measure is when they’ve completed their assigned work, what they assign themselves. The more creative, the more proactive, the more that employee thinks about the things that should be done, rather than just what has to be done,
And this is more than just pointing out problems—anyone can find negative things to say—this is about finding creative solutions and employing them. The follow-through is everything.
Where are the holes in your company that you should be patching up, not because someone told you to, but because you know it needs to be done? Tell me about it, and let’s talk about a creative solution together.
*Image courtesy Maureen McLaughlin
As a speaker and author, Curtis Zimmerman has impacted over one million people with his life-changing messages and award-winning programs. Curtis is an expert at transforming organizations by inspiring individuals to live their lives at performance level.
Want to be inspired? Check out his podcast The Next 24 Hours.
