The correct order

I want a raise. A new title. Then I’ll really step up and lead the department/company.

I look at that as being in the wrong order, just as this is:

I want to get married. Have children. Then we can learn if we can fall in love and have a great life.

I love ambitious people, people with dreams. But in business, if you want the new title and trappings, become the person you want to be first. Be the leader. Do the right things. See how it feels. See if it’s really you. If you’re energized, you will achieve what you are looking for, in greater abundance than you expected. 

Barry LaBov

LABOV Marketing Communications and Training

www.labov.com

Anticipation

A new car is launched and it has autonomous driving and links with a number of your apps seamlessly.

A new motorcycle is introduced—it runs on electricity.

An online retailer now offers same-day delivery.

None of the above were things I asked for. But I do think they sound like great ideas and very likely, I will join thousands of others and buy-in.

This is the new expectation of the consumer. We expect more than just an order-taker. We expect our suppliers and manufacturers to anticipate and out-think us. We want them to give us great stuff we haven’t thought of.

Whether you are a large or small company, isn’t that what we should do with our clients every day?

Barry LaBov

LABOV Marketing Communications and Training

www.labov.com

The game

I love games—baseball and golf are my personal favorites. But I don’t look at what I do for a living or how I get along with the people I work with as a game. I look at what I do as a privilege and a responsibility, similar to that of being a parent.

In a game, you can take the outcome lightly. You play for a while and then you can move on with no strings attached. You don’t take your performance seriously if you’re just playing for fun. You probably don’t try to improve. You just do what you can in the moment. Your score has no real weight on who you are and you can quickly brush it off.

In what we do for a living, we make a statement as to who we are in every transaction, every movement, whether or not anyone sees it. We have people paying us, depending on us and believing in us. It is easy to say that it’s all a game, but I believe the stakes are far higher than that. And, the results of the relationships you grow make it not only meaningful, but also fun. 

Barry LaBov

LABOV Marketing Communications and Training

www.labov.com