In my youth I was complaining about how I should get a raise where I worked because I had been there two whole summers. I said that I should get paid more than the new guys because of that. He asked, “well, what makes YOU more valuable to the company?” I came up with a few weak arguments for a raise, but I knew he wasn’t buying it.
My dad taught me that you just can’t expect to make more money at a job because of the time you have spent on the job. He told me that the only way to MAKE more is to DO more. Not necessarily from a productivity standpoint, but from a VALUE standpoint. He told me first, to learn the most about my job, mirror how the top performers do it, and then work to be the best at it. Become a “GOTO” guy.
He said every company has a few highly valued GOTO’s and everyone knows who they are. And THEY are the ones who are sought out when promotions become available. Not as a reward, but because GOTO’s pride themselves on their reputation and carry that work ethic and attitude with them as they rise to greater responsibility, thus becoming more VALUE-able.
He taught me that If you TAKE the money then DO the job without complaining. Want to earn more? Be able to DO more. Increase your VALUE. Be a GOTO.
#gotos4life
