His dad taught him the ultimate strategy to have a successful career

I remember reading an article about this elderly Canadian man, a long time ago. He had penned down a beautiful narrative of growing his career by applying one of the most basic and most crucial workplace strategy, told to him by his dad when he was young. Here’s the story as I remember it:

He was 18 years old and had just graduated high school. Maybe his family wasn’t well off as to send him to college, but for some reason, he decided to start working full time. He began his career with the most entry-level job that one can find in Canada: a concierge in a hotel.

He says how excited he was after receiving the job letter, despite bidding goodbye to formal education forever. He quickly went and bought his work pants, shoes, etc., and was ready to start his first job the very next day. That was when his father approached him with some old school wisdom…

He said: “Son, whatever job you find yourself doing in your life, no matter how small it may seem, you should work like you own the company! Give your 100 percent to your workplace, just as if it were your own business…”

And so he started working at the hotel, where he had to do rounds indoors, at night. Keeping his father’s words in mind, he started to go above and beyond his duty. He would wipe the windows down as he walked through the place, and would pick up any trash he found. He would also practice by looking in the mirror, on how to greet the guests, which wasn’t exactly a requirement for his position.

He did this for a few years before the hotel decided to reorganize their staff positions. And lo and behold, this young man gets promoted as the manager, from being a mere concierge! He couldn’t believe what he had just heard, and neither did his coworkers who started the same position was him, around the same time.

Then the HR called him over and said: “It does seem absurd to promote the lowest level employee as the manager, over the highly qualified and the more experienced ones. But let me tell you why we did it. We saw that you went above and beyond your duties as a concierge. In fact, many customers came to us thanking for the hospitality of our staff, specially mentioning your name!”

I’m pretty sure that he went home that day, and thanked his father for giving this unique tip, that is not found in any academic journals of today! He goes on to tell how he went up from being the manager to higher positions in the hospitality industry, switching companies, and eventually owning his own group of motels!

And the best part is, I looked up his name online, and found his contact information on the motel website, and had the chance to talk to him! He agreed to mentor me, and we’ve had a couple of online sessions since then. The only advice he has for me is to go beyond the basic responsibilities, to work like I’m running my own business.

Work hard, if not harder…

Hardworking has the potential to alter your life.

In fact, I’ve also started working since I was 18 (but not full time), and even as a concierge for a few years like this man. However, I wasn’t able to make much progress in my career during those years, due to the lack of proper mentorship, even though I constantly yearned for it.

Even before my first day at my very first job, I was advised by elders (who like to call themselves “accomplished businesspeople”) not to work so hard. They said how we must prioritize enjoying life, rather than slogging away our golden years. It may sound empowering, but over the years, I came to know how they failed miserably in their careers and life, or stayed the same in their life and economic standards.

The “why” factor in career performance

The conclusion I’ve arrived at, after all these years of being in the workplace, is that your career performance is linked with clearly setting up your goals. That is, you need to know your “why’s”.

Why are you here? Obviously, to work. Why do you need to do this? Could be anything such as, pay back loans, build your savings, etc. Keeping your clear visions in mind can help you do your work better, as it reminds you everyday about what you need to achieve at work, in order to meet your goals.

Knowing your “why” can also help you do your work better, as you subconsciously keep in mind that your work is an important link in achieving it. Therefore, people who have successful careers often use their extra time to update their skills in the field; to go beyond their primary responsibilities.

Wisdom from a peer

I’ve known Joanne (name changed as per her request) for three years. She was also a new immigrant like me. Though elder to me by only 2.5 years, she has finished her education, and has already set up a business which earns her six-figure income yearly!

Fascinated by her growth, I asked what motivated her to become successful; in short, what her “why’s” were. She said that her priority during her college days was to pay a part of the tuition. After graduation, the focus shifted to paying off education loans, and paying her bills.

Her job did not offer steady income (she worked from home as a customer service representative), but it gave her a lot of free time. She used this time to write down her goals and action plans, and to learn how to start her own business in this new country.

Her English wasn’t so good, and she was lacking real world experience. She taught herself how to set up her own business with the niche that she had in mind.The business boomed once she learnt how to market the products through social media.

Joanne has written her “why’s” for the next 30 years: to become financially independent, to travel around the world (she loves to travel), and to one day own her own shop, and much more. And she is slowly moving towards achieving those, by constantly updating her knowledge on how to go above and beyond her duties!

I’ve asked her what keeps her going, despite having to work more than a salaried employee amidst the struggle of managing one’s own enterprise. She simply says that she reminds herself of her “why’s” every time she slacks or feels like quitting.

Key takeaways:

1. Work like you own the company!

2. Go beyond your key responsibilities for the job; do something extra to give added value.

3. Stop listening to people who tell you not to work too hard; they themselves haven’t tasted real success.

4. Know your “why’s” of working. Plan out your future goals and write them down.

5. Use your free time to update your work skills and to gain more knowledge in the field.

6. Remind yourself of your clear-cut aims whenever you feel less motivated to work.