Organizations measure success in term of numbers: the amount of profit, the size of expenses, the turnover of inventory, and the level of quality. It is a world of numbers!

 

Successful team members know their numbers.

Your organization hired you to deliver a “number.” What is it? If you are not sure, find the answer from your team and your boss.

 

What level is the number now?

 

What does it need to be?

 

What is the size of the gap?

 

What is your plan for closing the gap?

 

How can you track the decrease in the size of the gap?

 

How and when is your number being reported?

 

To be a great employee, you must know the number you are supposed to get, you must improve the number over time, and you must report the number and its improvement in a timely manner.

 

Know your number! Improve your number! Report your number!

 

Contribute to the bottom line.

Every organization has a bottom line.

 

This is normally known as profit. The profit is generated from how well your organization meets the needs of the customer. The success of the organization is measured according to the delivery of the bottom line.

 

How do you contribute to the bottom line? Is it directly related to profit generation or holding down expenses? Is it in directly interfacing with customers and meeting their needs? Is it through your contribution to quality teamwork?

 

You must find a meaningful way to contribute to the bottom line if you want to be significantly rewarded.

 

Remember your bottom line can only come from helping the organization’s bottom line!

 

Your bottom line only comes from helping the company’s bottom line!

 

Stay focused on the organization’s most important objective.

Don’t become distracted by busywork. Don’t get caught up in wasteful meetings. Avoid any sort of distraction. Stay focused on the main thing your organization is currently trying to achieve.

 

Learn what the core objectives of your organization are. What is the organization or company trying to achieve right now? What are the biggest problems to be solved, or the most important opportunities to be exploited?

 

Connect your role to those objectives, figure out how you can meet the objectives, and then produce the results.

 

If you are a sideshow, your compensation will be a sideshow and your promotion will be a no-show!

 
Play in the main tent. If you are a sideshow, your compensation will be a sideshow, and your promotion will be a no-show!