Putting 'You' Back in Your Success Equation

I was laid off from a company once and it had always left me upset and frustrated. For a long time I was stuck in some sort of unresolved corporate grief. I worked my butt off for years, volunteered for things when no one else did, continuously upgraded my skills and was always looking for ways to bring in more revenue. Like a stuck record (I’m dating myself…), I could not get past the fact that, despite all this, the company no longer thought the value I represented was worth spending the money.

In a recent rainy Friday, I sat down in my living room and felt sorry for myself yet again. I asked myself why I couldn’t get past this. What positive was there in that horrible experience that I could learn from? That concept of “value” returned over and over again. Then it dawned on me  –  I did all those wonderful things simply to benefit the company. I was nowhere in my own success story. If I did more, learned more, maybe they’ll like me more and I’ll be safe. My over-inflated sense of loyalty left me a prime target.

I realized that instead of thinking, “All these skills will bring value to the company and I might benefit as a byproduct,” I should have been thinking, “All these skills will make me grow and might bring value to the company as a byproduct.”

The positive in this negative experience was the fact that learned an important lesson – the improvements I make to grow as a person and professional must serve me as well as anyone I work for or with.

Notice I said “as well as.” It’s very easy to look at this lesson and become conceited and selfish. The objective is really to look for the win-win as overused as that phrase is. But it also means to make sure you obtain one of those “wins”.

Some business owners, especially us new ones, might feel the need to occasionally debase ourselves just to make a sale. We’re just starting out, we want to make a good impression on prospective customers and we’re maybe a little desperate. A recent acquaintance of mine wanted to provide some editing services for free to a potential client. The first rule of business we all learn is to charge something for your product or service. What would she have gained if she did free work? Maybe a client, but what would then happen when she tried to charge for the next job? Where is the “win” for her in free work?

We all want  – and must – do right by our clients and/or our employers, but if you don’t receive some benefit, some positive growth experience, how are you succeeding? There’s only one person I can think of that completely gave of himself for others, and I’m nowhere near that standard.

If the needs of your clients or your company lead you to a formula for growth, make sure you are a part of the arithmetic.

Cindy Kibbe is owner of Cindy Kibbe Creative Communications, a professional writing services firm based in New England. She has written for several Greater Boston-area media companies and was an editor for a regional business publication for nearly a decade. She can be reached at cindy@kibbecreative.com.