PEOPLE VS. PROFITS
avoid false dichotomies, attract opportunities
Struggling individuals like to say “people over profits” because it sounds really nice. Heartless plutocrats say “no profit, no people”, because it’s logically correct and logic is their only friend. Both can’t imagine a world where two things are true.
But you are neither a victim nor a plutocrat.
You are a uniquely skilled performer who wants to have fun making a lot of money with other good people. Thus you have no time for silly arguments.
Here’s some advice that will elevate you above the “people vs. profit” debate and position you for bigger career success:
Get close to the profit.
If you believe that people are the key to generating the profit that provides for people, then you need to begin positioning yourself as closely as possible to the profit that you help generate… because this is the profit that keeps you gainfully employed.
Should you do your best to find an employer who cares about people? Yes. But you should also become the type of person who directly contributes to profitable business, and then be able to demonstrate that.
Now, instead of begging them to consider you, you’re forcing them to.
All humans have value. But in the average organization, only a vital few are producing the majority of the results. To bulletproof yourself, become one of the vital few.
There are two levels in the career bulletproofing process.
LEVEL ONE:
Always be asking questions about your direct impact on the health (profitability) of the business you’re working in. This means beginning to understand your contribution to revenue generation, cost savings, or both.
Once you understand your impact, you can increase it. Some of what you learn will be simple black and white, and some will be ambiguous. Accepting ambiguity is a sign of leadership and maturity.
If it becomes evident that your impact is untraceable, you may be expendable. Don’t panic, just begin making moves toward a more directly impactful role. Most employees don’t truly care about their impact. If your boss knows you do, you will instantly stand out.
If you give these steps your very best shot, and find out that none of it is possible at your current employer, you must make moves toward a different employer.
Your resume should list, for every past role, in jargon-free terms, what you did to help grow that business. Have these facts on the tip of your tongue for real life situations as well. (Real life situations land more dream jobs than resumes do).
LEVEL TWO:
Build a freelance practice. It’s simple. You already have the skills. Those skills are services — deploy them as such. All you need to learn is the basics of commercializing yourself. This is time well spent, because even if you fail miserably at building a freelance practice (which you won’t), your newfound knowledge of how business works (not to mention the contacts you make) will make you a more attractive candidate.
Build a quality social circle in your industry. We are not “fairness” creatures, we are social creatures. Wonderful things happen when you become known, and liked, for generously delivering value above and beyond your job description.
If you can make it through these two levels, you now live in a new, peaceful reality:
Your efforts are tied to profitability.
You can articulate those ties in a performance review or job interview.
You have a professional circle that brings an abundance of opportunity to your doorstep.
To avoid professional helplessness, gain favor with people and get next to the profit.
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