Help your company to help yourself

By Christine L. Romero
Arizona Republic

Sometimes at work, it's easiest to put in the hours and not worry about what anybody else is doing.

While that tactic probably will keep the paychecks coming, it may not help snag that promotion.

Many ambitious workers fail to understand where they fit in at work, said Joan Eleanor Gustafson, a Phoenix-area speaker on success and leadership.

"You need to know how what you do fits into the overall good of the corporation," said Gustafson, president of Success and Leadership Dynamics, a consulting firm.

So, if one company goal is to improve third-quarter sales, workers need to know how to tie their job functions, whatever they might be, into that larger picture. This kind of understanding can help workers feel like what they are doing isn't meaningless and can help when it comes time for self-evaluations, raises and reviews.

"If anybody is going to make you a success, it's you," Gustafson said.

She married a year into college and ended up quitting. By her early 20s, she was a single mother raising two young children. A heart condition forced her to quit working, and her morale declined.

She knew that the only person who could make her better was herself. As her attitude improved, so did her health.

Gustafson put herself through college, got a bachelor's degree and found a job as a systems analyst. She worked at 3M Co. for 26 years, where she consistently was promoted. Along the way, she put herself through graduate school while in her 30s and got her master's degree in 1980.

Gustafson said she has seen many people who want to get ahead at work and take on more challenging work through a promotion, which could lead to more money. Many people miss the mark because they are busy dreaming about moving on.

"Always do a good job," Gustafson said. "Even if you hate the job you do, do a good job of it. Then you can link with people who can help you."