Word-Of-the-Week #724: Helpful
June 21, 2018 by Susan Clarke
Helpful – giving & supportive.
Do you work for a company that is giving and supportive? How much emphasis is placed on learning and growing? How would your co-workers rate you on being helpful?
This is part 2 of the Scott Mautz article, “Now That I’m 50, Here’s What I’ve Learned About Achieving Success That Escaped Me at 25. Hitting the big fifty requires reflection almost as a duty. So I focused mine on what I’ve learned about success since being half my current age.”
To recap he wrote, ““I like writing about timeless lessons for success or key behaviors that lead to success. I’ve even written about famous failures that will inspire you to success. But nothing has spurned a more introspective look at achieving success than my turning a half-century old. (Ugh, it hurts to even write those words). I now realize how much I’ve learned compared to when I was half my age.
- Zap, don’t sap.
Success is drawn to those who zap energy into a workplace with their enthusiasm, passion, and optimism and repelled by those who sap energy with their pessimism, gossip, and negative attitude. Don’t get sucked into the vortex of energy-sucking vampires.
- Character reveals itself in times of crisis.
So use such times to show yours.
Success is forged in times of adversity and crisis. It’s easy to be awesome when things are going great. But when the chips are down, how will you show up? And people will remember how you acted in such times, one way or another. One of my greatest career regrets came from an impression I left during a time of crisis where I was lashing out and blaming co-workers. They didn’t forget my reaction, and I never will either.
- Lift as you climb.
Rising up the chain is nice. Lifting others up as you do so, with the intent to go beyond success to significance (for the impact you have on others), is better. The position you gain should be used not just to further your own, but to help others improve theirs.
And by the way, success comes back to you when you focus on helping others achieve it.
- The only comparison that matters is to who you were yesterday.
Constant comparison to others is the surest way to undermine your success (and make you miserable). Relatedly, will you go from being to becoming–becoming a better version of yourself–versus just living “as-is” in your life?
To do so, place learning and growth on a pedestal. I think back now to the times in my career when I was least happy and I can tell you with great clarity, it was when I wasn’t learning and growing.”
This week’s focus is on being giving and supportive. Do you zap energy into your workplace with enthusiasm, passion, and optimism? How willing are you to help others achieve success? How well do you deal with adversity or a crisis?
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