Do you want to be promoted? Develop the habit of going the extra mile (GTEM)
Richard A. Chambers (Rik, his nickname for short) was my training manager/coordinator at Guinness Nig. Plc Ikeja Brewery, Lagos in 1994/95. During the approx. In the one year period I reported to him, he repeatedly challenged me to “build myself” to be highly competent as a brewer and manager.
When I went to Benin Brewery, I had four spiral bound training reports (typed myself) with lots of large pictures (taken by Rik) of pretty much every area/process plant I had been trained on. These documents, as Rik assured me they would be, proved to be very useful references during my later years with the company. In fact, many new entrants (and some older managers) at various points found the need to borrow and make copies.
But that is not all. It was Rik’s prowess in programming Lotus Spreadsheets macros that really brought us together. Over a period of 6 months, in accordance with the formal role assigned to him, single-handedly developed an automated brewery variable cost analysis spreadsheet application that was adopted by breweries in Lagos and Benin for formal reporting purposes MONTHLY on the performance of the brewery.
Lucky for me, he noticed my interest in watching him furiously code various data entry/reporting interfaces, and decided to get involved by giving me a laptop and having me check the formulas for errors.
As time went on, he started giving me copies of ALL the code in the different apps, for the brewing and packaging departments. I was still a trainee, but 6 months after returning to work at the Benin brewery, I was formally responsible for maintaining/updating Rik’s software for the Benin brewery. This was ALL top management level work – the very complex formulas for calculating Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) would have intimidated most people, but Rik had prepared me well.
So it’s no wonder that in 1997 it successfully developed four custom reporting applications to replace manual data management systems in the brewing department. Over time, other departments would find use for my skills, including the engineering and packaging services departments.
But do you know the best part? I did all of this INFORMALLY, in my spare time, while still working full time as a brewer/manager. No one gave me time off, and I never asked for it. The challenge was there, and I was up to it, and the passion/enthusiasm to make a tangible difference was enough. Having seen Rik do so many things OUTSIDE of his instructions, I had no problem doing the same. He had set a good example.
My time with Rik prepared me for the successes I would later achieve at Guinness. Examples include nomination to the company-wide Project Insight team that developed comprehensive formats for the computerization of technical report data collection, analysis, etc. High-profile secondments to relieve senior managers in different departments/sections would be followed by promotions and then further secondments, including traveling abroad to attend international courses.
But I did not rest on my oars; in fact, by the time I left the company (to start my own business), I had successfully acquired MS Excel-VB programming skills through self-tutoring, taking advantage of the company’s move from Lotus. Smart Suite to MS Office. So I didn’t just jump into developing custom spreadsheet solutions. I have been doing it for YEARS before I became a business.
It is important that you do not swell your head or think you are superior to those who are not so talented in what you do. I will NEVER be old enough to call ANYONE, even a 5 year old, toddler, or toddler. The last thing I want to become is a BIG Man, you know, the kind that puts on all kinds of airs because he has money, power or position. It’s ironic that billionaires like Warren Buffet, who have the MOST reason to act BIG, still use vintage model cars and stay humble!
This article has been written to encourage anyone currently in paid employment who may feel that allowing themselves to be recruited into roles they feel is outside of their job description would not be in their best interest. Many times the opportunities for growth, advancement and success will come disguised as work, to paraphrase Thomas Edison.
And that’s why most people MISS them! If you want to equip yourself for lasting success, make sure you fully master your core responsibilities in a way that allows you to successfully take on ADDITIONAL challenges, making decision makers SEE that you have the ability to fill positions of higher responsibility.
Some people get carried away by the “status” they think their jobs confer on them. They become obsessed with acting like GREAT men and women. This mindset makes them feel that there are certain roles that are too important to play. And this causes them to miss out on career advancement, especially in a company looking for selfless leaders to make things happen.
No serious decision maker will give you a promotion or opportunity for career advancement without being sure that you have the ability, and the abiding passion, to achieve the desired results. Build the Going The Extra Mile (GTEM) habit at work, starting today, and see yourself moving toward NEW levels of success!