Last night I was thinking about a new 'crop' of MBA students in a strategy class I recently taught. Since I haven't had any of these students in any previous class I started off the class with my usual question, "Why did you come back to Graduate School?"
There were the usual responses - to get a better job, to fortify my resume, because I was bored....and then there was the guy who said, "Because I hate Corporate America. All I know is IT and I figured I should learn more about business, though I don't think I"m cut out for a corporate job. The only thing corporations and the people who work there are interested in is money and getting ahead and they'll step on anyone to get there."
"Oh," I smiled, moving in a little closer for the kill. "And where do you work now?"
He replied, "XYZ company" (Note: one of the biggest companies in town).
"How long have you been there?"
"About 3 years."
"Where did you work before?"
" ABC Company."
"Why did you move to XYZ Company?"
"For more money and a promotion."
"Oh," I said. I stopped there, smiled, and waited for the snickering to subside as it made its way around the classroom.
In the past I have tried to be a bit more empathetic and probing to learn the reasons why particular students felt this way, but for some reason I couldn't stop myself last night. It's like the guy was 'stuck on stupid' (remember the National Guard's General Honoree?). Here he is most of the way through an MBA program and he still doesn't understand what business is all about.
Like it or not, business IS about money. No company can survive the long haul if it doesn't make money. No money --- no products, no profit for your profit sharing plan, no jobs, no benefits, no decent return for your 401K or IRA, blah, blah, blah. NO ONE starts any type of business - for profit or not-for-profit without knowing that they will have to generate revenue (i.e. money) and eventually generate a return to either pay back those people who took the risk to invest in the venture or to deliver the services they hope will make the world a better place. I have to wonder what part of this the student didn't understand? The irony and hypocrisy of this situation still has me dumbfounded.
What does this have to do with your career and brown-nosing? Quite a bit, actually. If you are going to 'play' you must understand that business is about money and numbers. Once you've bought into this concept you are then in a better position to see just how your job contributes to those objectives. THAT is how you and your job add value.
With an understanding of this you can better position yourself and your ideas in terms that make sense to your boss and the business. Talking smart, instead of stupid, is one of the best ways to gain visibility for yourself in the workplace. Take the time to learn about the mechanics of business and you'll look much smarter than most of the people around you.
If you are a little rusty or don't really understand the fundamentals of business, a great place to start is with any one of a number of the resources I've listed in the book, Brown-Nosing 101: A career survival manual for the rest of us. They will give you the foundation that you'll need if you truly want to become a player.
Think about it ---- then let me know what YOU think!
Later, Linda
Linda,
Great blog entry. I have often asked my staff what we make ... what we produce. If you ask most people that they will answer 'widgets'. What we really produce is money. That sounds simplistic but it is true. Even small businesses need to make money to survive. Hope all is well.
Rick
Posted by: Rick Cartwright | October 11, 2009 at 05:40 AM