Career Tip #10 - Know Your Business

To take your career to the highest level possible you must first know your business. After all, how can you expect to add value to the organization if you don’t know the business? You add the greatest value to your organization when you understand your business and your industry. Your competence and intelligence will be evident when you can discuss the business in the same terms and on the same level that people several levels above you do.

If you consistently do this, you have a good chance of developing a reputation as someone who can actually help the business grow-- someone who sees the company as more than a place to collect a paycheck. Over time, this lends to your credibility which helps you create a reputation as someone who can be counted on to understand the issues—and builds confidence in your ability to move up to the next level.

True game players are competent. They understand the company’s industry, keep up with industry trends, know what the competition is doing, know what the stock price traded for the previous day, understand the organization’s mission, vision, values, objectives and strategy. They understand what the customers need and they understand the company’s products and services.

They take the time to expand their capabilities in this area because it is from this foundation that they are able to recognize how best to solve the problems that they are faced with each and every day. Taking the time to learn about and understand the company’s business also sends a message that you are dedicated, loyal and above all, interested and interesting.

If you are early in your career (or even if you are not) and spend much of your time doing rather uncomplicated, somewhat boring work, use your time, wisely, to learn more.

Do you know what your colleagues do and how their work interacts with yours? Do you know what your boss does and how his/her work helps the company to achieve its objectives? What are your company’s plans for the future? Do you read the company’s annual report? Do you take the time to read the company newsletter? Industry trade magazines and journals? For that matter, do you read the business section of the paper each day?