You have control over your knowledge, your skills, and your experience. You don't always have control over your employer's decisions, state of mind, or reasoning.
Rather than dwell on how much you need your employer, think about being so great at what you do that your employer needs you. So great that your employer can't afford to lose you at any cost. So great that you're one of the three people they take to that deserted island if the world starts to end. So great that they take you instead of duct tape.
So many employees feel they're not respected by their employers. They feel undervalued and underestimated. As a result, many employees don't show any respect for their bosses.
Respect isn't given, it's earned. It's a gift, not a privilege. Being the greatest leader in the world means nothing if nobody respects you. Your ideas and visions are useless if nobody likes you.
When you see a commercial on TV say "These aren't actors, they're real people!", do you believe it? Probably not. Most people are so jaded by the deception of advertising that they won't believe anything anymore.
You're not deceptive. You're truthful. You're authentic, honest, transparent, and 65 other amazing things.
But how do you communicate this to your customers? And more importantly, how do you increase the chance that they'll believe you?
United Airlines broke Dave's guitar. He created the video below to spread the word about his horrible experience.
Passengers aboard the plane looked out the window and saw the baggage handlers throwing guitar cases to each other. Dave and his fellow band members quickly realized it was their guitars being thrown.
United Airlines employees demonstrated to an entire plane full of observing passengers that United doesn't give a crap about the luggage they carry. They have such little care for your luggage that they'll throw it around right in front of you!
Are you publicly telling your customers you don't give a crap about them?
Unfortunately, you don't know it all. Would be pretty cool if you did, but you don't. There's someone out there who knows more about brown bears than you'll ever know. There's also someone who knows more about roofing and someone who knows more about baseball.
And that's fine. Nobody expects you to know everything about brown bears and roofing and baseball. They understand. There's things they don't know everything about too.
When you get all macho and pretend to know everything about everything, that's when you start to piss people off. Nobody likes to deal with a know it all. They'd rather deal with someone honest and real.
If only 0.1% of people are opening your email newsletters, ask why.
If your SEO guru is recommending higher keyword density, ask why.
If you're wondering why your mass marketing approach isn't working, ask why.
If sales are up this month after being down for 6 months, ask why.
If people are spreading the word about your business, ask why.
Over 200 years ago, a group of people stood up and declared they were going to change things. Sitting around and staying quiet was not an option. The status quo would be no more.
They took a huge risk in swimming against the current. But with determination, strength, and a community built around a common goal, they ignited a revolution.
Be wrong.
Be right.
Be confused.
Be confident.
Be scared.
Be unwavering.
Be flabbergasted.
Be fun.
Be serious.
Be intelligent.
Be ditzy.
Be unbelievable.
Be completely believable.
We wanted to win meet and greet passes to meet our favorite bands. When the festival's radio station sponsor had games at their tent, we were there, ready to win. We were cheering, excited, ready to play.
We listened to the radio station almost the entire three hour drive up to the festival. We listened to the station while we were driving around town. We told other people to come to the radio station's tent to play the games.
But the radio station's promotions team ignored us. Even when the crowd was us and a handful of other people, the promotions team passed over us. They didn't seem to care how enthusiastic we were about them.
It's really easy to say what everybody else is saying. And upon first glance, it works pretty well. As long as you're shouting the same things as everyone else on the wagon, you'll have plenty of people listening.
If you're across the field on your own wagon shouting something completely new and original, you'll have even more people listening. Because they're sick of hearing the same old.
Of course, it's not that simple. If the people on the other wagon are shouting louder than you, nobody will hear you. While original content will surely attract attention, the loudest content will attract the most attention.
So how do you become new, original, and louder than everyone else?
I had a really nice bus driver the other day. He was friendly, cheerful, and helpful. I smiled to myself as I was reminded how even in an organization known for not caring, one person who does can make a difference.
Then he started slamming on the brakes at every stop. Every two blocks, SLAM!
When you're the first one to honk in traffic, everybody notices and looks. But once everybody starts honking, nobody can tell whether or not you're in there. Your honk sounds just like everybody elses.
Once traffic starts moving again, everybody is excited to be on their way. Honking at the end of it all just to be heard makes you looks desperate and unsure.
