Detail-oriented. Meticulous. Dedicated to your job. Thorough. Precise. Focused on the task at hand.
Stuck.
You know the type. Maybe you are the type.
The type that works hard, that gets things done, that “handles it.” The type that puts in long hours to make sure your team and company shine. The type that pays careful attention to every detail, that crosses every “t” and dots every “i.”
Without our type, the world would be in utter chaos. Without our type, the world would lack refinement and precision. It would be unorganized and late. If we aren’t the ones cleaning up everyone else’s messes, then who would?
And yet.
And yet, our efforts often go unnoticed. At least that’s the way it seems. If we are the ones getting things done, why aren’t we the ones with the high-paying jobs set in corner offices? Why aren’t we being rewarded? Why are our careers or lives or relationships stuck?
Rewind
Shortly after I graduated college, I read Robert Kiyosaki’s best-selling book Rich Dad, Poor Dad. The book sets out to examine why Robert’s biological father (his “poor dad”) – an educator with a Master’s degree – struggled financially throughout his entire life while his friend’s father (Robert’s “poor dad”) went on to be a multi-millionaire with no more than a middle school education.
We aren’t going to analyze all of the systems that could have effected the outcome of each man’s life, but there was a quote from the book that stuck with me since that time.
A-students work for C-students, and B-students work for the government.
Robert Kiyosaki, Author
Clearly, all A-students don’t work for other people, nor do all C-students run their own companies. But this observation makes a lot of sense. Here’s why:
- C-students are usually the most social, outgoing kids in school.
- These social skills are often penalized in the classroom and therefore do not translate into “good grades.”
Beyond the classroom though, many C-students have the ability to connect with people on a deep level, to motivate them, and to get them to take action.
It is through this process of outsourcing and delegating that C-students are able to build systems (and businesses) around getting others to execute what they are thinking. As others are implementing the plans, business owners are free to build additional systems that lead to future growth.
Get Un-Stuck
What is your approach to getting things done?
Do you have “people systems” in place to lighten the load, or do you throw the world on your shoulders and power through?
If it’s the latter, spend a little time each week finding ways to lighten the load and include other people – ideally who are smarter and more talented than you – in your system that will allow you to focus on bigger picture tasks.