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It's simple. Change your mindset from working FOR your company to working WITH your company. Employment is a partnership, not an obligation, no matter how bad the economy is.

The first thing any non-stock holding employee has to accept is that no matter where you work and how much you make, you're being undervalued...at least financially. No company in the world (except ones that get 700 billion dollar tax payer bail outs from the government) can pay you more than the value you are creating for them. Even if you were earning $250,000 a year, you have to be making at least twice that for the company in revenue for it to stay in business.

Most people say that they "work for" a company. Though the difference between working FOR a company and working WITH a company is verbally minute, the mindset shift is huge. Check out the mental differences between someone who works WITH versus someone who works FOR and see where you are on the spectrum. People who work FOR companies in times like these are vulnerable whereas people who work WITH them have a stronger position.

1. GOALS
WORKING FOR: The employee's goals are short-term and company focused (ie get a raise, get a promotion, reach a sales goal)
WORKING WITH: The employee's goals are long-term and career focused (ie develop a skill set, establish relationships in and out of company, master a industry)

2. VALUE
WORKING FOR: The employee and company are unaware of the employee's unique value to organization and thus the employee works to just stay on the company’s team
WORKING WITH: The employee and company are fully aware of the employee's unique value to the organization and the company works to keep the employee on their team

3. FREEDOM
WORKING FOR: The employee is managed, directed, and told what to do
WORKING WITH: The employee leads and has the freedom create their own direction and to do list

4. OPPORTUNITIES
WORKING FOR: Working for this company is the only option the employee has at the moment, so they can't leave
WORKING WITH: The employee's performance and skill set has created multiple opportunities in case they want to transition

5. FAIRNESS
WORKING FOR: The employee and/or the company feel that the other party is getting over on them but neither has the courage to move on their feeling
WORKING WITH: The employee and the company both feel like it’s a fair deal

2 comments

  1. I agree. And even in b2b situations where one party is the "vendor" and one is the "client" - the same mentality should apply. It instills fairness in relationships and reduces the feelings of a monarchy in any business relationship.

     
  2. Anonymous Says:
  3. i totally agree as well...and that shift in mental gears will really start to change your outlook on life and give you a better disposition. better yet, start actually "working with" companies, that's what i did.

     

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My purpose is to help as many people as possible reach their full potential by helping them making a living doing what they love and in the process of doing so achieve my own. I want to do this through writing, speaking, and creating offline and online spaces that facilitate conversations around purpose.

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