I recently finished reading (for the way to many-ith time) The Alliance. Most of it anyways; the important bits. I am one of those people that would get up and walk out of a movie theatre if I was no longer enjoying the film. It’s the same w/ books. If it’s no longer applicable to me, I put it down and pick it up again when it is.
I’m rambling.
A lot of us work for pay, without asking any more in return. In fact, that appears to be the standard. I did not grow up knowing anything different. You got a job, and in return, you got paid. Money for hours. And if you worked hard, you’d get a better job and earn more money for your hours.
After reading The Alliance I am hopeful for a future for my employees and those in other organizations, where you can ask for more. Where you are encouraged, or better, required to ask for more. I am hopeful for more honest and transparent relationships in which we acknowledge that we (employer and employee) aren’t going to work together forever. BUT, while we are shacked up, we are going to transform each other, business and person.
More progressive companies, the Apple, Google, Telsa, Facebook and even GE’s of the world are already there. I suspect they realized that if they were going to attract the best and keep the best, the status quo would no longer suffice. I suspect it started with a power imbalance. An employee’s market. And either the companies wised up, or the employees woke up to their new position and asked for more.
So what is this more? What’s more than money? Well if you’re the employee it’s your market value. It’s experience; doing the things you want to be better at. It might be creating, launching, selling and scaling a product. It could even mean preparing you for a job at another company. On the other side of the table, you’re getting a talented individual to help you grow revenues, build a team or simply move the needle a little further.
That’s in addition to pay! You are going to help each other grow. Not bad right?
Well, it starts with you being your own advocate. In all things really. No one got out of bed this morning and said, I am going to make it my personal life’s mission…I am going to give every waking breath…to make that person successful. If you want something different, you have to start asking for it. It’s no different here.
Curious how to start the conversation? Well lucky for you I talked all about it on Wednesday, and recorded it here:
Good luck out there!!
Adam
This post was originally published as a Quick and Dirty Newsletter. Subscribe here!
