What does success mean to you?
Famous UCLA basketball coach John Wooden defines success as, “the peace of mind that is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable.”
Then there is the PIE model:
Performance – 10%. You have to do a good job to get paid, first and foremost.
Image – 30%. What people believe about you – work ethic, integrity, reliability. What comes in the room before you open the door? Your reputation! So work on comporting yourself well around work peers. Participate, ask questions, be engaged.
Exposure – 60%. In addition to a mentor who can help you navigate the organization, find a sponsor who will increase your exposure to others. The sponsor should be a person of wide-reaching organizational influence. Take on that high visibility project, make that key presentation. Tell your sponsor about your successes, and learn about opportunities to pursue from their connections. Ask up front whether they will be your sponsor – clarify with them what you want from them. This is a creative form of networking, which is important to get know colleagues and they you.
Bottom line for success:
- Make an effort.
- Do a good job – it’s the first way to establish your reputation.
- Network to become known and gain opportunity.
Dr. Heinz Plaumann has advanced degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering. After a successful global career of 35 years in industry, he became an adjunct professor at several universities and co-founder of QuantumQik Careers, running many workshops on career planning, time effectiveness, and cultural transformation of organizations. He is the Rotary Peace Chair, on the Leadership Team of Green New Detroit.
He is co-editor of the Green Chemistry Monograph series from Berlin-publisher DeGuyter with the current volume in print being Green Chemistry - Water and its Treatment. He is a Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada, and Career Consultant for the ACS. Heinz has published over 25 patents and 35 publications and conference presentations.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the view of their employer or the American Chemical Society.
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