I was reminded by a professional friend how the concept of employment is a modern day novelty. 100 years ago and beyond, people built their lives by their abilities and bootstraps. The farmer built his lot. He planned, worked hard and ran his business. He went through discouragement, faith and wins based on his output.
Today, it is hard to measure your result as it gets diluted in the context of corporate life. However, you do have immense value. Realizing this is only a few steps away. The biggest one is context. You do not know what conversations you will be in this week or even today. Todd Skinner states in his book, Beyond the Summit, “Opportunity is often a matter of both preparation and chance.” Or as the famed scientist Louis Pasteur states, “In the field of observation, chance favors only the prepared mind.”
The question is, are you prepared? Are you prepared to have that conversation that explores your value beyond an employee? Do you have a context to talk within? A business set up? A structure? A business card? Context drives conversations that may be missing you every day.
In the new economy, your employer is your customer. Are you acting with an owner mindset?
