You are Underpaid!
Such an incredible week! Last week’s piece, An Antidote to Normal: 8 Phases to Reach Your Dream State received some awesome feedback! Thank you so much if you dropped me an email, a FB message, or a text this past week! I appreciate you so much!!!
Back to the normal format, here’s what we are going to cover….
- Know your corporate worth.
- Sharing your knowledge is a MUST.
- Get better at asking for help.
PERSONAL FINANCE
Previously we have talked about decreasing debt and establishing a side hustle. But the easiest way to put more money in your pocket is to ask for it from your current employer. To be successful in this endeavor you have to have a solid understanding of the industry you are in, your value to the business, and the overall corporate environment you are working in. In many cases, you are undervaluing yourself to your employer. There is a significant cost to replace an employee. Time and productive hours have to be spent hiring and training your replacement. Often times an employer would much rather just pay you a bit more than have to go through that whole process.
**Action: Complete a professional self-audit and try and determine if you are a candidate for an out of cycle raise at work.**
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
You are an expert! When I was in grad school and working on my thesis, I made a comment to my professor about being nervous to do my thesis defense. He said something that has stuck with me for a long time. He said, “Paul, there is no one in the world who knows this material as well as you do. You ARE the expert! Just share what you have learned.”
What are you an expert in? And do NOT say “Nothing.” because that is NOT true. What do you do on a daily basis that if you shared could make someone else’s life easier or better? Ideas: have lunch with someone who is at a phase of life just behind yours, mentor at work, mentor in society (Big Brothers/Big Sisters, etc.), offer to talk at a local University or at your Church’s youth group, or volunteer somewhere.
**Action: Find a way to share what you know.**
RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
Our Three Action Thursday Facebook Page just went over 100 members and the email distribution (subscribe here) just went over 200.
BTW…Isn’t it funny how goals can be completely arbitrary? One hundred/two hundred they are such arbitrary numbers, but yet it feels like it should hold significant value.
Honestly, I’m going to tell you that relationships are the sole reason we hit these (completely arbitrary) milestones over the last two months. For example the facebook group, I started with a few friends in the private group. Specifically, people who I knew would benefit from the content. So after 3 or 4 weeks of providing value, I asked them to recommend the group and the email distribution to people they knew would also benefit. Some of them happily did. Then, I waited another 3-4 weeks and I did the same thing again. And again SOME of them gladly did. That’s it! No secret sauce. I asked for a favor after providing value, and some people were nice enough to help. I did NOT expect everyone to oblige, and I was NOT angry if someone didn’t help. But because I had provided others with value, I felt it was ‘ok’ to at least ask.
We don’t ask for help enough. We try to do things on our own.
**Action: Ask someone in your life for a favor. That’s it!!! I think you’ll be surprised at how much support you will get.**
Until next week,
PS
