Walking the Extra Mile

“There are no traffic jams on the extra mile.”

                                                                               -Zig Ziglar

Recently I read one of those lists of what you have to think and do to be a big success in business.  It was written by Jeff Haden and published on Inc. "9 Beliefs of Remarkably Successful People."

I particularly liked Jeff’s number 9 point “The extra mile is a vast, unpopulated wasteland” which is perhaps a tad pessimistic.  He clearly picked up this idea from Zig Ziglar who said it first (see above) but unfortunately he did not make an attribution to Zig. 

 

His point 9 reads:  "Everyone says they go the extra mile.  Almost no one actually does.  Most people who go there think, “Wait … no one else is here…. Why am I doing this? And leave, never to return.” 

In practical terms, what is going the extra mile at work?  I believe that the extra mile is located off our position description.  We will not find it by reading and complying with our KPIs, no matter how comprehensive they are.  Accomplishing our performance indicators means that we are doing our job. We are compliant and should be able to tick all the boxes when our next performance appraisal comes around.  

As soon as something is committed to paper, it is limiting our range of creativity and movement.  To go the extra mile, we must leave the well-trodden highway and find another road which is not well-defined or clearly sign-posted.  We know the extra mile is somewhere up ahead but how do we get there?

Jeff Haden advises “Every time you do something, think of one extra thing you can do – especially if other people aren’t doing that one thing.”   This is good advice.

 

People Results offers three practical ways to extend this extra-mile thinking and doing at work:

 

1.  Volunteer More Often.  When your manager announces, “We have to give a presentation at the conference, who is going to do it?”  Be the one who volunteers, “I’ll do it!”  Or, “I want someone to help train the new team member for a couple of days?”  Be the one who says “Yes, I’ll do it!”  Or “I was going to pick up Jane and Tom from the airport after work today but now I can’t make it.”  Be the one who says “I’ll do it!” even though the airport is in the opposite direction to where you live.

 

2.  Get your Ideas into Play.  When you think of a great idea that has broad implications for the success of your company or organisation, don’t think “But that’s not my job!”  Or “I might look as if I am trying to take over someone else’s turf.”  Or, “It’s not in my job description.”  Our creativity knows no bounds and certainly doesn’t fit neatly into job descriptions or organisational structures.  Look for a way to get your good idea into play even if you have to share the credit with your direct manager. 

 

3. Go to Where You are Needed Most.  As an example, you are a team leader or supervisor, and you are down on your staff numbers in one key Department, and the stock is sitting on the floor in boxes.  Roll up your sleeves and get on with unpacking the stock and getting it up on the shelves.   That is right, packing and pricing of stock is not listed in your job description.   That is why you go ahead and do it because it is where you are most needed.  At that particular time you don’t need to manage; you need to do.  The Regional Manager comes into the store and sees you in the thick of it and doing what needs most to be done.  You are demonstrating in the clearest terms that you walk “the extra mile.” 

 

 To Your Success (on the extra mile)


Lynne Lloyd
Managing Director
People Results
enquiries@peopleresults.com.au
www.peopleresults.com.au