Ownership, excuses, and elevating beyond a janitor
#3 - 10.04.20
Brother -
Over the past six weeks, I've been traveling across Europe and getting to meet my new teams. I've been able to interact with some of our highest performing countries and others… not so much. This week was a particularly challenging week as I was in a country with mediocre results, a lack of focus - and worst of all, a bag full of excuses.
Excuses are annoying, and it reminds me of a story Steve Jobs he would tell newly promoted Vice Presidents at Apple:
Jobs would tell the VP that if the office's garbage was not being emptied, he would demand an explanation from the janitor. "Well, the lock on the door was changed,' the janitor could respond. 'And I couldn't get a key."
The janitor's response is reasonable. It's an understandable excuse. He can't do his job without a key.
He said, "When you're the janitor, reasons matter... but somewhere between being the janitor and the CEO, reasons stop mattering."
"In other words, when you become a vice president, you must vacate all excuses for failure. A vice president is responsible for any mistakes that happen, and it doesn't matter what you say."
So my story for you in this note is about having an ownership mindset and being better than excuses.
Ownership is one of the most important qualities I look for in my employees, regardless of their job level. Do they care about the company, their team members, and what we are trying to accomplish? Or are they just looking out for themselves?
You are not a Vice President, but instead just starting off your career. The thing is though... you're already past being a janitor, and past being allowed to have reasons for not doing your job. Excuses won't cut it in your current role - and for sure not in any position above it.
For some people, the idea that an employee would not exhibit an ownership mentality is shocking. It’s tough for them to grasp. No one is going to say they don’t act like an owner…
You have to look closely, though. Some people sneak by with "creative excuses." Savvy individuals who can point fingers, sell a "lower base," and create a false perception that they genuinely are an owner. They may get by in the short run, but it will catch up to them eventually.
Again, let's look at our parents to grasp what an ownership mentality truly means. Small business owners don't have a choice for excuses. If they don't do it, it won't get done. They literally are - owners.
One of my least favorite lines from employees I hear too often is, “that something is not in their job description." What do they want me to do… thank them for passing me their problem? I need people that don't care about what their job description says - because truthfully, it's irrelevant.
Let's take Mom for an example. Technically her job description is Office Manager. Well, if I had an Office Manager like Mom, I wouldn't need a CFO, HR department, nor teams on payroll, compliance, or employee engagement. Heck, I probably wouldn't even need as many couriers since she does deliveries for the business as well.
Why? Because Mom is so much more than an Office Manager. She's an Owner. She puts the business and others above herself. She considers it a day off when she gets to 'work from home'...
So my message to you is to act like an owner. Be like Mom. Don't sell a lower base, and avoid those who do. Stay resilient and find ways to deliver regardless of the piles of shit being thrown at you. Because… there will always be shit thrown at you.
Lastly, this isn't a knock on janitors, nor any type of front line employee. Having started in the front line myself, I know cashiers, couriers, etc. with a stronger ownership mentality than some VPs.
There is a famous story from the '60s where John F. Kennedy asked a janitor in the NASA space center what he was doing. His response, "Helping put a man on the moon, Mr. President." This is an Owner.
Let me leave you with a quote and a question.
“Knowledge is information. Wisdom is application.”
James Clear
When did you last go above and beyond for someone else? What did you do?
Enjoy the dance,
Nate