Back in May I posted a blog about taking your mother’s advice that was in response to an article from http://hrpeople.monster.com. The same site had a similar article about the life lessons we learn from Dad that can also be applied to our careers. Since we just celebrated Father’s Day this past weekend, I thought it was appropriate to also honor our fathers and the advice they give us by sharing this article.
When reading through this article, the 3 quotes that hit home the most with me were the following:
- "No pain. No gain." Wise words from Benjamin Franklin that we still use today. Throughout our professional career, we are all going to have to do things that are painful for some reason or another. However, it’s important to remember that doing these painful things will usually end in some sort of personal and/or professional gain. If you ask anyone in an executive position, they are going to tell you that they endured a great amount of pain in order to excel in the early stages of their careers and "move up the corporate ladder" to get to the position they’re in. And don’t forget, how you handle the "pain" in any professional situation will serve as a gauge to your manager as to how you would handle tough, stressful situations in the future. Don’t let a little pain keep you from the potential of substantial gain in the future.
- "A little dirt never hurt anyone." Growing up on a farm made this statement all
the more true for me. However, I am thankful that my parents made me try things that were out of my comfort zone because it forced me to learn what I could handle. Besides learning how a successful self-employed farmer operates, I learned that I was mentally and physically stronger than I realized. This really helped me in my first job out of college because I would take on the "junk jobs" that nobody else wanted and it always yielded a positive result in terms of my career. Granted, I wasn’t always jumping for joy during these tasks, but I knew that getting my hands dirty proved that I was willing to take on the not-so-glamorous tasks if that is what the department and the company needed at the time. This is also helpful advice to remember when you are looking for new Indianapolis job openings. If you can prove to a company that you are willing to do what it takes – even if that means doing things that are beyond the normal scope of your position – they are going to see you as a strong contributor and know that you are going to have the company’s best interests at heart.
- "It builds character." This piece of advice is especially important to remember during a performance review or any time that you may be receiving feedback from someone. Although it’s hard to hear when someone thought you could’ve had a stronger performance, it’s important to remember that the feedback is not only going to help you develop as a professional, but as a person as well. You can use that feedback to continue to develop your capabilities and prove to your manager and your team that you are accountable to your performance and results.
I’m sure there are several other quotes and words of wisdom that my Dad shared with me that can be used in my professional career. I am so fortunate to have a Dad that instilled a strong business sense into my brothers and I at a very early age and I still lean on him a lot to this day regarding various life and business decisions. I would love to hear about any quotes or sayings that your parents may have used that you still refer to today.