I was speaking this past weekend at NewSpring Church about the importance of humility, and I had a blast, because I love the topic. Jesus made it clear—if you want to get ahead, genuine humility is the way to get there.
In the talk I presented the truth that there are two kinds of people in this world—“position people” and “product people.” It’s important to understand the difference between these two groups, because you will encounter both in your daily life.
Position people are headed nowhere. Even if they achieve some level of success, it won’t be the kind of success that makes them truly happy. They tend to be territorial, keenly focused on titles and protective of roles. For them, the work they produce is simply a vehicle that takes them to the next promotion… the next position.
Product people on the other hand, are completely focused on the work they produce. They are creative, collaborative, and relatively unconcerned with the prestige (or lack thereof) that might accompany their given occupational title. For them, their title or position is simply a vehicle that takes them to their next body of work… their next opportunity to produce.
I worked with one gentlemen who had a system for figuring out which of his employees were product people and which were position people. Prior to working with me, he had handled HR issues at the corporate offices of our automotive group, hiring, promoting, and firing top level executive talent. He had two tests he used, one he called the “business card” test, and the other was called the “dirty carpet” test.
THE BUSINESS CARD TEST
After meeting with an executive to announce a promotion, my friend would sit back and wait to see how long it would take for this individual to order new business cards. If the employee ordered the cards that same day, he reasoned, it meant that everything else about this person’s workday could be put on hold for the sake of ensuring the title was right on their business card—a clear red flag as far as my friend was concerned. If, on the other hand, this person waited, say, a week to order their cards, it meant one of two things, he said. One possibility would be that this was a very forgetful or disorganized employee, which, he imagined, was unlikely since this person’s performance merited a promotion. The other possibility is that this employee was more focused on getting the work done than on shedding their old title on paper. This, he felt, was a very good sign.
THE DIRTY CARPET TEST
When hiring a new employee at the executive corporate level, my friend explained, he would go to their office before their first day, approach the nice potted plant in the corner, and give it a swift kick in order to spill dirt on the carpet. He then would surreptitiously approach the facilities staff, instructing them not to clean up the dirt. One of two things would happen, he shared. Either the employee would eventually start complaining about or to the facilities staff about their inefficient cleaning, or they would begin inquiring about where to find a vacuum cleaner. Complainers, he reminded, are bad hires—every time. People who are willing to go to the cleaning closet, and grab a sweeper when necessary typically are the kind of people who eventually get ahead.
[bctt tweet=”Complainers are bad hires… every time.”]
Obviously, these “tests” aren’t exactly reliable all the time, but I really appreciated what my co-worker was trying to explain. I want to be a producer, and I want to surround myself with people who approach life that way, too. No one truly gets ahead in this world by obsessing over their title or job description. We move forward when we are willing to let God manage our future while we simply do the work tomorrow brings us.
[bctt tweet=”We get ahead when we let God manage our future while we simply do the work tomorrow brings us.”]