Career Advice from TERRA's CEO, Greg Lambert

By Jenifer Lambert

Posted on September 14, 2012

“Being Excellent is the starting line, not the finish line.”

By JoAnn Xydis

Our CEO, Greg Lambert, is considered to be an excellent career coach and he personally leads TERRA’s Leadership Development where he mentors high-potential team members to take on additional responsibility.

Greg is also known for offering pretty outstanding advice so we decided to pose some questions to Greg about how to manage your career and put yourself in the best possible position to grow.

What’s the best way for someone to get noticed (in a good way)?

Find and connect with leaders and other high-performers in the organization. Produce excellent work.

What are some of the common career myths that you think people should ignore?

The “brown nosing” myth. You will not get a promotion usually until the managers and leaders of a company notice you. That doesn’t mean you should pretend to be something you are not.  Be genuine. Look for mentors in the organization that can help guide and develop you.

What do people need to do to be considered promotable?

Be good at what you do. Being excellent at your job is the starting line, not the finish line.

What do you think are some of the more underrated skills or attributes that someone could bring to the job?

• Goal orientation
• Initiative
• Strong communication skills
• Assertiveness

People need to know what they want, be strong enough to ask for it and good enough to get it done.

How about the most overrated skills or attributes?

• Working hard. I believe most people work hard. Telling your boss that you work hard should not come as a surprise.
• Teamwork. People need to work as a team, but recognize that you have an individual role and accomplishing your role is usually the best thing you can do for your team.

What’s the best way to ask for a raise?

The direct approach. State your case clearly with your reasoning, responsibility, accomplishments and achievements. Make the case why you have earned it, not why you think you deserve it.

Any final words of wisdom you’d like to share?

The best performers know how to ask for help. Strong contributors know what to ask, who to ask and when to ask for help. Your goal isn’t just to get “things” done.   Accomplishing your goals and getting the important things done will get you noticed. More important, they will give you a sense of pride and accomplishment.

 

Categories: TERRA News

Tags: career advice, CEO, excellence, Greg Lambert, how to ask for a raise, how to get noticed, how to get promoted, TERRA

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