It has been drilled into us our whole lives, “You have to work hard to get ahead”, “When times are tough you need to knuckle down and work longer hours”…………….Unfortunately it takes most of us a long time to work out that simply working harder and longer hours doesn’t come with the rewards we believe it should. It’s not the way the world works. We have to work smarter…..not harder

You see it in business all the time, the most successful people are not necessarily (and quite often not) the best at their chosen professions, so how does that work?

You’re working harder longer hours and producing more output than anyone else in the organisation. You provide the best customer service and yet no one appreciates it…..and to make matters worse that tool from accounts has just been promoted and he wouldn’t know his arse from his elbow. He got promoted just because he sucks up to the boss.

Ok hold on…..you need to be a whole lot smarter about this, and it starts with your attitude and your communication skills.

I know, as soon as I mention your attitude I immediately hear you telling me to get stuffed, that you don’t have an attitude. The boss doesn’t know what goes on at ground level and believes what his yes men tell him.

Well I agree. He is listening to the people who are in his ear all the time. He probably doesn’t know the day to day problems that you are solving for him and hence he doesn’t appreciate.

Firstly stop whinging about the ‘other people’, the ones who are sucking up to the boss. You’ll never stop that no matter what you do and stop wasting precious time complaining about it. What you need to do is start getting your story to the boss. But of course you don’t want to do that because then you’ll be a suck up as well…….There is a massive difference between telling someone what they want to hear, and providing feedback, solutions and outcomes. Notice the key words here, Solutions and Outcomes. Don’t go to your boss and just tell him everything that’s wrong with the place…..then you’re just a whinger. Give him feedback on what isn’t working AND come armed with suggestions for Solutions and Outcomes. That shows initiative and intelligence.

Of course if you think you’re still a suck up by doing this then fine, you can just keep complaining and making yours and everyone’s else’s life miserable…..your choice.

When the going gets tough...the tough get smarter