FOCUS ON WHAT YOU WANT - NOT ON WHAT OTHERS PROMISE!
Tom's anger was palpable. He had demonstrated loyalty to his
boss for more than five years - but yet again, Tom's boss had
reneged on his promises.
Tom knew that his boss - also the owner of the financial
services company - relied on him. Not only was Tom responsible
for bringing in sales income and running the office - but Tom
was also expected to smooth ruffled feathers with clients,
suppliers and staff on the many occasions when his boss proved
less than tactful.
Understanding his key role within the company, Tom had therefore
not been surprised when he had been offered a co-directorship.
He had also felt that his efforts had been acknowledged when his
boss promised him a 10% shareholding in the company. Tom also
felt secure in the knowledge that one day he would be running
the company - after all, his boss had said that this was the
role for which he was being groomed.
But although the discussions regarding the co-directorship and
share options had taken place more than six months ago, there
was no evidence that these promises were going to be fulfilled.
Worse, Tom confided to me that only two days previously, he had
heard on the grapevine his boss was intending to take a back
seat from day to day operations. Tom was seething that he hadn't
even been shown the courtesy of being informed personally about
the forthcoming changes. But the last straw was when Tom was
called into his boss's office and introduced to the man who - to
his anger and amazement - was to be his new managing director!
Seeing the whole experience as a huge insult, Tom had been
tempted to walk away from the situation there and then. However,
he was keen not to cut off his nose to spite his face. After
talking the situation through with me, Tom began to calm down
and recognised that he had been giving his power - and his
future - away to his boss instead of focusing on how he, Tom was
going to make his own dreams come true.
Looking at what he wanted out of his life and career, Tom
admitted that he had always had an ambition to work for himself
in the arena of training - and with his sales background, he
felt he had a lot to offer other salesmen.
Together we worked on how Tom could make his dreams come true.
By recognising that his heart really lay with sales and
motivational training rather than the financial services
industry, Tom smiled ruefully at the revelation that his boss's
behaviour had actually done him a favour. He also knew that in
the past five years he had made all the right contacts to ensure
his new business venture would be a success.
Tom decided that his goal was to leave his current employment
within six months - and he knew that if that were the case, he
would need to save money now in order to tide him over while he
started his new self-employed career. He could also use that
time to put all the marketing and administrative systems he
would need into place.
Knowing that starting his own business would not necessarily be
easy, he also recognised that it would provide him with the
opportunity to use his entrepreneurial flair to create a
successful company which would live by its promises and Tom's
values.