Exceptional performance is the bridge between where you are today and where you deserve to be tomorrow.
Opportunity does not always arrive as a promotion. Sometimes it arrives disguised as extra responsibility.
When the Operations Manager of a fast-growing manufacturing company proceeded on his annual leave, the office suddenly became unusually busy. The manager’s desk was filled with unfinished projects, pending approvals, customer complaints, supplier meetings and operational deadlines. Management considered recalling him from leave because there seemed to be no one ready to handle the workload.
During a management meeting, David, one of the middle-level supervisors, quietly spoke up. “If you permit me,” he said, I’d like to help coordinate the department until he returns. David had never managed a department of that size before. The Managing Director looked at him and asked if it won’t affect his normal assignment; he promised that it wouldn’t. His request was promptly approved. The MD wanted to try him out for just three weeks. If he lived up to his promise, he will be left to manage the department, if not, the manager on leave will still be recalled.
What happened over the next weeks surprised everyone. David didn’t merely keep the department running. He totally transformed it. He streamlined reporting procedures. He introduced a weekly performance review system that quickly identified operational bottlenecks. He encouraged different units to work together, instead of in isolation. He personally met with dissatisfied clients and restored several business relationships. Whenever challenges arose, he refused to postpone decisions. He gathered the facts, consulted the right people and implemented practical solutions.
