Get more money with this easy technique
- Attractive youthful people.
- Happy outgoing people.
- Highly competitive people.
If you don't fall into one of those (and that would be millions of us), I've got good news. There's a technique you can use to level the playing field, create better alliances at work, and get that raise.
C.A.R.E. - The Easiest Way to Get What You Want at Work
When you C.A.R.E., you give your co-workers and managers four things they all crave:
Compliment
Act Concerned
Relate
Enable
Let's look at how easy it is to do each one....
Compliment - Find the Strength in Everyone
Even if you don't like the people you work with (here's a time when I gave a compliment to the world's most evil co-worker), you should be able to identify something they do that is valuable to the organization. Take that extra step and compliment them on it. In the event you just can't find a thing they do well, then find something to compliment them about their style. Are they wearing a nice scarf today? Tell them. Did they handle a customer well? Tell them. Set a goal to give each person in your workplace a compliment every week and watch what happens. You'll find people warmer and friendlier.
COMMENT: Some of you are thinking, "Isn't this being fake?" No! I'm not suggesting you give an insincere compliment. The goal is to train yourself to be nicer - because nicer people make more money - and that's your goal, right? Now, let's look at the other ways you can train yourself to C.A.R.E.....
Act Concerned - Your Co-workers & Boss Are Human Beings
None of us are blind to when people are having an off day at work. So, why do we ignore it? Instead, reach out to people who are frustrated or look stressed and say, "Hey. How's it going? Is there something I can help with?" Most of the time they won't take you up on the offer, but they'll appreciate you are concerned about them. It's also good to follow up when they share about a personal matter. Did they mention their dog is sick? Ask how he's doing. And, it doesn't always have to be about something negative. Maybe something exciting is going on in their life like a wedding or birth of a grandchild. Whatever it is, take a moment or two to ask them about it. Watch their face light up as they talk about what's happening in their lives. Trust me, they'll remember who took the time to inquire. Once again, you are training yourself to be nicer - and that comes with a reward.
Relate - Find Your Commonality & Discuss It
The best way to build friendships at work that can be used to advance your career is to really connect with co-workers and managers through a common belief or interest. Do you like the same shows on TV? Talk about them. Are your kids into the same activities? Share your experiences. Invest some time in connecting on non-work related things so you can recognize that each of you have interesting lives outside of the office.
Enable - Find A Way to Make Their Work Life Easier
The last tip is to identify and execute steps to help your co-workers and boss achieve their goals. Everyone feels like they have a lot of work to do. When you take time to help out another person in the office to lighten their workload, you are seen as valuable resource. Find ways to assist your peers and management so that they can say, "I couldn't have done this without you." When you offer proactively to help, they know you care and they'll want to return the favor.
NOTE: This works especially well with bosses. When you can show that you see how busy they are and you want to make their life easier, you will score huge points.
This is NOT Brown-Nosing - It's Smart Professional Development
Some of you may think the above is kissing !@# and you don't want to do it. That's fine, it's your choice. But, for those of you who recognize you are a business-of-one who must market their services to their employer to get what they want, then you know the secret is amazing customer service. (I wrote this article on AOL that talks more about using the customer service technique to get a raise in 60 days.) That's what wins. C.A.R.E. is the model you can use to deliver that customer service and get what you want.