The Economy of Results

I like the cover of Larry Winget’s book; It’s Called Work for a Reason! Your Success is Your Own Damn Fault. He stands boldly before you in a way-cool shirt and even cooler cowboy boots and refers to himself as the “Pitbull of Personal Development.” He is exactly that.

Mr. Winget has written a gripping, readable compilation of advice about accepting personal responsibility in the workplace. Winget is passionate about and frustrated by the lack of personal responsibility and poor work ethic in our society. Truthfully, I am too. When did we begin, as a society, to feel entitled to things we haven’t earned? I don’t know. My parents were baby boomers. If you were going to get anywhere in this life or in our household, you had to work for it. So, Winget’s suppositions about how people work are easy for me to swallow. The delivery of his opinions in a 240-page rant is intense, and although I found it easy to finish his book in an evening – it is not for the faint of heart.

Work It Like You Mean It
Mr. Winget, in his book, delivers many strong, simple truths to employees. All of his truths are intended to make the reader think twice about the way they have been working and make themselves indispensible. Winget stresses throughout the book that employees only spend a small percentage of their days working on the things that really matter. Employees are not paid to work hard, he says, but to produce results. It’s true. Employers are always looking for results, but in this economy it is even more important to bring tangible results to your employer. One of the strongest things he asserts is that employees should manage priorities, not time. I completely agree. Who has time to figure out how you should be managing your time when you could be producing results? Finally, and perhaps my favorite piece of advice he gives to employees is that there is always time to do the right thing. I think that says it all. Always take the time do the right thing. A clear conscience can let you focus on your next goal.

The Employer
Not surprisingly, Mr. Winget has a few choice words for employers as well. His advice about competition is the most interesting. He says,”You destroy the competition by not believing in it.” Radical. Larry Winget doesn’t believe in teamwork, either. He proposes; “Teamwork doesn’t work because someone on the team won’t work”, and says that employers should “create groups of superstars, exploiting their individuality.” His advice for employers is very similar to his advice for employees, and he brings attention to the absolute necessity to take responsibility and action. Employers, too, need to focus on results.

Larry Winget’s advice and information in this book are strong. The truths that he presses forth are simple truths that speak of much-needed character in the business world. He issues a challenge to all of us to become the best that we can be and speaks from a place of deep experience. I agree with Larry Winget when he says, “The things it takes to be successful in life are the same things it takes to be successful in business.” This economy has created a climate that is focused on results, and the skills to get us to the results we have been looking for have to come with strong character, hard work, and perseverance.

Tabitha Woods is Marketing Coordinator for Delta Dallas. Reach her at 972-788-2300 or twoods@deltadallas.com.