Get Paid for Performance, Not Presence

Some people are a little confused about their role at work. They believe that showing up is their job. The reality is that you don’t get paid to go to work, you get paid to get the job done. In other words, performance, not presence.

Have you ever been to a restaurant where the food was excellent, but the service left much to be desired? It’s as if the server doesn’t consider courtesy, friendliness, and responsiveness to be part of their job. Their perspective seems to be that the sole determinant of success lies in the quality of the food. Now, consider airlines. While their primary responsibility is to transport you from point A to point B, it would be nice if they also prioritized the travel experience. At times, it seems like their business model is to make you as uncomfortable as possible and then offer an upcharge to make it more bearable. What would it take to enhance performance and make these experiences better?

Additionally, marketing firms aren’t paid merely to create materials like ads and literature; their role is to help build the clients’ brands and grow their businesses. Teachers aren’t compensated just to stand in front of the class; their goal is to ensure that students learn. When you go to a hotel, you’re not just securing a room for the night; you’re expecting the staff to be thoughtful and responsive. Furthermore, you’re not paying someone just to cut the lawn; you’re paying them to make the lawn look good.

Similarly, when you retain a contractor, you expect the work to get done, but you also anticipate regular communication, timely and budget-conscious completion of the work, and responsiveness to your needs. You expect your business advisor to provide great advice, but you also expect their recommendations to be easy to implement. And yes, while a doctor’s primary responsibility is to diagnose and treat you, factors such as their bedside manner and exposure to sick patients in the waiting room — for what feels like an eternity — also matter.

It’s not about the hours you clock; it’s about the value you unlock.

Why Performance Matters More Than Presence

The challenge arises when we’ve been doing something for a while, and we lose perspective. A doctor who performs the same surgery hundreds of times may think it’s no big deal, but the patient certainly doesn’t feel that way. Similarly, while the restaurant staff may enjoy the music, it can spoil the entire dining experience if it’s too loud. Consequently, the restaurant owner wonders why reviews are poor or why customers don’t return.

The key is determining what matters. Simple, right?

Ask yourself, what counts that we’re not counting?

If you don’t know what you’re trying to achieve, you’ll never get there. Your marketing, training, measurement systems, and incentives all have to work in concert to reinforce your goal. Furthermore, if your actions don’t align with your goals, you’re essentially working against yourself. Therefore, in this case, the harder you work, the more you’ll veer off course. As Bruce Lee, the martial artist, said, “A goal is not always meant to be reached; it often serves simply as something to aim at.”

So, define your goals and determine your performance criteria. While that may sound obvious, the problem is that too many of us haven’t taken the time to do it. Or we’re living on autopilot, marching forward full speed ahead, and don’t even realize the damage that we’re doing. As Laurence J. Peter, the Canadian educator, said, “If you don’t know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else.” In other words, if most answers seem obvious in retrospect, maybe we’re not spending enough time searching for the obvious.

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