USUALLY at the MTV Video Music Awards each year, SOME artist attempts to out-shock something another artist did the year prior (a truly bizarre/awesome/horrific stage outfit, excessively foul language, a (surprise!) mega-star vocal duo, etc.) and THAT’s always the ‘water cooler talk’ the next day across social media, at the office, etc. But LAST NIGHT, what Justin Timberlake did TOTALLY takes the cake…and is THE most significantly and impactful thing you can EVER do for your career….
And it’s quick, practical and POWERFUL beyond your WILDEST dreams!
During his Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award acceptance speech, JT thanked his former band mates NSync (who briefly performed with him that night on stage) for their huge part in his career success to date. JT made a point to say that out of the 14 VMA awards he has won throughout his musical career, HALF of his VMAs were won during his time with NSync…and while this award will sit at his house, it is truly meant to be shared with the rest of the guys.
The extent to which JT went, to publicly express his genuine respect and appreciation for his former band mates AND their part in who he was TODAY was far beyond ‘’nice’, ‘politically correct’ or ‘expected’…
It also gave us all a brief glimpse into Justin Timberlake the person. You see, it’s not just that he genuinely loves what he does and he works hard at it (which is obvious), but that he values the unique contribution others have made to his path to success, AND…he’s not afraid to EXPRESS IT! ( he also dedicated the award to his grandparents).
And do you think JT would be where he is today if it was otherwise?
(Note: rhetorical question, but the answer is No!)
And not only THAT, do you think that any of the guys in NSync will EVER forget this moment?
(We’re talking a video award named after Michael Jackson! THAT is legendary it itself)
HELL NO!
And do you think that any of JT’s former band mates will be there for him, in any way he needs, at any time, in his future endeavors?
YOU BET THEY WILL!….(and gladly!)…
SO, just HOW does this relate to YOUR career?
Consider that every job, manager and colleague, etc. YOU’VE ever had (positive or negatively associated) have contributed significantly to your own lessons learned, insights, knowledge and wisdom gained, and who you are today.
DON’T FORGET to thank those you appreciate / remember most. They’ll never forget that you never forgot them.
AND, if you’re a MANAGER, or have responsibility for overseeing or managing others, do you acknowledge and thank YOUR TEAM for the good work they do when they do it? If not, it’s a great time to start.
Your attitude of gratitude will go a long way in terms of team productivity, morale and beyond, not only now, but WELL into your future.
And THAT my friends, is the story of creating genuinely Rockin’ ‘FANS’ who will gladly follow and help you throughout the duration of your career…
…um, and it’s also the story of my instantaneously ignited “Career Crush” on Justin Timberlake 😉
(Ahem, Justin, if you’re still in town, let’s grab coffee and chat more about your career, so I can share it with my readers. And if you don’t drink coffee, I make a mean masala chai. Hit me up. )
And ‘you might hate me, but it ain’t no lie…bye bye bye bye BYE!’
Now here’s what you can do next:
1. VIP ACTION ITEM: Take a moment to think about those people who have made a truly significant, priceless impact (perhaps obviously or not so obviously) in YOUR career/life, and REACH OUT to them TODAY to acknowledge and THANK them (a simple phone call, email or LinkedIn message will do…or even just an invite for coffee/tea, for the sake of reconnecting).
They’ll never forget that you never forgot them.
2. Email me and share how you applied this simple (but extraordinarily powerful) attitude of gratitude action, and the impact it made in your professional relationships and career endeavors. I’ll read every email.
3. Did you just have a MAJOR “A-ha!” moment while reading this article? Are you totally rip-roarin-PSYCHED and ready to shake things up, and create a NEW attitude, world of perspective and possibilities for yourself and your dream career? …
If your current career is NOT music to your ears, and you’re ready to do something about it NOW, Schedule a Career Transition Consultation with me to learn your best strategy for kick-starting your dream career faster than you can say Video Vanguard.
The one thing I have always loved about JT is that he is so humble and ALWAYS gives credit where credit is due and he knows that he could not have gotten where is today without all of these incredible people around him and the people who he has collaborated with. It gave me an idea to think of all of the people who have helped me, given me advice or worked with me along the way. I wrote a couple of LinkedIn messages to some past co-workers who acted as mentors for me and of course thanked my parents for always telling me I could do anything I wanted with my life. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to think about that which I do not do everyday!
Hi Jessica, Thanks for your kind words! I’m glad this post inspired you to take action
Thank you for this article. I know that I do give credit where credit is due in my daily workplace. Our company has a rewards program where one employee can reward another with “points” for a job well done and I utilize this at least monthly to thank people for their selfless assistance.
I’ve given this advice some thought and as a result, I am having a little trouble with these thank you notes. I do have some colleagues who helped me initially in my new career by giving me some basic training on tools needed, however, since then, I put a tremendous amount of hard work to take what they taught me to the next level. Subsequently, those same colleagues now continuously take credit for the work I did. That makes it hard to give them a genuine thank you, seeing that the last 2 years of effort and hard work have been all mine. Not sure if I’ve phrased this precisely, but what I am trying to say is – in my experience, it’s rare that one person is the giver and the other the receiver. The magic is happening both ways and the relationship is either continuously nurturing or goes off-ballance, as in my case. Should you say thank you, when you are no longer feeling thankful?
Hi Anna!
First, KUDOS to you for taking the initiative to regularly and formally appreciate and commend your colleagues who make a difference. This says a lot not only about THEM but also about YOU; you CARE, you PAY ATTENTION, and you TAKE ACTION to recognize others who make a difference for you and the organization; all great qualities/traits of a leader!
Second, thanks for sharing your personal story about ‘taking credit’. Consider stepping back for a moment and looking at the situation from another angle: how SPECIFICALLY do you feel they are “taking credit” FROM you? What specifically happens in those situations? Think about it, let your mind go, and write it down (stay with me, here). Now, What is getting “in the way” of YOU getting recognized for your part as well? And do you know for a fact that you AREN’T getting recognized? Are the people you refer to as “taking credit” your superiors / direct managers, or lateral level colleagues/teammates? Are there office protocols / organizational structures in place that require that THEY be the ones to report / receive feedback / “credit” from management? Or, are there ways YOU can step up, take initiative, and physically (or virtually) be the one to present the data, information, results, etc., and receive the feedback / “credit”? Think about all this. Sometimes in large organizations, the upper most person on the team is in fact the ONE who “takes” the credit, per se…but don’t assume that management doesn’t know that all the teams/people below ‘them’ had a huge part in that process. After all, that’s why they hired you, right? it’s a team effort all around.
Lastly, while you certainly do not NEED to send thank you’s to anyone if you are not feeling good about it, you do need to be able to work with your colleagues in a productive way, and you should have a clear head and mind around it..otherwise you can’t do your best, right? So, I ask you to CONSIDER: what can YOU do to rectify any “negative” feelings you are having about the situation at hand? Why not sit down with ‘those’ individuals (or your manager, etc) and discuss your interest in being more involved in the process. Always pose it in a positive way. Go into the conversation with a mindset of “information gathering/clarifying” and “expressing interest in ‘stepping up’ on the team” vs. accusation or negativity. You never know that the situation REALLY is; there could just be arrangements or protocols you aren’t aware of.
Now, go forth and steer your ROCKIN’ career!
Let us know how it goes.
Vicki