Today, we’ll wrap up our mini-series on why your boss holds you back. Last time, we talked about the secret motivation of your boss.

It’s the reason why – in spite of all the hard work you do, in spite of the results you deliver – your boss doesn’t want you to get promoted.

Simply stated, he or she has a vested interest in keeping you right where you’re at.

So what can you do about it? What are your options?

We’ll share three of them today.

Listen to this post! Click a player to hear George & Mary-Lynn on The BIGG Success Show Podcast. (Runtime 4:50)


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Tell your boss you understand the concerns. But you want to be sure you’re ready when the right opportunity does present itself. You’d like to practice interviewing.

Even that may not get the job done.

So let’s assume the opportunity is out-of-town. If need be, and if you feel really strongly about your fit with this particular opportunity, offer to pay for the trip yourself. Take an extra few days and call it a mini-vacation.

We have a friend who did exactly this. He got his boss to set up the interview. He didn’t go to practice. He went to get the job.

And he did! You can do it too!

Jump ship

You may not be able to get a better gig with your current employer. But if you’re feeling like you’re hitting your head on a ceiling, start looking for a place with a higher ceiling!

Expand your outlook to other companies.

Reach out to select individuals in your network.
None of them will likely be the person who gives you a job.
But one of them is likely to know someone who might.

When you chat with them, just let them know that you’re quietly exploring your options. You’re doing great where you are. You love the place.

But you’re ready for a bigger challenge and it doesn’t seem forthcoming where you’re at.

Strike out on your own

The best way to have a boss who never holds you back is to be your own boss. But be ready – this boss may be your toughest task master!

Before you launch, be sure you’re ready for the rigors of entrepreneurship. It may pay to spend a little time preparing before you give up the day job.

And don’t think it has to be an all-or-nothing proposition. If you have enough energy to take on a job with more responsibility, you should have enough energy to start a part-time business.

You can build it part-time until your free cash flow replaces your current job.
Then you can launch full-time and let the sky be your limit. Now that’s BIGG success!

If you have more questions than answers about being your own boss, maybe we can help.

Direct link to The Bigg Success Show audio file | podcast:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/biggsuccess/00788-030812.mp3

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We want to talk today to really good employees. If you’re truly not one – if you know you slack off, if you’re one of the average and ordinary – today’s conversation isn’t for you.

For all you BIGG goal-getters, we’re going to talk about something today that you may have already faced.

If you haven’t experienced it yet, you will. It’s only a matter of time.

Listen to this post! Click a player to hear George & Mary-Lynn on The BIGG Success Show Podcast. (Runtime 4:35)


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But it’s not just the time you put in.

You deliver results time after time. Your boss knows you’re his or her go-to guy or gal.

You get the hardest projects, the ones that are most critical to your organization’s success.

And you always come through.

Your boss notices. You get some credit for what you’ve done. You may even get a spiff or a small raise.

Out of the blue, an opportunity arises within your company.

You think you’re perfectly suited for it. It would mean a BIGG increase in responsibility but you’re confident that you can handle the challenge.

You also like the increased pay. But most importantly, this new position would place you on track for your ultimate goal with the company.

You’re so excited.

You can’t wait to talk to your boss. You know he or she could grease the wheels.

They could definitely get you an interview. Then it would just be up to you to demonstrate how qualified you are.

But when you tell your boss, you’re surprised at the reaction.

You’re given a laundry list of reasons why it would be a bad move.
You’re not qualified.
It’s not the right fit for you right now.
Be patient. A better opportunity will come up down the road.

You leave the office confused.
You can feel it.
This is a good move.
You are qualified.

A simple truth about your boss

You need to understand a simple truth about your boss:
Your boss wants to hold you back.

Not because you haven’t earned the opportunity to take on more.
Not because you’re not qualified.
No, none of these are the reasons your boss isn’t willing to help you out.

The secret motivation of your boss

The real reason? It’s the secret motivation of your boss:
He or she is being rewarded for keeping you where you’re at.

The rewards may be monetary. He or she is being paid handsomely and you’re the star performer lining their pockets.

They may get a lot of credit for the work you’re doing. You make your boss look good to his or her boss. Without you, the results just won’t be the same.

In other words, you’re too valuable to let go.

Seems like a good thing, right? But you may be so valuable that your boss can’t let you go anywhere.

You can’t really blame your boss. While it may be small-minded, it certainly is logical from his or her point-of-view.

What can you do about it? What are your options?

We’ll share three suggestions on our next show. Please check back tomorrow.

In the meantime, how about sharing with us? Have you ever had a boss who held you back? What did you do?

Direct link to The Bigg Success Show audio file | podcast:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/biggsuccess/00787-030712.mp3

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According to Deloitte’s Shift Index, 4 out of 5 people are unhappy at work these days. We spend at least half our waking hours over five of the seven days of the week at work. And yet, most people are miserable most of that time.

There are a number of reasons people feel this way. Companies have laid people off. Yet the expectation is that the remaining people will be able to find a way to still get all the work done.

And they have for the most part! Sure, some things have suffered. Some things don’t get done anymore. Or at least done at the level of quality that they used to.

Day after day, week after week, month after month – so many people begrudgingly go through the daily grind.

Because they’re scared.
Because they think it would be hard to get a job that pays as well.
Because of uncertainty about the future.

They feel like they no longer have control over their own lives.

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It’s the opposite of BIGG success. BIGG success is life on your own terms – taking control to build the life that fits you perfectly. Work is one of the five elements of BIGG success.

There are two terms often associated with work – job and career.

Nobody wants a job.
Everyone wants a career.

Nobody wants to just trade time for money.
Everybody wants to earn money from a trade.

A job is meaningless.
A career is meaningful.

This is the message we hear again and again – sometimes directly, sometimes more subtly.

Let’s not be subtle. Neither a job nor a career has meaning. Work has meaning.

Work adds value.
Work creates growth.

All this can happen in a job or a career.

A meaningful dead-end job?

It’s more obvious with a career. But how about a job?

A dead-end job.
A job where you know you’re going nowhere.
Can you find meaning there?

Absolutely!

Every job has value. Every job has a potential to serve. But let’s double down.

Let’s say your boss is a jerk.

The company is mediocre.
There’s no clear vision.
Customers aren’t thrilled.
They just do business with the firm because of inertia and no clear alternatives.
Your co-workers are just putting in their time.

Can you still find meaning there?

A resounding yes!

The key lies in understanding a finer point about the definition of BIGG success, life on your own terms.

The springboard

BIGG success is a destination. It’s about getting from where you are now to where you want to be.

In other words, it’s a journey.
Down a long and winding road.
And sometimes the shortest distance between two points is under construction.

And that’s where the job comes in.
A job may buy you time – another one of the five elements of BIGG success.
Time to find yourself.
Time to do research on promising careers.
Time to find your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Time to save money.
Time to build your network.
Time to establish yourself as an expert.
Time to start a business part time.

We think it’s time to stop…you get the idea!

Even a dead-end job can help you move closer to BIGG success. By turning this knowledge into a strategy, a dead-end job becomes meaningful. It can serve as a springboard to BIGG success!

Do you need help finding life on your own terms? Maybe we can help.

Direct link to The Bigg Success Show audio file | podcast:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/biggsuccess/00754-111711.mp3

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BIGG success is life on your own terms. But sometimes life throws you a curve ball.

How can you deal with it?

The best way is to prepare for it in advance.

How can you prepare for the unexpected in advance?

By keeping your options open.

Then, if it occurs, you can face the challenge with confidence. So today, we’ll share four keys to keeping your options open.

Listen to this post! Click a player to hear George & Mary-Lynn on The BIGG Success Podcast.

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Keep your options open by insuring that people see you doing what you do best.

Is your job “outbound” so you’re clearly visible to customers? If so, capitalize on that relationship. Ask them for a brief note about working with you. It will come in handy at your next evaluation or if you need to look for other work.

If your job doesn’t expose you to anyone outside your company, then work on your visibility. Get involved in your industry. Look for conferences you can attend. Participate in forums and comment on blog posts about your industry. You might even consider starting your own blog to show off your expertise. Volunteer to work for your favorite non-profit.

Networking

It’s amazing how many people who land a new job found it through a referral. It’s also amazing how much business results from our networks.

So why do so many of us pay so little attention to our network until we really need it?

Spend a little time every single day building and maintaining your network.

Going beyond the activities mentioned above to be more visible, do you participate in local opportunities?

Is your company a member of your local Chamber of Commerce? If so, do you attend Chamber functions?

Have you registered on Meetup to find out about local events of interest to you?

Are you on LinkedIn?
What about Facebook?
Have you joined any social networking groups specific to your industry?

The contacts you make through these sites will be valuable now. But they may prove invaluable should you be forced to make a change.

Marketing

What makes you unique? How can you communicate that? What opportunities play to your core strengths?

Is your resume up-to-date? If not, there’s no time like the present! For sample cover letters, resumes, job search and interviewing tips, check out Resume Help.

Bridge Plan

Develop a plan of what you would do if you were forced to change jobs.

How will you pay your bills?

Where will you look for a new job?

Who will you contact for referrals?

For what services would you pay (e.g. career coach)?

As you prepare this plan, keep a couple of things in mind:

• You may spot some problems. That’s why you’re doing this now. For example, at what point would you need to find some part-time work or freelance work to pay the bills?
  

• Plan some recovery time should a change be required. You’re human. It will be emotional. But you’ll feel much more confident having thought it through in advance. And you’ll be able to keep your options open to find the right opportunity for you!
  

Thanks so much for checking in with us today. Until next time, here’s to your BIGG success!

Direct link to The Bigg Success Show audio file | podcast:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/biggsuccess/00743-10111.mp3

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One lonely person stands with his back against his own goal line. The ball is placed in a tee sixty yards or more away.

The opposing team’s kicker and his cohorts stand ten yards or so behind the line of scrimmage. Suddenly they rush toward the line.

The kicker approaches the ball. He swings his leg. The ball flies up in the air, turning end over end.

The receiver on the other team positions himself to catch the ball. Then he looks for openings created by his blockers.

And then it happens…

The runner cuts across the field. He’s running and running and running. But he’s not making any progress.

He’s going against the traffic. The players all try to shift quickly in the other direction.

And all of a sudden, the runner sees an opening.

The crowd rises to their feet in a collective mass. You can feel the excitement as they begin to cheer.

He’s moving away from the crowd. No one can catch him. The only people around him are his own players.

Touchdown!

The crowd roars.

Success!

BIGG success is life on your own terms. It’s all about entrepreneuring your life – taking control to design and build the life that fits you perfectly.

You may or may not be an entrepreneur in the traditional sense of the word. However, you are the entrepreneur of an incredibly important enterprise – your life.

Will you score a touchdown? You will if you understand five lessons about making the BIGG play:

1) Catch the ball

You can’t score a touchdown if you’re not in the game. And you won’t score a touchdown if you don’t have the ball.

The game is your job or business. The ball is a strategy to make the BIGG play.

But beware: once you’re in the game with the ball, people will be trying to tackle you.

2) Respond to the situation on the ground

Entrepreneurs know they can’t predict the future. So they don’t try.

They formulate a strategy and then start running. And they watch. They analyze.

They shift in this direction or that. They respond to the situation on the ground to make the BIGG play.

3) You may have to go against the traffic

To make a BIGG play, you may need to get away from the crowd.

You may have to go against conventional wisdom. You may have to try things, even though people say they won’t work.

You must be willing to risk getting tripped up or tackled by someone you didn’t even see coming.

It’s okay. There will always be another play. You’ll get your chance again.

4) You may spend some time going nowhere

There will be times when you need to make a lateral move if you want to make the BIGG play.

You will be running hard. But you may feel like you’re going nowhere.

Remind yourself that you’re setting up for a BIGG play. You’re buying time to observe the field of play.

All the time, you’re learning. This knowledge will help you find your BIGG break.

5) You must constantly look for an opening

Finding an opening among the masses is the key to finishing your BIGG play.

You have to find your space – a place where you can leave the crowd behind.

You may take your existing product or services to a new market. Or you may introduce a new product or service to your existing customers.

You may take on a project that no one else will touch. You will differentiate yourself somehow to break through the crowd.

Take these lessons to heart and reach BIGG success!

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