I believe that every right implies a responsibility, every opportunity an obligation, every possession a duty. (Rockefeller)
With up to 9 kids (we have 10) at home, we drink a lot of milk. There isn’t enough room in our 2 refrigerators to keep enough fresh milk. We use powdered milk instead.
Every morning I get up early and write. When I am done I make breakfast for myself. The milk is usually gone. Sometimes I grumble a little. Why is it always me? Everyone uses it. Can’t they make it too? Then I go ahead and make the milk. Occasionally I remind my wife that I made the milk. She can’t leave me for another man. He might not make the milk in the morning. (Truth be told: she makes it more than I do, but I can’t have her believing I am totally useless.)
Do you “make the milk” at work? Are there indispensable chores you do? Then you need to remind your boss of them every week or at least quarterly. Put them in your weekly, monthly or quarterly reports to your boss. He needs to be reminded.
Since you are reporting what you do as routine every week, you better add what the extra things are that you do every week. Write how you saved money, speeded things up, or made a customer happy. Don’t forget to include training you gave or received.
There is no way that your boss can possibly know all the important things you do. He has his own job. Giving him a weekly, monthly and quarterly report reminds him. It also gives him a weekly opportunity to think of new projects to give you. It forces him to think of your career.
Make the milk. Then make sure you get the credit. It really will help your career.
Something To Do Today
In your job journal make a list of the things you do every day, week and month. What do you take care of so your boss doesn’t have to worry? Keep adding to the list. Friday, write up the list and give it to your boss. You may just surprise him with how much you did this week. Okay, maybe not this Friday, but how about tomorrow?
(I wrote this years ago. Laura and I still have 9 kids and grandkids living at our house. We are down to one refrigerator. I make milk every morning for my daughter Merrilee to have on her cereal. The other kids can fend for themselves, and do very well at it.)