“The harder you work, the luckier you get”
This month, during Miron Construction’s annual support staff summit, we were fortunate to have Kathi Seifert, the former Executive Vice President for the Kimberly-Clark Corporation, attend as a guest speaker. As she talked about the journey through life a career can take you on, Kathi shared both personal and professional stories and provided some extremely valuable insight, including work/family balance, driving positive change, being happy and passionate about what you do and so much more.
Here are some key take-aways from her time with us:
Set clear goals: It is important to have clear goals in mind so that everyone is working toward the same outcome. Also, make sure smaller teams have goals that fit into the overall initiatives of the organization. Be sure to set expectations high.
Take initiative and meet or exceed expectations: Bring ideas forward and make sure you are always adding value. Not only will this make you feel good, but you will also be given more responsibility for future projects.
Be willing to take risk: Bring about new thinking and be aggressive. Accept changes and use smart, passionate thinking. Don’t let the fear of failure stand in your way.
Be a team player and help others: Together you can do more. A team will always be stronger than an individual. It takes a team of people to accomplish great things.
Learn from others: Observe how others do things and never stop learning. Keep your eyes and ears open. Ask questions and participate as learning happens in numerous ways.
Have a positive attitude: Make people want to be around you; always show optimism and a positive attitude. No one can take your attitude away from you.
Before Kathi left, she gave everyone in the room something to hold onto as they move forward on their own career journeys. She handed out a keychain that read, “The harder you work; the luckier you get.” This phrase was handed down to Kathi by her former mentor, Jack Besser, and has stayed with her throughout her career. The phrase acts as a reminder to work hard and always put yourself in a position to do your best. And if you do that the rest will fall into place.
Photo credit: www.kewaneelibrary.org
