Often, when I am consulting with a company or team, hew and cry is "The company/ management does not do enough for me/us." This may certainly be true, however, my first question is opposite, 'What are you doing for company/management?'. That's way equation works best. You give and then you get. Strangely, that's way it works best in any relationship. Have you noticed that?

What you pay attention to expands. If you are focused on what you think you are not getting, that overshadows everything. Attitudes shift and conversations turn into whining sessions. Soon, morale dips and everyone is complaining. Often, complaints have grown completely out of proportion and no one remembers why they were attracted to company in first place.

You can change this. Be a 'value-added' employee. Build your strengths rather than focusing on company weaknesses. What a concept! You choose your focus and attitude. You choose how you use your time. You choose your perceptions and perspectives. Use that power to become 'value-added'!

Now, I'm not talking about giving 'til it hurts. No, I'm talking about way you use your energy to focus on your career path. Sure, there are employers who devour employees and spit them out spent, burned out and disillusioned. They exist. If you're working for one of those...and examine it carefully to be sure...move on.

Not long ago, I was training in public sector. The topic was 'Be Promotable' and, in working with human resources folks, I asked, "What would you really like your employees to understand from this seminar?" One response was that individuals had to realize that simply repeating tasks and occupying a seat on a regular basis would only lead them to possibility of continuing to occupy that particular seat! People are not promoted for demonstrating 'longevity model'.

This is an important shift to notice in work world of today. Whether you are a pre-boomer, a baby boomer, or a buster, a Generation X or Y, you can count on one thing. Your work ethic will not be same as folks of other ages within your organization. Your expectations will be different and your model will have been shaped by those expectations. There was a day, not too long ago, when workplace loyalty was a deciding factor. When someone demonstrated loyalty by working well for same company for a long time, they were rewarded by promotion. In fact, they expected it. That was way things were done. This was not necessarily loyalty to a concept or a person, it was a generalized loyalty demonstrated by showing up, accomplishing work and occupying that seat over a long period of time. Of course, I'm simplifying this to make my point.

These days, loyalty is more likely to be demonstrated to an idea, a concept, a product or a person than to a commitment for long haul. Whereas once folks had one career, average these days is three careers. Current research tells us that, in order to move up in your career, you will likely change positions or companies every two to five years. Not only that, research suggests you MUST do that to progress. That is a major shift, isn't it? And, it has taken place within thirty years. Huge change in a short time in way work is perceived.

So 'longevity model' no longer applies to our marketplace. We need 'maturity model' which exists when employees are learning, growing AND applying new information while taking responsibility for their roles, tasks and progress. These folks understand meaning of accountability. That's big!