| Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley | | | | Football League or they would already be there. In |
| There is probably not a day in America when at | | | | short, they would not be prepared to take |
| least a million employees wonder "When am I | | | | advantage of a great opportunity to succeed in |
| going to get promoted?" or "I am so upset that | | | | the NFL. |
| they promoted him and not me?" | | | | This is an extreme example, but an example |
| On that very same day there are hundreds of | | | | nonetheless, of how too often opportunity does |
| managers or employers who, when confronted | | | | not meet preparedness when offered. |
| about offering a promotion would say, "If you | | | | So how does one get prepared to meet |
| want to get promoted, do something and I will | | | | opportunity in the workplace? The obvious |
| promote you," or, when confronted about a | | | | answer is acquire more education and/or training. |
| promotion they made would say, "You are simply | | | | If you do not have a college degree in an |
| not ready to be promoted." | | | | academic discipline, do whatever it takes to get |
| These workplace sentiments happen because | | | | one. If you do not have specialized or professional |
| employees tend to look only at opportunity, and | | | | training in a certain task, get involved in a technical |
| employers tend to look only at preparedness. The | | | | training course at a vocational school. |
| reality of life is that the greatest explosion can | | | | Make yourself more marketable to be hired at a |
| only occur when opportunity meets preparedness. | | | | higher level task, or to be promoted to a higher |
| The fact is, millions of employees would get | | | | level task. |
| promoted before their counterparts if they were | | | | Believe it or not, as difficult as it may be for you |
| better prepared before an opportunity occurred. | | | | to acquire more education or training, it will be far |
| Imagine for a moment how fired up I would be if | | | | easier than accomplishing the second route to |
| the Seattle Seahawks suddenly needed a middle | | | | getting prepared to meet opportunity head on |
| linebacker after a serious injury to their All-Pro | | | | when it arrives. That will require personal growth. |
| and 3-time Pro-Bowl Samoan Middle Linebacker | | | | Personal growth is 100 times more difficult to |
| Lofa Tatupu. Imagine that Mike Holmgren, the | | | | achieve than professional growth because it |
| Seahawk coach who will retire after the season | | | | requires that you not only learn or become aware |
| and wants desperately to get to and win another | | | | of new information, but forces you to willingly |
| Super Bowl on his way out, calls for an open | | | | change your thought process and belief system. |
| tryout nationally. | | | | People CAN change but most choose not to. |
| Hundreds of wannabe professional football players | | | | You will rise higher faster by achieving more |
| would show up for the tryout. All of them would | | | | personal growth than professional growth. If you |
| have played high school or college football. Some | | | | do not believe me, that is your business, but you |
| would be very big. Some would be very fast. A | | | | might want to ask yourself this question: |
| very few would be able to take the pounding that | | | | If it only takes professional growth to get on in |
| you would receive fighting off 300-pound-plus | | | | life, why is it that there are so many people with |
| nasty offensive linemen. Even less would be great | | | | college degrees, professional training, smarts and |
| open field tacklers. A scant 1 or 2 might be able | | | | talent that are not promoted and are also |
| to cover a tight end or slot receiver. | | | | prejudiced, intolerant, judgmental, self-centered, |
| Exactly none of them would have all or enough of | | | | self-absorbed and sometimes even nasty? |
| the skills to compete effectively in the National | | | | |