Elevate Your Work

A lot of the work people do is what you might call average, ordinary, or, in some cases, mundane or pedestrian. I like to call it "everyday work."

Contrary to this "everyday" view, however, this work is critical and vital; most businesses would fold if it were left undone. The problem is that this work is undervalued, and the people doing it feel they don't really matter. They see their work as a paycheck. And while it's true that not everyone has a role that is glamorous, everyone has a necessary role, whether it is designing the next great product or sweeping the shop floor.

Two key points: 1) Everyone who works has a responsibility. They must do their job. They must put forth the effort to do what is being asked. They must, at a minimum, do what they were contracted to do. 2) Everyone also has an opportunity. They can do more than the minimum. They can step it up to give a bigger effort and be a professional, an artist. They can become a master of the tools at their disposal and use them to solve problems, invent new tools, or approach tasks in new ways.

The book largely discusses three key elements that are in people's WOW box—this is a kind of reverse Pandora's Box that, instead of unleashing all manner of ills, unleashes greatness. The three elements are: 1) Making Art; 2) Making a Difference; and 2) Being Professional.