Never Ask for a Raise Until You’re Worth More to the Company

Dad and my grandfather owned an electronics business while we were growing up and Dad tried very early to provide us with an opportunity to experience working for someone. I remember working on Saturdays for about 50¢ per day when I was about 10 years old. The work wasn’t hard, we weren’t expected to do a lot, and we usually got a free soda while we were there.

Later, when I was 13, I would ride the bus home from school and work the afternoons at the store, emptying trash, sweeping and generally getting in the way. For my efforts, I was paid well (probably more than I was worth), 40¢ per hour. Working two hours each afternoon and four hours on Saturday, I could earn a full $5.60 per week. I knew I’d be rich soon.

One day, after emptying an extra amount of trash, I went to Dad’s office to ask for a raise. He handled it rather well, as I recall, asking me why I thought I needed one and why he should give me one. When I had trouble answering the questions, he explained that a person could be paid more when they were worth more to the company. Further explaining, he pointed out that when I had a list of reasons that I could provide to him, including skills I had learned or increased productivity, he would consider giving me a raise. So, here’s the wizbit: “Never ask for a raise until you are worth more to the company.”

Leaving his office somewhat disgruntled, but determined, I set out to make the list. Just what I put down on the list, I can’t recall, but I did return to his office later in the week to present my case. After hearing the evidence, I was awarded a full 10¢ per hour raise. It doesn’t sound like much now, (nor did it then) but a 25% increase in pay is nothing to sneeze at!

Dad didn’t always pay me 50¢ an hour. I went to work for him after I finished college and eventually made very good money in commissioned sales. But I never asked for a raise unless I had some reason to back it up. And sometimes I asked for a cut in pay, when I changed positions to something that I knew would be less productive.

Now that I work for a large corporation, I still see the relevance of this rule. I’ve had an opportunity to ask for a raise since I’ve been here, but not without my manager seeing the reasons that backed up my request. Having been an employer, I would advise mangers to look for the added value that employees offer and give occasional small raises to those who show increased productivity and learn additional skills. It means a lot more to an employee to be recognized for increased value than for them to have to ask for the raise and feel that they have gotten it without merit.

To employees, I recommend that you look around you for things that are not getting done, then do them. Your manager will notice, you can include your manager in your enthusiasm and it will pay off. Do not lose faith. You’re much better off doing work that is not appreciated than not doing anything more than is expected of you.

If There’s a Leak in Your Boat, Bail it Out!

As I mentioned, our family had a lot of fun on the river. Dad has always enjoyed having a boat with which to work and play. I don’t remember all the boats Dad has had over the years but at my best count, there were at least seven or eight of them. He had all kinds, from canoes to cruisers. All of them seemed to have one thing in common. They all leaked.

I’m not knocking Dad’s ability to care for a boat. But most of the boats were used when he got them and he inherited the leaks. I’m sure that one or two may have come without leaks, but if you spend much time with boats, you know that whether you have a leak or just get in and out of the boat, you have to bail it out sometime to keep it afloat.

We had all levels of problems with the leaks in these boats. I can remember one night late when the marina called to tell Dad that our boat had SUNK! I imagined the worst with only the top light sticking out of the water, but I’m sure now, it meant that the hull was mostly full of water. Dad and my older brother went out, with pump in hand, to rescue the boat.

Other times, rain or wet boys swimming in the river would get a lot of water in the boat. Dad taught us several ways to bail out a boat. There was the old standby method of a can or milk carton and a lot of elbow work. This is probably what you think of when you think about bailing out a boat. Just get a scoop full or water and throw it over the side. That works well as long as there is more going out than is coming in.

Another method that I found fascinating was to literally pull the plug on the boat and then head out full speed. This allowed all the water to flow to the back of the boat and out the plug hole, assisted by the flow of water that was going under the boat. When the boat was empty, simply re-plug the hole and you could stop again.

Then there was the pump method. Some of the boats we had were complete with bilge pumps. Most larger boats have them. It seems that in the boating industry, leaks are a “given.” You cannot completely prevent them. The best you can do is plan for them and be prepared. Built-in pumps do just that. As a regular part of your maintenance, you turn on the bilge pump before you make every trip in the boat. There is usually some water to be pumped out.

We’re not really all that different from boats, are we? Our lives are full of leaky spots. We fix some of them, others we never know are there. We often find ourselves in need of having our bilge pumped out. Sometimes, we may see others who are in need of the same service. What should we do? Walk away and let them sink? Or should we do the obvious and get to work helping to drain the flood of problems that are drowning that person?

In this case, I really don’t know if Dad was trying to teach me to care for others, or just for boats. Maybe I read more into things than I should. It does seem to me that it makes sense though. A boat cannot be moved through the water efficiently when it needs to be bailed out. It must be bailed out in order to do its job. If left to leak, it will sink and possibly cause deaths in the process for its passengers.

So Dad showed us that if you have a leak in your boat… bail it out! It’s the only way the boat can be functional again. People, too, need the kind attention we would give a boat. So next time you notice a leak, start bailing or turn on the bilge pump! Someone’s life may depend on it.