Dave Jones, co-host of the outstanding Inside PR podcast, included this gem in a list of five things to do as part of spring cleaning your PR career: “Lose the do-what-I’m-told approach.”

Dave’s right. Here are five reasons why simply doing what you’re told on the job is a loser’s game. Some of these ideas came from Dave and his Inside PR co-host Terry Fallis; others are my own:

  1. If you only do what you’re told, that’s all you’ll ever be asked to do.
  2. If you never ask why a task is being given to you, you’re not asking critical questions that could very well lead to improvements in your company’s operations. Want to have a major role in shaping that progress? Ask lots of questions.
  3. Do just what you’re told and you’re doing little more than keeping a seat warm. You’re not adding any more value to your company than the next automaton who could be brought in at any time to take your place.
  4. If you just do what your told, you’ll won’t improve your existing skillset. Professional development comes not just from doing, but also from not doing, reflecting, asking questions, and then doing it better tomorrow than you did it today.
  5. If you only do what you’re told, you’re never going to be a leader in your organization. Hey, the supervisor who is telling you what to do undoubtedly has visions of moving up the company ladder himself. Who will take his place when he does? Somebody other than you.

How would you add to this list?

Why is doing what you’re told a losing proposition?

In no space is this advice more appropriate than social media. After all, someone in your company has to be the evangelist to move the company forward in this Web 2.0 age. Make that someone be you.

  • Is your boss telling you that launching a blog doesn’t make sense for the company and to go back to mailing out your monthly newsletter? Ask why. Offer to experiment with a blog on a small scale and come back with results.
  • Being told not to bother to plan a company-wide internal lunch-and-learn session on wikis because all the employees will be uncomfortable using anything other than e-mail? Pick a small group of co-workers and train them. Run with a wiki project with those colleagues, and then have them vouch for your larger proposal.
  • Told to come back with a list of 20 bloggers to target in a blogger relations campaign? Do more than you’re asked; make a list of 40 sites, with notes explaining how each and every one of them will be valuable in your outreach.

You’re the one who controls your career growth. And to ensure that growth happens, you’re going to have to do better than doing what you’re told.

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