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I remember a TV ad a few years back where this guy comes into the boss's office and asks for a raise. 

The boss asks, "Why do you think you deserve a raise?"

The guy responds, "Because I've worked here now for 5 years."

What's wrong with this approach? Well, for one, you don't get paid for attendance. You get paid for results, which should have been made clear to you when you were hired. Most people, when they list 10 years experience on a resume, refer to the fact that they learned something the first year, and then repeated it for 9 years.

How do you avoid getting into this predicament where you don't know if you deserve a raise or not?

Ask this question when you're getting hired:

"How will we know when I'm doing a good job?" If you receive an answer like, "Oh, well, I'll let you know as we go along," just walk out. This is not the place you want to build a career. Make sure the answer you get clearly spells out how your results will be measured. Imagine teaching someone how to play basketball but not telling her what the rules are, how to dribble, how to shoot. Weird, right? But so many jobs are treated this way. It's up to you to ask for some clarity here.

This week, I'll show you how I've done it in the past, and how I've gotten raises for other people working for me. You'll meet Jack Stack and Charles Coonradt, 2 men who know how to make work fun and profitable.

Stay tuned.