Tag: team work

Three skills

FabrizioLeave a comment

Three skills you deeply need in every job.

  1. The capacity to manage expectations. When are things coming, why are we prioritising this over that, what is the focus for this quarter, why are we changing what we previously communicated. Do it often, be consistent, and be mindful of everyone who needs to be involved.
  2. The capacity to deliver on promises. Very much linked to number one, and arguably one of the biggest reasons why people fail at the work they do. It’s a matter of being proactive and realistic about what you can achieve, it’s about saying no and I can’t, then shifting gear towards number three.
  3. The capacity to focus. It’s impossible to set expectations or deliver on promises when continuously distracted by a new trend, a new urgency, a new need. Stick to it for long enough and build your credibility.

Start working on these today to get an insane edge in whatever role you want to master.

Goodwill

FabrizioLeave a comment

Somebody complimenting someone else is not taking anything away from you.

There’s enough goodwill in the world for everyone, it’s not a finite resource.

Somebody complimenting someone else is additive and should not be bothering you.

A viable option

FabrizioLeave a comment

When you are tired of an exchange – with a colleague, your partner, a friend, your kid – it’s ok to be the one stopping it.

We always want to win, but sometimes, oftentimes, sending the ball back to the opposite side of the court is just not worth it. Grab the ball, say that you are sorry, and move on.

Almost nothing in life is a battle with winners and losers. Renouncing is a viable option.

A price too high

Fabrizio2 Comments

A big chunk of every job is managing expectations.

Of course, we want to say yes to everything. We want all the new customers and partners. We want to be perceived as competent, fast, and infallible. We want others to think that we do our work with ease even though our work is complex and uncertain. We want to project an aura of competence and confidence in any situation.

But if we do not manage expectations realistically, we will soon drown and take all those around us – colleagues, friends, family – with us.

The price is just too high.

Not imperative

FabrizioLeave a comment

It’s not imperative that you are involved in everything.

It’s not imperative that you understand everything.

It’s not imperative that you check everything.

It’s not imperative that you fix everything.

It’s not imperative that you control everything.

It’s not imperative that you point out the flaws and defects in everything.

It’s not imperative that you vet everything before it gets out.

Once you understand this, you will be surprised by how things still happen, with good results, without you being there to take credit.

It’s empowering.

It’s liberating.