Give everyone the same basic courtesy.
An important customer deserves patience. So does the colleague asking for help. A useful reminder for any leader: someone's title or influence shouldn't determine the courtesy they receive.
Notes
Observations on leadership, decisions, and doing better work. I'm learning, too.
Showing 12 of 253 notes
Don't judge your whole career by one difficult day.
One frustrating conversation can make everything at work feel wrong. Before making a major career decision, separate that event from the larger pattern. Write down what happened, what needs to change, and what is still going well.
Turn self-discipline into a specific action.
“Be more disciplined” is a goal, but it doesn't tell me what to do today. “Prepare tomorrow's first task before leaving” gives me something concrete to practice. I'm learning to turn broad intentions into small actions I can repeat.
Stay in touch before you need a favor.
If every conversation begins with a request, a professional relationship can start to feel one-sided. Ask about the other person's work and stay in touch without always needing something. Relationships need attention between the moments when help is needed.
Ask what the customer is already doing instead.
A customer may solve a problem by using another provider, asking a colleague, or doing nothing. Ask how they handle it today and what is difficult about that approach. Their answer helps you explain whether your offer would actually help.
Name the skill you need to improve.
“I'm terrible at presenting” is a harsh judgment without a clear next step. “My explanations include too much detail” identifies something to practice. Describe the specific difficulty, then choose one change to work on in the next presentation.
Raise concerns where they can be addressed.
If a decision raises a concern, share it with the person who can address it. That may be during the meeting or in a suitable private conversation. Explain the problem and suggest a next step so the concern can lead to a useful change.
Learn what a bigger role actually involves.
A new title can sound attractive while the daily responsibilities receive less attention. Before pursuing a role, ask what a typical week includes. I'm learning to consider the routine work as carefully as the opportunity for influence.
Protect the beginning of important work.
Where the role allows it, reserve the start of the day for one important task before checking routine messages. Some jobs require immediate responses; others allow a protected work period. Match the approach to your responsibilities and your team's expectations.
Ask before making an introduction.
Before connecting two people, explain why you think the introduction would help and ask whether they welcome it. This gives both people a choice and a reason for the conversation. Knowing someone doesn't automatically mean they are available to help.
Liking an offer doesn't mean being ready to buy.
A person may like an idea but lack the budget, authority, or timing to act. Ask what would need to happen before they could move forward. That makes the next step clearer without assuming hesitation means a lack of interest.
Study an ordinary example of good work.
A clear project update or helpful customer explanation can teach something useful. Look at how it is organized, what information it includes, and what makes it easy to understand. Choose one of those techniques to practice in your own work.