Continuing the theme of gaps that can trip up people as they go about their work and life I am sharing the next article in the Credibility ‘Degraders’ series.
What is often considered as trivial ‘stuff’ to ignore at the workplace can become the Achilles heel of many. Here are a few key essentials that you can’t ignore.
- Not owning the outcome: When you are assigned a role you need to be taking responsibility for the final impact, whatever it is. If it works well, feel proud and thank those who contributed to its success. When it fails, take ownership and find ways to learn from the experience. It takes courage to say you dropped the ball – that shows your maturity, not your weakness.
- Not thinking through a plan: Rather than jump into assignments ask and gather all the insights you need to make it a success. Every plan will have challenges and roadblocks but thinking through can reduce the chances of you being caught unawares later. You may not end up have a well-executed plan and outcomes. However, if you have taken the effort to do your groundwork stakeholders will appreciate you more than for pulling through a half-baked plan.
- Not learning about the business: Whatever the business, there is no excuse for not knowing how your organization makes an impact, who they serve, what stakeholders think of the brand and how teams do their best to achieve success. Spending time with employees will help you gain insights far greater than sitting at your desk and hoping you will discover the secrets of running the show. Leaders can provide context to some extent – the real deal is when you engage with those on the frontline.
- Letting others dictate your decisions: If you are the resident expert on a subject you need to be able to confidently articulate the value proposition it brings, how your team is the most equipped to deliver results and how and why certain decisions are made. It doesn’t mean you mustn’t listen to feedback or consider relevant opinions which come your way from stakeholders. It means that you need to finally take an informed decision that is inclusive and in the best interest of the team, organization and stakeholders. Letting others influence your mind to make unsuitable decisions can be career limiting, to say the least.
- Not checking facts: Before you share any draft or documents or speak your mind check your facts. There are many ways to know you are accurate – ask the experts, seek advice from leaders or go to the trenches and see it for yourself. Anything that comes from you, even if it is a forwarded message from another individual, the chances are that the information will be attributed to your name. You have the responsibility to verify data and ensure you are confident that they are reliable and credible in a world that is becoming hard to believe.
Have other suggestions on ‘small’ stuff that matters? Please share them here.
You can read my earlier post on Credibility ‘Degraders’.
