How are things going for you these days? Is everything moving along smoothly or is the road a bit rocky?
Are you looking for steps to make your career more successful?
We all have things that throw us off track. And when that happens, we feel stuck and anxious, like the guy in this cartoon. For me, projects that require a lot of attention to details can send me running for the hills. When that happens, I lose sight of fun projects and focus on the miserable ones. It’s like I’m literally glued to the detail project. So much for getting anything else done.
What throws you into a tizzy? I’m going to call it your stuck factor.
Which of these stuck factors derail you? And maybe your career?
Do you find yourself in the weeds, working and reworking on a project, and ignoring everything else? As a writer, I can get caught up in my prose, overthinking word choices, cadence, and impact of the language I’m using. Should I use bullets? How much background do I need to make my report sing?
Should I go on?
Of course not. I need to FOCUS on the task at hand and get it done. Remember, 80% done is better than perfect.
My response when I’m told this is: No, no, no, no, no, no and so on. A thousand times “No.”
As a professional, your coworkers, immediate supervisor, and folks up the ladder expect you to take initiative. They expect you to figure out what you should be doing. If you’re not sure, you can ask—if you are early in your career. If you’ve been around a while, you need to have learned to look for opportunities that will help your team.
Do not sit around doing nothing, waiting for the Wizard of Oz to spout his wisdom.
Show initiative. Show leadership. For more, see this blog from the Engineering Management Institute
Get this now, folks. Aggressive and assertive are NOT the same thing.
From Lodestone:
“While often confused, the biggest difference between aggressive and assertive communication is that assertiveness includes respect for yourself and the other party, while aggressive communication quickly disrespects and often insults the other party, leaving yourself feeling guilty or angry.”
Bullies are aggressive. They berate, yell, demean, demand and more from their coworkers. It’s all about them, the bullies. You probably don’t like them. I don’t.
Professionals who are grounded in self-confidence and self-knowledge are assertive. They know what they want and what others want. They let their bosses know what they’re thinking.
“Hey, boss. I heard we have a project coming up that is right in line for what I am passionate about. I have the background and would thrive on the challenge this project brings. Plus, I know the right people to be on our team. Can we talk about this?”
See the difference between a bully (aggressive) and a professional (assertiveness)? Good. Don’t be a bully.
© Pamela A. Scott, MentorLoft.com, June 23, 2022