Break down your big plan into small actionable items. Set deadlines for each task and cut off all distractions till you complete your task list.

Bias For Action

Achieving your KRAs is one way of making your boss effective. What about understanding their pain points and solving them? Maybe they need help standardizing a process within your team where you can pitch in.

Solving boss’s problems

Prepare a mind map of talking points before your meeting. Start with who is your audience and gauge their level of knowledge about the topic you are speaking about. It’s always best to assume they know nothing and simplify your main pointers. Similarly, do this before your start preparing for a presentation. Write down all points, divide your slides accordingly and highlight the key takeaway in each one.

Articulating better

Try removing obstacles yourself before asking your boss for help. Never go to them with a problem — go to them with a list of possible solutions. Take your own decisions and keep them in the loop.

Staying autonomous

Don’t get fixated on a problem and never complain to your manager about the changes in your scope of work. You can always ask for help in the beginning, but don’t be in a situation where your manager has to constantly motivate you to pick up the pieces and do your job.

Being Dynamic

<figure><img alt="" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/500/1*tWc07P_ScSHIe1z1XclD_g" width="680" height="962"><figcaption class="hp hq cr cp cq hr hs bo b fr bq br" data-selectable-paragraph="" dir="ltr">Photo by <a href="https://www.pexels.com/@pavel-danilyuk?utm_content=attributionCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=pexels" class="bu ht" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" dir="ltr">Pavel Danilyuk</a> from <a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/fashion-people-woman-bar-7594586/?utm_content=attributionCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=pexels" class="bu ht" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" dir="ltr">Pexels</a></figcaption></figure>It was the company’s annual day at work. The type of party where 1% of the employees get awarded for the super awesome work they have done in the past year. It’s also the type of party where the remaining 99% drink away the night — yeah, you can call us sore losers.Sitting at the bar, my work best friend — with a glass of martini in her hand — asked me this question: “I wonder what they do differently?” She kept sipping her martini and the question got stuck in my head.This was some years ago, but the thought has been cozying up in some corner of my mind for quite some time now. So I asked some friends about it — the ones who were on the stage that night and even the ones who weren’t(we should know what not to do, right?). I also discussed this with some of my old managers. Coupling this with my experience, I wanted to share the top 5 things that surfaced recurringly in my conversations.Let’s dive in!<h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">#1 Having a bias for action</h2>Bias for action simply means possessing the superpower of “getting things done.” All your SMART goals and elaborate planning will go down the drain if you can’t implement them.By the end of a workday, a lot of us feel exhausted but realize that we haven’t finished even one of the tasks we were supposed to do! See, it all boils down to productivity. Just making plans isn’t going to get you anywhere.What you can do better: Break down your big plan into small actionable items. Set deadlines for each task and cut off all distractions till you complete your task list. To learn more about this, you can refer to the <a href="https://www.fingerprintforsuccess.com/blog/bias-for-action" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" dir="ltr">‘Fingerprints for Success”</a> article. They have explained what bias for action is, why it’s important and how you can build it.<h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">#2 Solving boss’s problems</h2>What’s your primary KRA?Achieving that huge sales target? Nope Acquiring new users for your business? NopeIt’s solving your boss’s problems and making them look good in front of their peers and leaders. Sure, overachieving your targets will make you look good. But think about what your boss’s business problems are. What are they trying to solve? How can you make them more effective?What you can do better: Achieving your KRAs is one way of making your boss effective. What about understanding their pain points and solving them? Maybe they need help standardizing a process within your team where you can pitch in. Or, helping them coordinate an important task. Go the extra mile and try reducing their workload — if you can. It’s always best to stay on the right side of your boss.<h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">#3 Staying autonomous</h2>Heard of upward delegation? It’s when you shift the ownership of your problems to your manager. You don’t take any decisions — rather always look up to your manager for the same. But your behavior is putting your manager in a position where he/she is already managing their work along with being responsible for yours too. This might be okay in the first few months of a new job but you can’t stay in the nest forever.What you can do better: Try removing obstacles yourself before asking your boss for help. Never go to them with a problem — go to them with a list of possible solutions. Take your own decisions and keep them in the loop. Your manager will be the happiest that you can solve problems with minimum intervention.<h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">#4 Being Dynamic</h2>One of my peers in my last organization was handling an important module to acquire new customers for the business. One fine day, the company decided to cut down on the acquisition cost, and his budget was reduced by 50%, with the targets remaining the same.Instead of working out a new strategy and finding innovative cost-effective measures, he wasted a lot of time trying to convince our manager why the budget should not be cut in half. Obviously, the manager couldn’t help much as cost reduction was an org-wide activity.What you can do better: Don’t get fixated on a problem and never complain to your manager about the changes in your scope of work. You can always ask for help in the beginning, but don’t be in a situation where your manager has to constantly motivate you to pick up the pieces and do your job. View it as an opportunity to be innovative and demonstrating how quickly you can adapt to new circumstances.<h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">#5 Articulating better</h2>“I didn’t understand, can you please simplify?”“I am not clear what your key takeaway from this slide is”“It’s not clear what you are trying to say”You know your shit and you are good at it. But somehow you are not able to articulate better which leads to such confusing and unstructured presentations and meetings.What you can do better: Prepare a mind map of talking points before your meeting. Start with who is your audience and gauge their level of knowledge about the topic you are speaking about. It’s always best to assume they know nothing and simplify your main pointers. Similarly, do this before your start preparing for a presentation. Write down all points, divide your slides accordingly and highlight the key takeaway in each one.<h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">But why is being in the top 1% even important?</h2>For previous generations in the workforce, their job was just a job — a source of income. They had a full life and enjoyed a multitude of things beyond their work. However, for us, our job is much more than just a source of income. It’s a source of intellectual stimulation, a way to showcase our abilities and what we are made of.That is why succeeding at work dominates our thoughts day and night. We want to level up and achieve more. That’s the reason I have been searching for the secret sauce of success at work.I’ve shared this with the belief that following the above advice can get both you and me on the stage this year!You can read some of my most viewed articles on related topics of work below:Good luck!Subscribe to my newsletter and get your free copy of ’14 Tips To Achieve Work-Life Balance’ <a href="https://tinyurl.com/2yd2w69f" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" dir="ltr">here</a>.

It was the company’s annual day at work. The type of party where 1% of the employees get awarded for the super awesome work they have done in the past year. It’s also the type of party where the…

career

Career

It was the company’s annual day at work. The type of party where 1% of the employees get awarded for the super awesome work they have done in the past year. It’s also the type of party where the remaining 99% drink away the night — yeah, you can call us sore losers.

Sitting at the bar, my work best friend — with a glass of martini in her hand — asked me this question: “I wonder what they do differently?” She kept sipping her martini and the question got stuck in my head.

This was some years ago, but the thought has been cozying up in some corner of my mind for quite some time now. So I asked some friends about it — the ones who were on the stage that night and even the ones who weren’t (we should know what not to do, right?). I also discussed this with some of my old managers. Coupling this with my experience, I wanted to share the top 5 things that surfaced recurringly in my conversations.

Bias for action simply means possessing the superpower of “getting things done.” All your SMART goals and elaborate planning will go down the drain if you can’t implement them.

By the end of a workday, a lot of us feel exhausted but realize that we haven’t finished even one of the tasks we were supposed to do! See, it all boils down to productivity. Just making plans isn’t going to get you anywhere.

What you can do better: Break down your big plan into small actionable items. Set deadlines for each task and cut off all distractions till you complete your task list. To learn more about this, you can refer to the <a href="https://www.fingerprintforsuccess.com/blog/bias-for-action">‘Fingerprints for Success” </a>article. They have explained what bias for action is, why it’s important and how you can build it.

Achieving that huge sales target? Nope Acquiring new users for your business? Nope

It’s solving your boss’s problems and making them look good in front of their peers and leaders. Sure, overachieving your targets will make you look good. But think about what your boss’s business problems are. What are they trying to solve? How can you make them more effective?

What you can do better: Achieving your KRAs is one way of making your boss effective. What about understanding their pain points and solving them? Maybe they need help standardizing a process within your team where you can pitch in. Or, helping them coordinate an important task. Go the extra mile and try reducing their workload — if you can. It’s always best to stay on the right side of your boss.

Heard of upward delegation? It’s when you shift the ownership of your problems to your manager. You don’t take any decisions — rather always look up to your manager for the same. But your behavior is putting your manager in a position where he/she is already managing their work along with being responsible for yours too. This might be okay in the first few months of a new job but you can’t stay in the nest forever.

What you can do better: Try removing obstacles yourself before asking your boss for help. Never go to them with a problem — go to them with a list of possible solutions. Take your own decisions and keep them in the loop. Your manager will be the happiest that you can solve problems with minimum intervention.

One of my peers in my last organization was handling an important module to acquire new customers for the business. One fine day, the company decided to cut down on the acquisition cost, and his budget was reduced by 50%, with the targets remaining the same.

Instead of working out a new strategy and finding innovative cost-effective measures, he wasted a lot of time trying to convince our manager why the budget should not be cut in half. Obviously, the manager couldn’t help much as cost reduction was an org-wide activity.

What you can do better: Don’t get fixated on a problem and never complain to your manager about the changes in your scope of work. You can always ask for help in the beginning, but don’t be in a situation where your manager has to constantly motivate you to pick up the pieces and do your job. View it as an opportunity to be innovative and demonstrating how quickly you can adapt to new circumstances.

“I didn’t understand, can you please simplify?”

“I am not clear what your key takeaway from this slide is”

“It’s not clear what you are trying to say”

You know your shit and you are good at it. But somehow you are not able to articulate better which leads to such confusing and unstructured presentations and meetings.

What you can do better: Prepare a mind map of talking points before your meeting. Start with who is your audience and gauge their level of knowledge about the topic you are speaking about. It’s always best to assume they know nothing and simplify your main pointers. Similarly, do this before your start preparing for a presentation. Write down all points, divide your slides accordingly and highlight the key takeaway in each one.

But why is being in the top 1% even important?

For previous generations in the workforce, their job was just a job — a source of income. They had a full life and enjoyed a multitude of things beyond their work. However, for us, our job is much more than just a source of income. It’s a source of intellectual stimulation, a way to showcase our abilities and what we are made of.

That is why succeeding at work dominates our thoughts day and night. We want to level up and achieve more. That’s the reason I have been searching for the secret sauce of success at work.

I’ve shared this with the belief that following the above advice can get both you and me on the stage this year!

You can read some of my most viewed articles on related topics of work below:

Subscribe to my newsletter and get your free copy of ’14 Tips To Achieve Work-Life Balance’ <a href="https://tinyurl.com/2yd2w69f">here </a>.

5 Things You Need to Do to Be in the Top 1%

Bias For Action

Solving boss’s problems

Articulating better

Staying autonomous

Being Dynamic

CURATED BY

Related collections

More like this