Tag Archives: work environment

high-five!

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…here’s one outside of my strengths….

More often than I generally concede, I see the need for positive encouragement. A ‘can do’ attitude really goes a long ways. A positive work environment brings the best out of everyone. Some verbal affirmation to press-on, timed just right, can really give an extra kick. I know, I know… it sounds corny. For some of us, it even sounds stupid to read this let alone practice it. But, it really is does make a significant difference to be a positive, forward looking individual.

Recently, during the course of undertaking a triathlon, I was passed by a fellow competitor during the biking portion on a straight away. I was about to let it get me pissed for motivation, then he said something positive towards me to spur me on. Remarkably, this guy was a stranger and technically an adversary. It was startling to realize that this actually motivated me a bit more than my uber-competitive sports anger does. We passed each other a few times that day. Once or twice I tried a positive word towards him when I went zinging by on the uphill sections. I have to admit, it was something new for me in this arena… and it worked.

My all-time fav. form of encouragement though is the ‘HIGH-FIVE’. Try it in the office! It really works anywhere. Just ask David Puddy.

essential deliveries

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Integrating into an new environment can be challenging. Unless you are working at Burger King, I think it will take you at least 3 months to start to get your bearings about how things work, what is expected of you and how to deliver what ‘they’ are looking for. Even then, it will take you 3-9 months more to really get some great traction. Problem = employers are often impatient. In their heads they are thinking,

 ”I am paying you. You should be making my life easier and getting more things done.”

You need to figure out what the MOST important things are that you were hired to accomplish. Typically there are 3 priorities for leadership type of roles for which every boss holds expectations.

Priority 1 = “more than anything, I am counting on your for _______.” (You need to deliver ‘A’ quality work in this area; if you aren’t near an ‘A’ in the first 30-60 days, you can probably kiss the job good-bye if you are in a competitive environment.)

Priority 2 = “you also need to deliver this ________.” (You will be be allowed to deliver ‘C’ quality work in this area at first, but a minimum of ‘B’ quality work will become the expectation in the first year.)

Priority 3 = “here are some misc. items that I would like you take take responsibility for.” (The quality of your personal work in these areas isn’t often as important as the fact that you take responsibility for them and are conscientious that they need to get done within some reasonable timeline.)

HERE IS THE PROBLEM / CHALLENGE —>

MANY young leaders don’t discern quickly enough what these priorities are from their boss, which order they go in and also what ‘A’, ‘B’, or ‘C’ work looks like according to their boss. They ‘why this happens’ is various and relatively not important.

You need to do at least 2 things in your new role. 1. = ASK your boss directly what the priorities are and what success looks like in each area. 2. = pay CLOSE ATTENTION to the signals and signs in your environment to be sure the verbal &/or written priorities are actually the REAL priorities. CLUE = sometimes they are NOT the same.