When you don’t know where to start
Hi everybody,
I’m back on the job this week, which feels great. Good to be back. Hope you managed to get away for a break of some sort this summer and are getting back into the swing of things these days.
What can you bring to your work that boosts the operation as a whole? How can you add value? That can be a complex question, even paralyzing. And especially when you’ve just taken on a new project or a new role. Where do you even begin?
First off—I believe a good manager should always be able to tell you what’s most important. So if you don’t know where to start, that’s your first stop.
But your top priority won’t always take up all your time. That’s why I’m sharing a few suggestions this week that almost always make sense to try:
Five things you can do to add value. Today.
Solve problems. Every team and every organization has unsolved problems. Some are new, others have been around for ages. I’m talking here about practical things that you can do something about today. Take a look around, see how things work (or don’t work), and ask folks, What’s something that’s been irritating you or slowing you down for a while now? You’ll get all kinds of answers, like: We really need to clean up our Drive/Teams/Notion at some point. Or: I know we get a lot of feedback about the project, but as for where it goes and what we do with it? No idea.
Find one you can solve in short order and voilà: You’re adding value.Help someone out. Maybe you don’t have any idea where to start or don’t feel like you know enough yet to solve problems. Then ask around and see who could use some help. Or offer your help to the whole group in a team meeting or standup. Taking on a simple but time-consuming task for someone who’s busy working on an important project is a surefire way to contribute.
Draw out good ideas. There’s no shortage of good ideas. The problem is that all those great suggestions are seldom collected and ranked. Ask everyone to share their best ideas and then make one big list. It’s a fantastic way to see what ideas are out there, what’s broadly shared, and what differences pop up.
Add structure. This one’s especially good for when you’re new to the team. With fresh eyes, you can often clearly see which components are well thought out and which could use more structure. There’s great value in tackling those weak spots straightaway.
Provide high-quality feedback. Contributing to the important work of others has immediate impact, and almost anything gets better with a second set of eyes. When people ask for feedback, give it your time and attention. See to it that your feedback is worded in an open and inviting manner. Don’t just point out what’s wrong, but include suggestions that are easy to take on board. Ensure any unsolicited feedback you give is of this same high quality (while keeping in mind that you may be missing important context).
Have a good week,
Rick
produced by the language girl