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Monday, August 17, 2009

1 Step to Make Yourself More Invaluable

Want to be more critical to your business in one easy step? Here it is:

  1. Create recommendations instead of reporting problems.

It's that simple.

You can stand so far away from the crowd by simply not bothering your boss and co-workers with long descriptions of what you perceive to be broken, failing, aggravating, or insufferable in your workplace.

Instead, create some well thought out, innovative options to address the issue at hand. Deliver your recommendation, sans the soap opera, to your boss.

It's a little harder than it sounds, but it's well worth the effort to become the person your boss will turn to for creative answers in challenging times. - Mike Brown


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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great post! ...any suggestions on how to change your approach if your idea is dismissed by your direct reports? Especially when the idea is implemented by another department down the road and you weren't involved in the process. I've had this happen a few times now.

Mike Brown said...

Interesting question. Here are a couple of thoughts:

1. You're a leader in the organization. Just as you might extend some consideration and resources to an idea you don't necessarily agree with from someone who works for you, expect the same from your direct reports. Lay out not only a recommendation, but the steps the group will take to realize it, incorporating their concerns as best possible. Chances are they may still have reservations, but will extend the same support to you that you do to them.

2. Simplify your idea in a way that you can implement it (or at least create a support-winning deliverable) largely through your own efforts. Go beyond the recommendation and help them "see" the final product.

3. Cheer when someone else implements your idea! That's completely cool if your objective is to move the business ahead with great ideas irrepsective of who does it.

There are 3 possibilities. Email me if you'd like to continue the converation! Mike