For some of us, the word itself is enough to generate an expression of disgust. It conjures up a sense of foreboding. Socializing with a group of strangers? We can’t think of anything worse.
Of course, we all know what to expect; arriving late because we don’t want to be the only ones there, praying that there is someone we know, then making a bee-line for the drinks and nibbles and doing what we can to avoid...
In a previous article, we talked about how to set an expectation. This time, we’re giving it more than just a light once-over. We’re talking about the “how” in greater depth, but we’re also talking about when to set expectations – and when not to.
There’s no referee for any of the rules. No one blowing a whistle if you get it wrong. But they are rules just the same. Break them at your peril...
Setting expectations is one of the keys to ensuring the smooth operation of any business.
It works in two different ways:
no matter what role you have (yes, even if you’re the Chief Executive), there will always be people who want help from you, and
if you’re in a position of authority, you’ll want help from others.
That help may be in the form of your time, your thoughts, your assistance, or anything else...
The current economic environment (combined with fierce competition) means businesses have to focus on profits and increasing productivity – often at the same time as cutting budgets and reducing resources wherever possible.
That means that a many working environments have become very serious places to be.
Here’s the thing, though. In a previous article, we talked about teams that inspire us to come to work in the morning. Such teams are made up of happy people, and that leads to benefits for the company as a whole...
Having an opportunistic mindset means that you’re consciously looking for opportunities. These opportunities could be anything, from seeing a way to improve a process, through to spotting an un-noticed niche for new business opportunities.
It could also mean spotting a chance to further your own career.
It’s closely related to how you view to change...
A great team can be damaged by any number of things. A new team member can upset the balance. The business focus might shift, leading to a restructure. A single team member might grow dissatisfied for no reason other than they’ve been there for too long.
And then there’s the manager.
The manager can have an enormous impact, one way or the other...
It’s perfectly normal to blame someone or something else when things go wrong. Perhaps the project manager had it in for you, or you were the victim of a political power play, or someone higher up didn’t realize the value you added, or someone blamed their own mistake on you.
All these things may well be the case.
But it isn’t useful...
There are dozens of specialized skills you may or may not have. You might be a marketing whizz, a design guru or an IT programming genius, or any of a hundred different things. We’re not talking about these job-specific skills, but the other ones. The ones called soft or transferable skills.
Why? Because these are the ones you can take with you wherever you go. These are the ones, ultimately, that truly matter when it comes to climbing the career ladder...
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