We all think our generation’s the best.
We work side by side with others—sometimes
beating our chests.
Try to understand and go to great lengths,
To comprehend and appreciate everyone’s
strengths.
As isolated as we may feel in this sea of angst, we have a support
system. The support can come from your immediate family, your
extended family, your old friends, new friends you meet along the way,
your social network, and your business network. It is not possible to do it
alone. As much as you may feel alone in the process, it is critical to lean
on the people around you for support, for a shoulder to cry on, for the
push you need but may not want. Your success is dependent on the people
around you. Statistically, the analysis will tell you that networking is
the main reason for successful job searches. Even for a little bit of sanity
during the process, you can use the people around you to help you think
more clearly or to be the wall to throw something at to see if it sticks. As
much as you may feel alone in the process, you are not—just ask my running
partner, Kevin. Okay, he’s not a person, he’s a dog, but the morning
jogs with him were just as much for clearing my head as they were for
physical wellness.
Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):
See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com. Book and eBook purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com
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Compassion and understanding are
the keys to success.
Recognize the effort people put in and you’ll
breeze through the rest.
We work so hard, so many hours.
We may get burnt out and cynically sour.
Your success is right here and can’t be bartered,
But you’ll find more to be had when you work
smarter, not harder.
Has someone told you that you’re the best?
What did you do that passed the test?
It’s not easy to find support as you grow –
Prove them right, and you’ll steal the show.
As basements go, I’m sure your
parents’ house is great,
But try to get out before it’s too late.
Pay your knowledge forward,
regardless of your age.
Personal experience makes you a young sage.
Hope is a boon as you go on your way,
But action and persistence are what count
at the end of the day.
You worked so hard, you hit your stride,
But you know the real world is no free ride.
To use a sports analogy, if you run with a ball on your own
from point A to point B, it will take you longer than simply
kicking it or throwing it to another person already at point
B. We try to do too much on our own. Whether we want all the glory,
think we can do it better, or simply just want it done, there is value
in getting others involved. This chapter isn’t about dumping, or even
delegating. It’s about teamwork. Depending on your position, you may
still have to supervise, validate the work, or make sure it gets done, but
you should find opportunities to avoid doing everything on your own.
Think about the expertise you have surrounding you. Do you
have the right people working on the right tasks? Start to keep a
list of contacts with their specific expertise so that you can quickly
reference it. If you are part of a team effort, schedule time with your
peers or co-workers, particularly if you’re all depending on each other’s
contributions. The benefit of a routine get-together is that it allows
people to obtain consolidated information in one sitting as opposed to
communications going back and forth with “reply all” emails that can
take up valuable time.
It’s important to have a meaningful and added-value manner for
people to get updates. If it’s not a meeting, at least create a consistent
time each week for a progress summary with everyone’s contributions.
The goal is to create a routine in which people know when and where
updates and answers will be given, which reduces surprises and questions
like, “Where do we stand on project A?” If you do set up a progress
report email, be sensitive to the amount of time it’s taking everyone.
You want meaningful content, but not time wasted for emails that go
unread or administrative tasks that take away from actually completing
the real work.
Once a routine meeting or progress report is established, clearly
define roles and responsibilities. This will hold people, including you,
accountable to meeting the deadlines and keeping people informed
of status updates. Knowing who is doing what and when is a critical
component of time management.
When dealing in team situations, it’s also important to divide and
conquer. Not everyone needs to be at every meeting. Have someone
who attended the meeting provide an update and any key deliverables
to the collective group. Also, it’s important for you to schedule actual
work time for yourself and/or sub-group to ensure time is not all spent
in meetings relating to what is being asked of you. As for meetings
taking up all of your day, you have the right and obligation, whether
you are the organizer or not, to question when meetings have run
their course and are no longer valuable. Don’t have meetings to set up
meetings. Look to get rid of time-wasting tasks.
Understand the importance of working as a team. A group of
people can get more done in less time than one person if the process and
roles are managed well. It is obvious, but is not always done effectively.
Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):
See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com. Book and eBook purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com
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