Practices that differentiate outstanding performers over good performers at the early stages of career

If you have been managing/leading teams for a while, you would often have found yourself answering the question “How I can do better?”. This question is more often asked by the members who have just begin their professional journey or by those who are early in their careers. First of all, this is a great question that everyone should be asking or thinking about as it helps in being better at what you do. Often most of the universities in India don’t prepare students on working principles/practices and most of the folks in their early careers are not prepared for it.

Based on experiences of working with different mentors across different organizations, I believe there are 5 practices that individuals should adopt to differentiate them from others (of course with an underlying assumption that individuals have similar skills). Leveraging below 5 practices doesn’t mean that success is guaranteed but it should be looked at as enablers or measures that increase the probability of a great performance -

1.      Be Proactive – One needs to jump at the opportunities as most of the time it is not easy to come by given organizations induct a good number of individuals at entry-level roles. When one does get the opportunity, it becomes imperative to deliver on it. One of the easy ways to deliver is to think one-two steps ahead e.g. planning for next week and could simply mean blocking invites with stakeholders on the calendar that warrants you to work on it proactively without being asked by your supervisor.

2.      Prepare before meetings – There is no replacement to preparing for meetings as by doing so one is more confident, seems in control of the situation, and can ask the right questions to make progress faster. Have often seen individuals noting down action items from the meeting and not really acting on them which plants a bad taste.

3.      Sharing Point of view – Remember everyone has unique ideas and one should not shy from presenting them. I have seen more often that presenting a point of view helps in healthy conversations and enables constructive discussions on the feasibility of the idea. Make sure you present your ideas in a structured manner by clearly laying out the problem statements, anticipated impact, and potential considerations.

4.      Avoid surprises – No one likes surprises especially if it comes with bad news. Given the complexities of the organization, it is advisable to be transparent and be open about problems. If one can highlight an issue/problem well in time, you would likely receive necessary support even if it means involving additional hands to solve the problem. One may feel that he/she would be considered incapable, but it is not the case and it is much better than solving at a later stage when the ship has already sailed. Remember, jobs exist to solve problems and while solving them, you are bound to run into issues/unknowns.

5.      Spending time with the broader team – Half of the learning happens via the work you are driving, and another half often happens by understanding what other team members are doing as well as how your work fits in the overall project/product. Doing so helps you develop solutions that can seamlessly fit with broader project/product and leading to less upstream/downstream challenges. While interacting with others, you learn valuable lessons as well as different perspectives that help you in broadening your horizon.

Sounds like obvious things to do but more often most individuals don’t do it. I can say so from my own experiences, my team members' experiences, and also from the candid conversations with friends over coffee/drinks. What’s the solution?

Don’t have a perfect solution but in my view, practicing 5 behaviors requires one to make conscious efforts and being disciplined about it. I would recommend a three-step approach:

1.      Set monthly/quarterly goals for each of the 5 practices

2.      Block 15 mins of reflection time every week/fortnight to track progress against each practice

3.      If not happy with the progress, then get guidance from seniors or mentors

What’s your solution? Look forward to hearing

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