Better Insights, Better Results
I got an email from a GM (General Manager) at Microsoft, who will be giving a presentation at Microsoft on “How To Be an Effective IC (Individual Contributor)” and he’s collecting best practices. Scott Hanselman shared his thoughts and I thought I would share mine. For this post, I attempted to boil down some of the best lessons I’ve learned for myself, that I mentor others, and that I see others put into practice.
Here’s a simple model I've been using lately to help some friends think about the infamous passion vs profit question. I actually like to think of it as a passion AND profit … and value question. It really is a simple model, but it helps highlight a couple of key points. For one thing, the saying do what you love, and the money will follow, is misleading.
The 20 percent spike is a distinctive strength. It's unusually powerful. Using your 20 percent spike generates exponential results. It's a way to amplify your impact and maximize results. My 20 percent spike is information artistry. I use this skill to create, organize, and share complex information in a simple way. At work, it helps me write more effective books. At home, it helps me learn faster and turn insights into action. From a service standpoint, it helps me unleash the best in others.
One of my favorite training sessions this past year was called "Why Should Anyone Be Lead By You?" One of our exercises was to figure out our unique differentiators by looking at our life experiences. In other words, what unique skills or experiences do we bring to the table, that are relevant for this particular situation? Everybody has a story--hopes, dreams, wins, losses, and lessons learned. We write our stories a page at a time. Ultimately, it's not how the stories end, but what we carry forward that matters.
Are you in the right career based on your strengths? You can use your strengths as a guide to help you figure out which jobs to test and which jobs to avoid. For example, it's tough to be in marketing if you're not a people person. If you like knowledge work, you might find you enjoy software. You can use your strengths as another lens to help you chart your course. If you've ever felt like the elf that wanted to be a dentist, take heart that following your strengths improves your chances for success.
