It’s that time of year again.
Where every blogger in the world has to write some sort of end of the year
summary post talking about all their past achievements and hopes and dreams for
the future… I could spend a dozen sentences talking about my multiple successes
and probably twice that recounting my failures, talking about the mountains I
climbed and the holes I dug for myself. Maybe I would summarize it all if I
lived a more interesting life, but I’ll spare you the details. Although I would
like to thank everyone for being a part of my 2013 and hope that 2014 is a
blessed year for you all.
Rather
than explain why 2013 was so great, or why it was so bad, I decided to put
together my own little wish list for ten ways I’d like to grow and hopefully
make 2014 a better year for me and those around me. As I look back and think
about all the issues from last year, it helps to look at them as opportunities
to change myself to be a better person both professionally and personally.
And
what better way to keep me accountable than to put them in writing. Who knows…
maybe there’s something here for everyone. I’ll try and keep the cliché’s and
cheesy comments to a minimum… but no promises.
To
that end, below are ten ways you can make 2014 a better year for those who have
to live and work with you. I’m going to say “you” from here on out instead of
“me” because I don’t have to feel guilty typing it out, but please know while
I’ve got one finger pointed at you there are three squarely pointed back in my
direction.
10.
Communicate better
Poor communication affects every aspect of your life both
personal and professional. Nothing will frustrate others more than someone who
cannot communicate effectively.
Make every effort to be a better communicator in 2014. Respond
to that email as quickly as possible even if it’s to say “I’ll get to this
later”. Acknowledge people. Don’t assume as much. Also, DON’T over
communicate. People are busy. If you just said something in 4 paragraphs that
could be said in two sentences, then you just failed at communication.
My biggest flaw here is that I hate to send emails on my phone,
but I read most of my emails on my phone. So, if I get an email when I’m away
from my computer asking for a response, I’ll mean to respond later.. And many
times I won’t because I just completely forget about it. That’s bad. I need to
change that. I will change that.
9. Add more value / Create less noise
In
2014 make an effort to add more value. Does the world really need another bacon
post? (yes) Do we need to know that SharePoint Designer is still free (no). How
do you know if you are adding noise? If you are the first person to blog about
it then you are adding value, if you are the 20th you are probably adding
noise. In 2014 be diligent in your offerings. Are you giving any new insights
or just rehashing what has be said over and over and over again?
I get
it. Everyone wants to have a voice and everyone wants to be heard... But do you
really want to be the modern day version of the boy who cried wolf? If 90% of
what you do is adding noise, who’s going to listen when you finally do have an
original thought?
8. Invest personal time in professional
growth
Newsflash,
you don’t know it all. You’ll never know it all, and just when you think you’re
at the top of your game, the game changes. Unless you are the best time manager
in the world or have a lifestyle that allows you to work part time, it is
impossible to stay on top of the ever changing technological landscape in a
normal forty hour work week. Suck it up and invest some personal time. How many
times can you watch the same episode of Modern Family anyway?
In
2014, read more books that will help you grow in your chosen profession. Read
more blogs from the real experts who know what they are talking about. TRY more
things before asking the question. Get your hands dirty and figure out “why”,
not just “how”. Make an effort to stay on top of trends and actively look
for what’s next. If you really want to be heard, no one is heard louder than
the one leading the charge.
7. Devote more time to side projects
I’m
going to make it a goal to see at least one large scale side project through to
fruition. Maybe it will be finally “appifying” my InfoPath forms replacement tool
Forms7. Maybe it will be expanding the back deck so we can have a
better outdoor experience. Maybe it will even be finally getting my blog
converted over to WordPress. I have so many side projects!! The sense of
accomplishment and relief from completing just one of those will give me the
extra boost I need to carry on the drudgery of the other tasks that I really
have no choice but to do at some point.
For
me, nothing helps that feeling of being burnt out quite like actually getting
something done. complete. marked off the list. So, suck it up. Identify a side
project you’ve been meaning to work on. Swing for the fences. Devote 4 hours a
week, or maybe one Saturday a month to it and see what you can create and let
yourself enjoy the feeling of accomplishment.
6. Listen better
One of
my FAVORITE quotes of all time is “Better to remain silent and be thought a
fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.” I think Abe Lincoln got it right.
How often do I feel the need to get a word in, speed up the conversation, or
yadda yadda yadda may way to getting MY point across.
In my
zeal to get my two cents in, how many times did I miss the whole point of the
conversation? Stop it! It’s frustrating, condescending, and
disrespectful. Before you open your mouth, send that hasty email, or pick
up the phone to tell people how YOU would do it, take a second to stop and
think. Am I helping or just trying to make myself look smart? If it’s not
helpful, why say it?
Plus,
when you take the time to actually listen, you’ll gain this skill called
empathy. You’ll be able to better understand where the person is coming from.
You will begin to solve the real problems and not just the symptoms.
5. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it
Let me
be clear here. Innovation is essential to pushing boundaries and creating the
new and exciting “what’s next”. Without innovation would we have ever had the
iPhone? Or the really big iPhone that doesn’t make phone calls? Just take a
look a those who dared to reinvent the wheel:
However,
don’t make someone else unknowingly pay for your desire to innovate. I don’t
care what new technology you learned about last week, or that new fangled blog
post you came across. Just because you found a new way to reinvent the wheel
doesn’t mean you SHOULD… right now… with THIS project… which has been scoped
and estimated with deadlines and commitments.
If you
are a consultant or someone is paying you for your time, then I think it’s
wrong to bill people for “innovation” when there is something already there
that meets their needs. InfoPath is my glaring example here. I loathe all
things InfoPath. I think it’s a clunky, cumbersome piece of garbage with one
foot in the grave. But if I have a client that has an InfoPath form that they
need migrated to Office 365 then who am I to bill them to recreate it in a
“better” technology?
Oftentimes
there are reasons to innovate, to spend the extra time and money for the pay
off in the future. Make sure you clearly COMMUNICATE this to those footing the
bill and LISTEN to their needs first. Innovation can sometimes wait for Phase
II.
4. Think about the big picture more
Here’s
more common sense. Don’t sweat the petty stuff and don’t pet the sweaty stuff.
This one should have major impact on your professional AND personal life. When
tackling challenges it really helps to keep the big picture in mind. What is
the end goal? What will determine success? How do my current obstacles impact
that success??
If
that current annoying email, pesky naysayer, or technical detail do not impact
your end result or success, WHY oh WHY do I let it bother me? Why waste
resources and precious time on things you have no control over which have
little to no impact on the big picture? I’m actually pretty good at this
one most of the time in my professional life… most of the time… In my personal
life? hmmm… what’s that I’m feeling? oh yeah… conviction…
In ALL
things in work, family, heck.. in life do your best to stop and think about how
any current circumstance impacts the big picture, the final result. If it
doesn’t impact the big picture, let it go. It doesn’t matter if you are right
or wrong, if it’s not going to solve anything just let go of the bone… If there
is an impact, then place the CORRECT priority on it and address it accordingly
with effective COMMUNICATION and LISTENING. :)
3. Disconnect more often
To
quote Dan Hicks (who I didn’t know was the originator of the song until I did a
quick search)… “How Can I
Miss YouWhen You Won't Go Away?”
For
me, the same rings true with work and technology. Has anyone else felt a
constant state of burnout during the last year? How can you not feel burnt out
when you are always plugged in, always checking your phone, always being
bombarded with information. It makes me tired just to think about it. Now more
than ever, I need to unplug, reenergize… I need to give myself a chance to miss
the technology instead of being burdened by it. Luckily for me, because of
where I live it’s easy to disconnect IF I can make myself do it.
In the
next year I hope to go fishing more, kayak when the river is up, take the four
wheelers out for quick ride, and spend more time with my family and less time
in front of electronic devices. In 2014, find out what reenergizes you and make
an effort to unplug more often.
2. Less social
networking
Don’t
get me wrong.. I’m not saying to not use social networks. I’m saying use them
more effectively in 2014 to do your job better.
Facebook,
Twitter, LinkedIn, Yammer, and other random SharePoint Communities are popping
up all over the place and do you know the #1 thing they create??
NOISE…
with the growing number of outlets and community members there are more and
more ways to make noise and more and more people willing to make noise to try
and be noticed. You can get sucked into this noise if you aren’t careful and
before you know it you’ve spent the day reading garbage that did nothing to
help you achieve your goals or educate you in any way.
So,
promise yourself to not get trapped in the time sinks, checking to see
how many people liked your photo, commented on your status and/or mention the
word bacon. It’s harder to get the benefit out of social networking than it
used to be, but if you can stop being distracted and stay on point, they are
still very valuable tools.
1. Make more lists
I know
a lot of people are list makers by nature. I’m not one of those people, and I
suffer for it. Confession time, I’m NOT an organized guy and as I have
more and more tasks and responsibilities I start dropping balls. What is
the status of that task? Who am I waiting to hear from? What’s my next event?
Wait, was it my turn to pick the kids up? It’s truly frustrating. The few times
I’ve sat down and made a list it really helped me. I didn’t have to remember
because it was written down, and physically writing it down helped me
remember! Plus, is there anything more satisfying that sliding your pen
across a task to cross it out?
Only,
I never stick with it.. I slide back into my old habits. The unread/unfiled
emails. That “thing” I can never seem to get to. That event I didn’t make time
for. That bill I didn’t pay on time. That expense report that lingered. The
blog post that never got finished. The bug that never got fixed. The sponsor I
need to contact. They gift card that’s about to expire. Those requirements that
I haven’t typed up. You get the picture.
This
year, 2014, I WILL make more lists. I’ll create lists to stay organized
and stay prioritized. I’ll create reminders to communicate and listen better.
I’ll force myself to disconnect more often and finish a side project or two.
I’ll dive deeper into technologies and add new value and insights. I’ll focus
on the big picture and ignore the noise. I’ll take my own advice
and make 2014 the best year yet.
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