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- Wise Words -
Find the needle. 
Then move it
by seb blanc

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Giving advice is always difficult as it is so personal and, perhaps unsurprisingly I have no claim to the secret recipe that will turn us all into Elon Musk!

Now we have got through my “advice small print”, I do want to share the one thing that has allowed me take a key role in building successful tech businesses: the one and really only thing that matters at work is what you deliver for your business.

What I mean by this is that only the output matters.  If you are busy, that’s great, it’s unlikely you will achieve anything without hard work. That said, as only results (the output) matter, the inputs are almost irrelevant.  While you can attend meetings, send emails, follow the book of process to the letter (the inputs), if this does not move a business metric in a meaningful way, you have likely wasted both your and your company’s time.

The Challenge
Having impact is far from easy.  If you are competent, your colleagues will ask for your involvement on many projects; you are also likely to receive a never ending flow of email and meetings.  All of these things make it hard to get things done.

To make it even more difficult, a lot of companies don’t set out clearly the one metric you should focus on.  It is so easy to be solidly busy the entire week, yet achieve very little that matters for the company.
What I am advocating here, is a radically different frame of mind.  What I am advocating is a culture of aiming to move the needle for your business every single day.

Two Big Needles
A CEO will tell you that there are only 2 ways to really move the needle:
  1. Boost revenue.
  2. Reduce cost.

​There are many ways to increase revenue.  Some are direct and can include signing new business or streamlining process to increase speed to market.  Some are indirect such as building a great brand, finding product-market fit on a new product, setting up a strong learning practice. The point is that you will need to be in a place where you can spend all your day moving the needle that you are responsible for.  
Focusing on the result needs to become your number one goal.

My advice is that you shouldn’t think about anything except what you can do to move the output metric that you are responsible for.  Obviously do it in a way that is consistent with the official goals and time frame set out by the company.  

Note: I am not advocating for you to launch in China market when you are an individual seller in the US.  Nor am I saying that teamwork doesn’t matter; it does.  Being part of a team and strong team player is often how you get results.  Instead what I am saying is that we should work within our teams to set the output goal and then focus on achieving it no matter what business-as-usual throws in our way.

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Maximizing Output
To maximize your output you may have to reshape a process or change your focus.  Sometimes it means that you have to literally ignore stuff that crosses your desk. It may even ruffle some feathers but in a world of constrained resources and unlimited company ambition, something will fall through the crack.  Your value comes from making sure that nothing important falls through the cracks.


It obviously forces you to compare different initiatives that are very hard to compare even though they all impact the output of the company in some way.  An extreme example could be: should you reach out to a new business lead or should you go to this week’s culture committee?

The former may increase slightly your chance of closing a large account. The latter impacts the mood in the business and may improve retention and hire rate. One could argue that both are output-focused. If you have an output driven view of the world though, I have no doubt that you should focus on lead generation (unless of course you have a 35%+ employee attrition rate and retention is the company’s n1 problem).

I find it useful to try to maximise the following formula when I think of what I should be working on:
[What is the likelihood this project will succeed] x [tangible benefit to the business of success]

If you are an Early Stage Professional you are unlikely to have the context to plug in the numbers to my “output equation” above.  That’s ok, you can always use it later.  Instead be proactive in working with your manager to identify the results that are important to them.  Focus on understanding what they need to achieve and how you fit into their success.  (For more on how partner with your manager and focus on results see "The BIG 3 questions to ask your manager")

Once you know your goal, track your progress towards it and give yourself a discreet timeline.  If your experience is anything like mine, knowing what you need to do and focusing on that will allow you to filter out the standard “organizational noise” and achieve.

I hope this view of business and personal achievement makes sense to you.  My success metric for this column is helping you change your focus in the workplace to outputs so that both you and your company  succeed.  Hopefully you won’t just read the words (my inputs),otherwise, we’ve both wasted our time here!
​

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For more on the topic of prioritization see The Lean Manager: A Novel of Lean Transformation by Michael Balle and Freddy Balle as well as The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

Related columns: "Be a Professional of Action"  and"Small Actions Build Big Results"


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Seb Blanc  is Chief Executive Officer for Skimlinks, a technology company that drives e-commerce sales for 1.5million publishers. 
​Prior to Skimlinks, Seb was US GM for Struq.  He is also a Board Advisor to MentionMe. 

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In the first 5 years or so of your career?  Want actionable career advice?  
​Buy Early Stage Professional: starting off right, the no nonsense professional skills book designed so that you can succeed in the workplace!  


More Wise Words...

Achieve: Focus on Results
​
Achieve: Leading from the Start
Achieve: Small is BIG
Achieve: Take Action
Career Management: Annual Review. A "How To"
Career Management: Annual Review. As Career Plan
Career Management: Choosing a Mentor
Career Management: Careers Happen
Career Management: Career Journey
Career Management: Mentorship Explained
​
Career Management: Post Graduate Degrees
Career Management: Promotion Frustration 
Career Management: Moving up by moving out
Career Management: Selecting Your Company
Career Management: Understand Yourself
Finances: Retirement Saving (1)
Finances: Retirement Saving (2)
Hindsight: Balance the short- with the long-term
​Hindsight: Embrace learning and your manager
Hindsight: Focus at Work
Hindsight: Millennial Reflections
Hindsight: Regrets: Time, Money & Pride
​Hindsight: Take Advice Sparingly
Hindsight: Take a Career Mulligan
​
Hindsight: Transition from College
Hindsight: Winning Nicely
Hindsight: Work hard, network, be honest. Have fun too!
Managing Up: Manage Up to Move Up
Managing Up: Manager As Partner
Managing Up: New Manager
Managing Up: Questions for your manager
Managing Up: Secret Skills for Managing Up
​
People & Teamwork: Be A Giver
​
People & Teamwork: LinkedIn As Networking
People & Teamwork: Networking Hacks
People & Teamwork: Networking as a Relationship
People & Teamwork: Networking Simplified
People & Teamwork: Teamwork As Leadership
Speedbumps: Chutes & Ladders
​
Speedbumps: Laid Off? Take A Breath
Speedbumps: Layoffs. The Afterlife
Speedbumps: Owning Mistakes
Work Life: Work Culture. America vs. UK
Work Life: Ask Why
Work Life: Be Yourself. Be Genuine
​
Work Life: Browned Out?
Work Life: Business Travel Guide
Work Life: Calendar Management
Work Life: Difficult Situations
Work Life: Focus on Fiyah!
​Work Life: Ghosting
​
Work Life: Help the Early Stage Professionals
Work Life: International Remote Working
Work Life: Pre-Vacation Checklist
Work Life: Smartphones & The Office
​Work Life: Start-Up Glamor
Work Life: Stress Management
Work Life: Take a Walk
​
Work Life: They Quit
Work Life: Unlimited Vacation
Work Life: Welcome the Newbies
Work Life: "Work" from Home

Crushing It @ Work

What Time Should I Start? 
What If I am Running Late? 
Taking Vacation
Sick Days 
Working Outside Office Hours
​
How to prepare for One/Ones
Making Meetings on Time 
Business Presentations 
Social Media, Personal Email and Hanging Out on the Web
Give it Six to Nine Months to Feel @Home
Be Your-professional-self
Staying Positive

Money Talk

The Basics
Retirement Savings Guide

Library

Recommended further reading & Book Reviews
More details on Early Stage Professional, the book

Getting A Job

Resume
The Application Letter 
​
The Free Conundrum: Should You Take an Unpaid Internship?
Informational Interviews 
Taking a Shortcut: Using Your Network 
Dealing with a Low GPA
​Responding to Recruiters
The Job Interview
Interview Questions
Questions You Should Ask
Simulations 
Interviews with Other Applicants
Dealing with References
Negotiating Your Salary
How to Resign (if you already have a job)
​
The First Week
You Don't Get the Job: Getting Feedback
​Keeping Motivated Through the Search

Bureaucracy

About the Early Stage Professional Project

Crushing IT

Money

Library

WISE WORDS

Bureaucracy

Copyright © 2016 - 2020
  • Home
  • Getting a job
    • Must Do's - Resume
    • Must Do's - Application Letter
    • Must Do's - Internships
    • Groundwork - Informational Interviews
    • Groundwork - Your Network
    • Groundwork - GPA Issues
    • Groundwork - Recruiters
    • Dealing with Rejection - Feedback
    • Dealing with Rejection - Keeping Motivated
    • Closing the Deal - The Interview
    • Closing the Deal - Interview Q's
    • Closing the Deal - Your Questions
    • Closing the Deal - Simulations
    • Closing the Deal - Group Interviews
    • Closing the Deal - References
    • Signing On - Salary Negotiation
    • Signing On - How to Resign
    • Signing On - First Week
  • Crushing It
    • The Hours - What Time Should I Start
    • The Hours - What If I Am Running Late?
    • The Hours - Taking Vacation
    • The Hours - Sick Days
    • The Hours - Working Outside Office Hours
    • Professional Skills - One/Ones
    • Professional Skills- Making Meetings on Time
    • Professional Skills - Business Presentations
    • Professional Skills - Social Media, Personal Email
    • A Level Head - Feeling @ Home
    • A Level Head - Be YourProfessionalSelf
    • A Level Head- Staying Positive
  • Wise Words
    • Achieve - Focus on the Results
    • Achieve - Leading from the Start
    • Achieve - Showcase Your Work
    • Achieve - Small is BIG
    • Achieve - Take Action
    • Achieve - Your New Job. A Plan
    • Career Management - Annual Review
    • Career Management - Annual Review Feedback Meeting
    • Career Management - Annual Review: How to Guide
    • Career Management - Career Contentment
    • Career Management - Careers Happen
    • Career Management - Career Journey
    • Career Management - Choosing a Mentor
    • Career Management - Discomfort Is Good
    • Career Management - Freelancing and Employment Gaps
    • Career Management - Mentally Healthy Choices
    • Career Management - Mentorship Explained
    • Career Management - Post Graduate Degrees
    • Career Management - Promotion Frustration
    • Career Management - Promotions. Move out to move up
    • Career Management - Selecting Your Company
    • Career Management - Understand Yourself
    • Finances - Preparing for a Downturn
    • Finances - Retirement Saving (1)
    • Finances - Retirement Saving (2)
    • Hindsight - Balance the Short- with Long -term
    • Hindsight - Embrace Learning & Your Manager
    • Hindsight - Focus at Work
    • Hindsight - Millennial Reflections
    • Hindsight - Regrets: Time, Money & Pride
    • Hindsight - Take a Career Mulligan
    • Hindsight - Take Advice Sparingly
    • Hindsight - Transition from College
    • Hindsight - Winning Nicely
    • Hindsight - Work Hard. Be Honest. Have Fun
    • Managing Up - Manager as Partner
    • Managing Up - Manage Up to Move Up
    • Managing Up - Mastering Your Manager
    • Managing Up - New Manager
    • Managing Up - Questions For Your Manager
    • Managing Up - Secret Skills of Managing Up
    • Managing Up - Yes Power
    • People & Teamwork - Be a Giver
    • People & Teamwork - Collaboration is Power
    • People & Teamwork - First Time Manager
    • People & Teamwork - LinkedIn as Networking
    • People & Teamwork - Networking Hacks
    • People & Teamwork - Networking as Relationship
    • People & Teamwork - Networking Simplified
    • People & Teamwork - Reputations Travel
    • People & Teamwork - Teamwork as Leadership
    • Sliding Doors - Decision Paths
    • Sliding Doors - Success Requires Luck
    • Speed Bumps - Chutes & Ladders
    • Speed Bumps - Layoffs & Survivors Guilt
    • Speed Bumps - Laid Off? Take a Breath
    • Speed Bumps - Layoffs. The After Life
    • Speed Bumps - Owning Mistakes
    • Work Life - American Work Culture
    • Work Life - Ask Why
    • Work Life - Be Yourself. Be Genuine
    • Work Life - Browned Out?
    • Work Life - Business Travel Guide
    • Work Life - Calendar Management
    • Work Life - Change is Certain
    • Work Life - Difficult Situations
    • Worklife - Focus on Fiyah
    • Work Life - Ghosting
    • Work Life - Help the Early Stage Professionals
    • Work Life- International Remote Working
    • Work Life - In the Zoom
    • Work Life - Mom Skills
    • Work Life - Office As A Stage
    • Work Life - Office Ghouls
    • Work Life - Pre Vacation Checklist
    • Work Life - Returning to Work
    • Work Life - Smartphones & The Office
    • Work Life - Speak Up
    • Work Life - Stage Fright
    • Work Life - Startup Glamour
    • Work Life - Stress Management
    • Work Life - Take A Walk
    • Work Life - Tasks We Hate
    • Work Life - They Quit
    • Work Life - Unlimited Vacation
    • Worklife - Vacation Overview
    • Work Life - Welcome the Newbies
    • Work Life - "Work" From Home
  • Money
    • Money - The Basics
    • Money - Saving for Retirement
    • Money - Retirement Saving
  • Library
    • Book Reviews
    • Webinar Hub
    • USA Today Columns
    • Buy Early Stage Professional
    • Bureaucracy
  • Help Center
    • Annual Reviews
    • Career Speed Bumps
    • Managing Up
    • Promotions & Career Planning
    • Stress Management