“Keeping baggage from the past will leave no room for happiness in the future.”
Wayne L. Misner
Here’s a tip to add brilliance, shine and value contribution to your work and your personal brand. Try it.
I defy you to tell me it doesn’t get you noticed and known as an original workplace thinker when you work it right and apply it to a business direction, project and strategy piece.
Bring value by uncovering what is…
by DeCluttering what isn’t.
While others focus on value adding, you focus on subtracting what isn’t value rich. Don’t think what can be added. Or what’s missing. Think what’s not needed. Or relevant. And should be taken away.
You subtract. Let everybody else add. Watch they distinction you gain as a direct result of this approach.
Eliminating waste rather than adding value has two principle benefits.
- First, it’s a fast way to achieve clarity. And focused clarity = brilliance.
- Second, it’s an even faster way to distinguish and differentiate you as an innovative and an original thinker.
Put both together and I am guessing you’ll agree the combo’s not a bad back-to-back, double-punch effect, right?
Want a classic example? Think sculpture. Marble. Michelangelo.
You can face that granite block piece you and/or your team are working on and feel the pressure of making a mistake if you don’t make the right cuts.
Or you can choose to see the work project piece, really see it for what it is and for its potential to be even more than it currently is. Try understanding the need behind the work from an inside out perspective. What does the project really need to be. What is it calling for from all those who are involved in contributing to it.
Then just cut away, like Michelangelo, all textra and nonessential parts of the finished product.
If Michelangelo created his famous David masterpiece through that project perspective and approach – shouldn’t that same approach be worth a try? If you think so, try it out on some of your smaller projects first? For example, take a project you’ve been assigned or want to propose you take on so-as-to shine in the process.
Follow any one or group of the following simple 22 process steps. You don’t need all 22 items. Pick what speak loudest and most relevantly to you.
- Dedicate specific time to plan
- Calendar and block out the time as an appointment
- Breakdown project into its fundamental elements or components.
- Ask yourself “what’s trying to happen here?
- Question what’s the purpose and business impact of my proposal?
- Understand how what you will be proposing will fit in and be perceived by all those who will directly touch your project.
- See the proposal for what it is – not what you want or need it to be?
- Engage key stakeholders for their feedback.
- Listen objectively to feedback offered and understand others point of view.
- Adapt
- Re-engage and survey again before final submission.
- Dedicate specific time to plan
- Calendar and block out the time as an appointment
- Breakdown project into its fundamental elements or components.
- Ask yourself “what’s trying to happen here?
- Question what’s the purpose and business impact of my proposal?
- Understand how what you will be proposing will fit in and be perceived by all those who will directly touch your project.
- See the proposal for what it is – not what you want or need it to be?
- Engage key stakeholders for their feedback.
- Listen objectively to feedback offered and understand others point of view.
- Adapt
- Re-engage and survey again before final submission.
Then as you get better at mastering your art and uncovering what is by DeCluttering what isn’t – you can start creating more and more signature masterpiece contributions.
The beauty of this approach is your efforts don’t have to be grandiose. They can be effective even if-and-when applied to smaller project pieces.
Remember it’s about the value of your contribution and the relevant originality of your thinking that counts against the business outcome. It’s not always the scope of the work. Not everything is a five and dime value play; unless that’s what you want your professional brand to represent.
Imagine the brand power and value distinction that can come when you begin to sculpt your work efforts like this. Can you see it? Understand it? Really?
If so, then . . . just declutter and cut away all that isn’t there and voila, done! Your masterpiece at work. Bravo!
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Former CEO, COO, CMO, President, Monk,
Certified Behavioral, Values & EQ Analyst, Mediator
Certified Growth Curve Strategist | ASTD Cert Proj. Mgmt.
Former Worldwide Retreat Master | Meditation, EQ Trainer
Limoncello Producer
Seen Beatles, know Walrus was John
