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Three magic words to propel your career
Mr. Z promised to complete the logo and graphic design project by Monday and today is Wednesday. He has not submitted it as yet! His customer is put off by the fact that the deadline was not met and would certainly find loopholes in the project. And more instances like this can land Mr. Z in deep waters. Would the customer’s response be different, had Mr. Z informed him that he would complete the project by Thursday, at the most?
Although the time span is the same, his assurance to the customer that he would send in the work by Monday, rather than saying it would be completed positively by Thursday would make a whale of a difference! Words help us communicate our notions and ideas; and they tend to give the other person great insights into the kind of person you are. Deviating from the same can land us in trouble, creating turbulence in our relationships, as well.
On the professional front, thinking in a manner, saying something else and coming up with a totally different and unexpected alternative is considered unprofessional. This is exactly the reason why you need to watch what you speak, after a good amount of thought and more importantly keep your promise, no matter what.
Food for thought
If you have been the victim of your boss’ habit of drawing up close deadlines at short notices, do not simply nod your head and prolong the work time, getting into the bad books of your boss. Instead, think before you speak! Contemplate if you could pragmatically complete the workload within that specific time period. If you are more inclined to give a negative answer, do not suppress your opinion. Ultimately, the onus lies on you.
Abide by your word
Once you have come up with your answer, frame it with the right words. Give a fair thought to the time frame, in order to minimise miscommunication or translation of ideas. Apart from giving thought to the deadlines your superiors impose on you, make your own deadlines to help you prove your potential and stick to your word.
Actions speak louder
Now that you have given your word, all your efforts must be channelised towards implementing whatever you have promised.
Since your deadline has been set, after good amount of thought and contemplation, translating your words into actions must be equally well planned. A gap between what you have rendered via words and what you accomplish through your actions can be detrimental to your performance. Never let that gap get wider and play havoc in your career.
Three Rs
References, recommendations and reputation - three magic words that can accelerate your career movement upward. And giving your word and abiding by it, is undoubtedly your passport to claim them.
The fact that you have fulfilled your commitment and lived up to your word, can immediately place you above your peers.
Apart from the quality of work output, innovation or utilisation of skill-sets, dedication and extreme commitment to stick to your words and taking your job seriously is definitely a positive quality that you can imbibe in your professional self.
PREETI RAGHUNATH
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