According to Marcus Buckingham’s StandOut profile, this is how to get me doing my best work when I’m working with you:
I am resourceful and can fill the gaps quicker than most. If there’s a project to begin that lacks details or data, I can get it off to a good start.
Tell me that if I try to serve everyone I wind up serving no-one. I must make a choice about who to serve well, and then serve them well. Know that I will be sensitive to any criticisms.
If you’d like to grab my attention, tell me I am not moving boldly enough. Tell me that you expect me to be the first person to challenge an existing way of doing things, the first person to spot, bump into, and report back on a new threat, or a new opportunity.
The overall StandOut profile was disturbingly accurate for me and a friend who took it with me, and this tip also resonates strongly. I would recommend the profile to anyone seeking to understand their work self better, and I’d recommend this advice to people trying to work better with me :)