standout

I’ve mentioned it a few times, but I’ve found Marcus Buckingham’s Standout profile and website really helpful. The profile for me was accurate and insightful, and the tips I get sent each week are great.

One of them encouraged you to log the things in a week that you love (that leave you energized, strengthened) and the things that you loathed (that leave you drained, weakened). This wasn’t about what other people do to you (a police officer gave me a fine – I loathed it, my boss gave me a pay rise, I loved it). Rather this is about the work you’re doing, and what parts of your work energize you and what drains you.

Here’s my list.

Loved It

Working on new business strategy, or figuring out the brand/story that makes a new product have meaning.
Writing code for new APIs or frameworks that will be well designed, get use by many people, speed up development. While I’m doing this I’m engaged, I’m learning and tweaking my skills, and I’m making something for that benefits both me and others.
Delivering a feature that has immediate customer benefit
Meeting people, getting them on board with a new idea. This week it was a friend (and possibly future business partner), a learning support officer (who is an aspiring entrepreneur) and a friend who is wanting to get into graphic design.
Trying to consider how my faith world mixes with my business world. Particularly this week: how can I see people as people, not resources or assets. How can I help them find their particular spot in the world, and help them grow into it, rather than “how can I get you to do what I want”.
Wireframing, prototyping, design reference scouting

Loathed It

Maintaining old projects. Especially if it’s something I didn’t care for to begin. (For me this week, that includes Koha, Canvas, and Moodle to a lesser degree)
Being apart from Anna for too much of the week
Working on projects that feel like they will never end or progress. I need a sense of momentum and an expectation that one thing will finish so that new things can start.
Having to report to (and problem solve with) a group of people who don’t understand the technical nature of the problem.
Having to answer questions where the “correct” answer is “drop quality, deliver faster”
Avoiding answering / helping people, because other deadlines are too heavy
Having to pretend something is good/ready when it’s not. I’d rather be honest. Drop projects if they suck, or at least admit it.

There’s my list for this week. I’m in the middle of an extremely busy work season, so this is mostly focused on work and doesn’t touch much into my family life or faith life – both of which also have strengthening moments and weakening moments. Still, a great exercise.

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 :)