There are people on your team who are go-getters, those who constantly look to solve problems. When an issue becomes complicated, they step to the front of the line. While they don’t immediately have an answer, they understand that a solution does exist. When they lack the immediate knowledge to resolve the issue, they seek others with expertise.
Those who are climbing the corporate ladder are not necessarily the smartest, but they have the knowledge to identify problems, evaluate potential alternatives, implement the most viable option, and follow-up to take corrective action.
Here are comments you often hear from winners:
- “Yeah, that didn’t work too well. We need to first determine what the management team wants to see. In other words, they are both the customer and the final decision-maker. Let’s set up a meeting to discuss the requirements with them.”
- “The ideal solution is not good enough in this case. We have two months before the project is due. Let’s spend the necessary time to exceed expectations with this deliverable.”
- “In the first 10 minutes of this meeting, we’ve been complaining about the company culture, our bosses, and customers. I think we need to take a different perspective. Let’s review what we are tasked to do, and commit our time to doing that work.”
- “Look, I’m unhappy that I was passed up for the promotion. It doesn’t feel good, but that isn’t going to stop me from working hard and preparing for future opportunities. Just as important, I’m not going to have a sorry attitude. I understand that my time will come soon.”
- “The plan is to consider how we can build quality into the service we provide our patients. We need to avoid problems on the back-end. To do that, let’s make sure to verify the benefits before we perform any work. The point here is that the patient will be happy that we’ve taken care of the details, and our leaders will be pleased that we will be paid as promised by the insurance company.”
- “Andrea, I appreciate that you raised that point about the offshore team. I forgot to include them as a key stakeholder, and that is a mistake. I’m also glad that you mentioned your concerns during our project team meeting. I would like for other members to do the same. The more feedback we have now, the better final product we will produce for the customer.”
- “Mr. Martinez [VP of Marketing], I understand your desire to explore the Florida marketing campaign project. After careful review by our team, it appears that we need to re-consider this strategy. The opportunity is viable, and we support it. However, it appears that we do not have the resources to launch this effort by the March 31 deadline. However, my team has proposed that we move some resources from the California program, which is running smoothly. If it’s okay with you, I can provide a more detailed plan on Thursday.”
Winners are more than just the opposite of losers. These individuals understand that setbacks and problems are temporary, and they do whatever possible to meet the requirements. To join this group, you must avoid pettiness, and refuse to make excuses when problems arise. In short, a winner will keep a professional approach at all times, which allows him to resolve even the most complicated problems.