Most of us have encountered people who talk a good game about how hard they work but are less impressive when it comes to producing results.
Their polar opposite is the individual who, although highly effective, makes it look easy. This type has poured many hours into honing skills and gaining insight and, as a result, is able to perform tasks that would befuddle the less industrious.
Making it look easy, however, can be a career problem. Far too many people equate struggle and long hours with hard work. They think, a la George Costanza, that the person who wanders the halls with a clip board and an angry expression is a serious performer. The quiet achiever is suspect and often the self-promoters gain an edge on promotions.
The challenge is to convey a sense of what went into achieving the results. This can be done without fanfare or hyperbole but those quiet folks who don't boast need to recognize the importance of describing the process that went into their achievements.
Omit that stage and qualities that should be treasured may be devalued.
2 comments:
What a fantastic post. Speaking for myself, I have spent years getting to be really good at the kind of work I do, and part of this is a large focus on being as effecient as possible. I am reminded of something Tyler Cohen once wrote about the fact he speed reads many books: it took him years to read that book, since it took him years to learn enough to be able to read that quickly.
Dan,
Thanks!
So much of the "easy" work is the result of years of practice.
Michael
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