By Wade G. Morgan
A series from Wade’s LinkedIn campaign, #HowIGotThere, to share tips centered on principles he believes has helped him advance in his career. His hope is that someone else finds them valuable, or knows someone to share them with. He recognizes that not all of these tips will apply to all people, and some may feel uncomfortable. That said, these are all tactics he’s employed at various times throughout his career.
Principle: Master your environment
Tactic: Acknowledge the work people invest their time in, or care the most about
Reason: Sometimes people explicitly ask for feedback. Other times, you happen to notice someone’s been off in a corner for the last week cranking away at something. In either case, providing thoughtful feedback or just asking “hey, what have you been working on?” can help people feel that their effort is not in vain.
This tactic can be especially powerful if you happen to notice a request for feedback that went overlooked, or a person whose work doesn’t always get the glory it deserves. Extend an olive branch and provide some advice to move their project forward.
Further, the more you can provide this feedback in ways that are meaningful for them, the better. Would public praise embarrass them and something more private be a better fit? Are they on the other side of the office and the act of going over there would be more impactful than sending an IM?
With your role in validating the time & effort someone has put into their work, you deepen their level of respect for you while helping them add purpose.
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Wade G. Morgan is a writer, speaker, Account Executive at Airtable, and former member of LinkedIn’s Business Leadership Program, a rotational program for early-in-career talent. He is passionate about leadership, athletics, entrepreneurship, and tech, and loves helping people and organizations reach their potential.
For more info, check out his LinkedIn profile, previous articles, follow him on Twitter at @wadegmorgan, or visit his website, www.wadegmorgan.com.
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