Entrepreneurship Lesson #323 — On “GST”, Being Reliable and Following Up
Posted in Entrepreneurship & Work by B
I can’t claim that I know the formula to success. In fact, I am cautious about even saying that there is one specific thing that works for all people at all times.
However, over the years, I’ve been in enough different work settings, worked with a range of different people and managed enough businesses to notice that there are a few clear traits that differentiate people who manage to find success in whatever endeavor they pursue and those that seem to struggle in making progress.
The good news is that none of these factors are pre-determined by birth. All of them are habits that we can develop with just a bit of conscious effort. In fact, they seem so simple that you have to wonder why more people don’t do them!
Habit #1 — “GST” — Gettting Sh*t Done
One of the things that you can quickly observe about people that “push through” and move forward is that they have this ability of getting things done. If they commit to something, they find a way to do it.
It doesn’t always mean big projects or life-changing goals — the rule applies just as much to the small things that require attention, as it does to bigger projects.
What would be the opposite of “GST”? Talking about starting something but never quite making the first step, getting overwhelmed when things get hectic, or just dropping the ball on commitments. There is always an excuse to be found for not doing something, but at the end of the day when we look back at this time — but the end result is the same: no forward progress is made.
I’ve come across a quote that I think sums it up quite well:
“I’m sorry you feel bad about not meeting your goals– what I would suggest is that you begin meeting your goals, in order to feel better.”
Habit #2 — Be Reliable
This habit draws a parallel to the first one, but with one major difference. Habit #1 is concerned more with the goals and objectives that you set for yourself. This one is more relevant to the promises you make to others.
When you commit to something for somebody else — regardless of how small or large it is — keep your promise. If you agree to a certain deadline, meet it. If you promised to be somewhere at a certain time, be there. If you got a new responsibility, take care of it.
A colleague of mine is an established writer with a movie deal coming up on one of his books. During one of our conversations, I asked how was he able to get this far, when so many other people fail along the way. His answer was quite pragmatic — he felt that he wasn’t necessarily that much better than others. What separated him from other writers is that he always made a point of being reliable, showing up on time, and meeting deadlines. Before long, he became one of the favorite authors of his agent, who knew that he could always count on him to come through.
What this habit does is help build very positive, long-term relationships with other people who become aware that they can count on you. Looking at the folks that I’ve worked with over the last 5+ years, they all have this trait — they come through on what they promise, which is why I’m always happy to collaborate with them further.
Habit #3 — Don’t Forget to Follow Up
If everyone else around us read this blog post and embraced the first two points of GST and Being Reliable, there would be no need for this third point. Alas, that’s not the case.
When you work with others — whether it’s colleagues, customers, vendors, partners or anyone in between — you are just one item on their ever-growing list of priorities. So, when you reach out to them to get something done, it’s no surprising that things often get lost in the shuffle, dropped, or delayed. And if you’re juggling multiple things at once, it becomes even easier to lose track of things you’re waiting on.
The best way to stay in control of this situation is by following up with them, quickly and systematically.
Sometimes people feel that it’s rude to remind somebody that you’re waiting on something from them — “if they didn’t get around to it, they are probably just busy.” Sometimes that may actually be the case; other times, your request may have slipped in between the cracks or been downgraded as a priority.
The important thing to remember is that you are the one responsible for the end results — whether you’re working for yourself and for others. If you have a task where you rely on other people and the objective doesn’t get completed, it’s not always the fault of the people you assigned it to — it’s your responsibility to ensure that things go smoothly. There is nothing wrong with a timely, friendly follow up.
Originally published at www.quarterlifemusings.com.
