An important factor to work with others is to not only care about your own needs but also what the other person wants — What kind of relationship do you have with your manager? Is it a thriving one or are you barely surviving? Most people attribute a poor relationship with their manager to be the manager’s fault. If the relationship isn’t working, the manager must either be bad, uncaring, or downright incompetent.

Not everything you say will stand out. But you can’t make a difference unless you’re also willing to risk voicing your opinion — For every step forward you take in your career, how many steps are you taking back? Do you actively recognize and pay attention to mistakes that limit your career? Those who succeed at work do not have special skills and abilities. They aren’t more intelligent or talented than others. What…

Don’t see the world as a limited pie but view it as an endless ocean where there’s enough for everyone — Limited number of promotions. Limited salary hikes. Limited opportunities to lead high-visibility projects. Limited number of people who can receive awards. Thinking this way makes winning in corporate parlance equivalent to beating someone else. In order for you to succeed, someone else must fail. In order for you to get…

Get over nonsense and start putting some sense into your work — Too many meetings. I had said those three words way too many times that month. Sometimes as a fleeting comment to myself. Other times in the form of self-pity as this excessive, self-absorbed unhappiness over the current state of my work. Instead of shouting at the top of my lungs…

Where the head goes, the body follows. Perception precedes action. Right action follows the right perspective — When you’re having a bad day at work, your mind spirals into all sad things. It’s like someone dimmed the light around you and everything appears dark and gloomy. You’re more likely to lose your nerve or react poorly to even minor inconveniences. It may appear that others are out…

When communication breaks down at work, more time is wasted in filling gaps in alignment and expectations and less in productive work — What makes or breaks a project at work? What determines whether employees enjoy working together or try to avoid anything that requires collaboration? What factor enables managers to empower their team members? What builds trust with stakeholders? Effective communication. It’s a key ingredient to work together, advance your career, and…

When employees mentally check out, changes are needed — Working late nights, on weekends, replying to emails at odd hours, and answering calls during vacation is part of hustle culture — a culture that connects people’s identity to their work, worth to money in their bank account, and importance to the number of hours they work or how busy…

Respect is like air. As long as it’s present, nobody thinks about it. But if you take it away, it’s all that people can think about. — Do you have smart, talented, high potential or high performers on your team? Those who have a knack for solving complex problems and those you always seem to rely on when it comes to getting things done. Their brilliance may be admired by many, but what if they only shine…

How good are you when it comes to prioritization, initiating action, and staying focused? — I struggled with these three things most during my career — identifying what deserves my attention and what shouldn’t be done at all, giving life to my goals by utilizing the right opportunities and taking action, and staying focused by avoiding distractions when I actually get down to work. Doing…