How To Be Interesting In Your Life...
And Successful in Your Work
Jessica Hagy published a fantastic article with
Forbes last week on "10 Ways To Be More Interesting."
Here's how to apply the same principles at work
to be both interesting... and successful.
1. Go exploring.
Explore
ideas, places, and opinions. The inside of the echo chamber is where all the
boring people hang out. (Jessica Hagy, 2012)
Applying it at work:
It's easy to get in a rut at work, hanging
out with the same people and doing the same things over and over again. We
naturally gravitate to what we know. We tend to spend more time with people who
are like to us than those who are different. To "go exploring" at
work, branch out. Ask people to share their opinions, particularly people you
know will view the world differently than you do. Challenge yourself as to
whether you're right. Do this often. You'll find that you change your mind or
approach often, simply by
taking the time to consider your second or third option. Avoid getting stuck in
your ways.
2. Share what you discover.
And be generous when you do. Not everybody went exploring with you. Let them
live vicariously through your adventures. (Jessica Hagy, 2012)
Applying it at work:
Sometimes we
just want to put our heads down and crank out work. Even when we learn from a
big win or a painful lesson, we tend to shake it off and move to the next item
on the list. To "share what you discover" at work, take a few minutes
to be a resource for others. If you read a good book, go to a conference, or
participate in a training session, share a tidbit you learned with others. If
you make a mistake and learn a hard lesson, share it with others so they can
avoid making the same mistake. If you find a better way to do something, ask
for a forum to share your ideas. Avoid hoarding knowledge. What's the point?
3. Do something. Anything.
Dance.
Talk. Build. Network. Play. Help. Create. It doesn’t matter what you do, as
long as you’re doing it. Sitting around and complaining is not an acceptable
form of ‘something,’ in case you were wondering. (Jessica Hagy,
2012)
Applying it at work:
It's
been proven that people generally perform to the level that's expected of them.
When we're asked to do more, we do more. When we're not, we generally don't.
It's human nature. To "do something" better at work, don't be someone
who requires the ask. Deliver even when nothing is asked of you. Contribute
your best talents to your organization. You're not entitled to your job; it's
your responsibility to deserve it. We all feel pushed beyond our limits at
times. Complaining rarely helps. If you contribute to your maximum potential,
whatever that is, you know you're doing your best. Do it because you should,
not because you're asked. Avoid entitlement and chronic complaining.
4. Embrace your innate weirdness.
No
one is normal. Everyone has quirks and insights unique to themselves. Don’t
hide these things—they are what make you interesting. (Jessica Hagy,
2012)
Applying it at work:
In
business, most of us have one of two general inclinations: to blend in
completely or to stand out with ferocity. At times, either of those approaches
can be a good strategy. To "embrace your innate weirdness" at work,
though, try to find the middle ground. Don't be a lamb that hides among the
flock. But don't be a foghorn in the dead of night either. Choose to be
interesting vs. odd. Know what makes you unique and put it to good use. Don't
hide from your talents, even if they're unusual. Find a way to make your innate
weirdness work to your advantage. Avoid being bland.
5. Have a cause.
If you don’t give a damn about anything, no one
will give a damn about you. (Jessica Hagy, 2012)
Applying it at work:
Work is often seen as a necessary evil.
It's easy to save our "caring" for life outside of work. Here's the
thing. It's really unappealing to spend time with people who don't care
about their jobs. You don't have to be a crusader for your company. But care
about something. To "have a cause" at work, care about what matters. Be informed about your
company, your clients, and your role. Find a way to make a difference by
standing for something. Anything. Provide great customer service, push for more
flexibility for yourself and your peers, or provide input for product improvements.
Whatever it is, care about something or you risk being terribly uninteresting.
Avoid apathy.
6. Minimize the
swagger.
Egos get in the way of ideas. If your arrogance
is more obvious than your expertise, you are someone other people
avoid. (Jessica Hagy, 2012)
Applying
it at work:
There's a big difference between confidence and arrogance.
There's a more nuanced, but equally important, difference between being
assertive and being aggressive. These differences become apparent to us by
watching others. There's value in knowing, with total clarity, the tipping
point between too much and just right. To "minimize the swagger" at
work, start by being known for your performance vs. your personality. Keep your
ego in check, even if others feed it. When you're at your very best, show humility. Don't let
your ego come out to play at work. People will think you're an ass. And for
good reason. You'll be acting like one. Avoid ego.
7. Give it a shot.
Try it out. Play around with a new idea. Do
something strange. If you never leave your comfort zone, you won’t
grow. (Jessica Hagy, 2012)
Applying
it at work:
Opportunities abound to take chances in the workplace. Most
people don't take them. It normally comes down to a split second decision.
Trying something new creates more work, which is the last thing anyone wants.
We fear failure or exposure. To "give it a shot" at work, challenge
yourself to try something you haven't tried before. Present one idea to make
the business better or improve the work environment. Be willing to risk
rejection or potential failure. Start small and work toward higher stakes over
time. Just start. Avoid complacency.
8.
Hop off the bandwagon.
If everyone else is doing it, you’re already late
to the party. Do your own thing, and others will hop onto the spiffy
wagon you built yourself. Besides, it’s more fun to drive than it is to get
pulled around. (Jessica Hagy, 2012)
Applying
it at work:
It's challenging to lead the way vs. follow at work,
especially if you aren't the "designated" leader. Sometimes we simply
can't step out in front given the constraints of our job. Other times, we don't
feel that it's our place to veer from the established course. To "hop off
the bandwagon" at work, innovate in whatever way you can. Improve something.
Be an agent for change when something can be done smarter, better, or
faster. Most good ideas in business don't come from management. Innovation is
almost always bourn from someone who's following a process or using a product
that isn't as good as it could be. Don't go along with the status quo if
something could be better. Be the person who leaves it better than you found
it. Avoid sameness.
9. Grow a pair.
Bravery
is needed to have contrary opinions and to take unexpected paths. If you’re not
courageous, you’re going to be hanging around the water cooler, talking about
the guy who actually is. (Jessica Hagy, 2012)
Applying it at work:
Being courageous in the workplace requires
you to stand up to potential judgment and risk failure. It can be intimidating.
The key is to use discrimination as to when to be courageous. We need to be
both courageous and smart, to put the odds of a positive result in our corner.
To "grow a pair" at work, choose distinct opportunities to be
courageous. Bring knowledge, intellect, and a good plan to the table every
time. Bravery in the workplace only counts if you push to create better
outcomes than would otherwise happen. Grandstanding, solely for the sake of
praise or recognition, doesn't win the day. See #6 above. Be brave when you
have a chance to make things better. Avoid fear, uncertainty and doubt.
10. Ignore the scolds.
Boring is safe,
and you will be told to behave yourself. The scolds could have, would have, should
have. But they didn’t. And they resent you for your adventures. (Jessica
Hagy, 2012)
Applying it at work:
In
many work environments, conformity reigns. Appearances and optics rule the day.
Sometimes when we're different or we take chances, we make others
uncomfortable. To "ignore the scolds" at work, learn how to push
boundaries within tolerable levels. Approach your work with a sense of
adventure and risk that comes with wanting to do better. Just know that you may
stir a hornet's nest by pushing for improvements, highlighting needed changes,
or challenging others to do the right thing. Others may find you
"too" bold. People may wish you'd just get in line and stay the
course. Work at fitting in, but only to a degree. A little rebellion and
challenge is good within every organization. As long as your intentions are
positive and your approach is respectful, shake it up. Avoid peer pressure to
conform.
The Bottom Line
There's
a lot to be said for being predictable, reliable, and safe. These traits keep
the world functioning on a day-to-day basis in many regards. The challenge is
that neither individuals or businesses evolve when these traits are predominant
over time. There's nothing interesting about staying the course without
evolution of some kind.
The world needs innovators, courageous seekers of
knowledge, and those who are willing to risk failure and ridicule. Someone
has to explore and discover, bring a unique perspective, take chances, and push
for causes that matter. Why not be one of these people, to whatever degree you
can?
It's a worthy cause just to be "interesting" in life. It's
healthy to step out of our comfort zone every now and then, to see the world
around us with fresh eyes. Others will view us with new perspective as a
result.
It's an equally worthy cause to be "interesting" at work. We
become stale if we don't stretch our capabilities and contributions. Risk is
invigorating for individuals and organizations. Without risk, nothing new, fresh
or exciting can develop. Without evolution and transformation, we become less
interesting. Our likelihood of success in the workplace wanes.
Be
interesting - and successful - by changing it up at work. Explore. Try
something new. Be brave. Stand up for what matters. See if you can move from a
simple idea to a better result, just by taking a chance.
Once you get started,
you may find there's no turning back.
More soon,
Lisa
