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 My
brain is so cluttered that no matter how good an idea I have, if
it's more than a mouthful long, I'll probably forget it. In case
any of you are like me, here are my favorite work-related things
you can say in three seconds or less.
For job seekers
Imagine a respected friend told you about a great employee who would
soon be available. If you were an employer, mightn't you interview
him? So, in your job search, ask every well-connected person you
know, "Would you tell a few people I'm available?"
In an interview, tell a prospective
employer: "Here are my strengths and here are my weaknesses.
(List them.) Should I be working here?" The wrong employer
will say "no." The right one will say "yes."
If you'd really like to land a particular job, don't
be afraid to use such emotional sentences as, "I love the idea
of working for you." Or, "I'm really excited at the prospect
of working here."
In a negotiation, say, "Here are my non-negotiables."
You're more likely to get what you want if you ask for it straight
up.
For everyone
Often, people work diligently on the things that aren't the most
important. So, when in doubt, ask yourself or your boss, "What's
the top priority?"
The best time-saving tip I can give you is to always
ask yourself: What's the most time-effective way to do this? Perhaps
you can take a shortcut that wouldn't matter much, or decide to
spend less time on the fun but nonessential part, or find someone
to help you with the hard part. If you don't know the most time-effective
way, ask someone.
Ask for what you want: "I'd really like. ..."
You probably can survive a "no" unless you were doing
poorly on a job and decided to ask for a raise. That could get you
fired.
Whether you're employed by others or self-employed,
you have customers. Put yourself in their shoes by asking yourself,
"What do my customers really want?" If you don't know,
ask them.
So often, we proceed in blithe oblivion to our failings.
So ask respected people to give you some honest feedback.
Everyone loves to be asked, "What do you think?"
Here's a variation to use in a meeting, "Having listened to
all of you, I'm wondering whether (insert your idea). What do you
think?"
"What would Jesus do?" (Feel free to insert
Moses, Mohammed, Buddha, the wise secular humanist, etc.) So often,
we are tempted to do the unethical thing. Or we aren't even sure
what is the right thing to do. You could do worse than to use any
of the above as a consultant.
"I really appreciate that." Telling that
to someone is great. Even better, put it in a handwritten note.
So many women have a thing about shoes. So, especially
right before you're asking something of a woman who wears nice shoes,
it couldn't hurt to say, "Great shoes!"
When you're criticized or fired, it's easy to get
furious and then curl up in a ball and cry. If you can muster the
courage, channel any anger into, "I'll show him!"
I've found myself, in a number of work interactions,
feeling a close bond with a person, purely platonic. I've found
that saying "I love you," even abetted with a platonic
hug can be wonderful for both parties. If you're worried about a
sexual harassment suit, offer a clarifier, something like, "Of
course, I don't mean this in an inappropriate way, but I love you."
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