4 ways to strengthen your workplace bravery
Oh man have I been punishing myself lately! I have sinned against my basic "rules of engagement" at work. I have been through a demanding period of "mid project blues". It's the worst!
For me this happens when projects are well underway and my initial passion cools. This time it happened to a couple of projects at the same time. This is when I am most vulnerable. This is when selfdoubt and anxiety sets in. My usual strength in maintaining my OWN way of working, the way that I know creates value, the way that works, this strength is weakened. For me this is a humbling experience.
In times like this, I have to remember myself of the importance of workplace bravery, if you want to create something out of the ordinary. Here are my 4 basic rules of bravery.
- Preserve and build your fire! Losing your passion is the sure killer of your projects. So it's vital to let this fire burn. Take a break. Get out and relax before you succumb to the pressure, and lose interest in what you're doing. Your project won't suffer because you take a couple of easy days. It WILL suffer if you burn out.
- Act like the rules doesn't apply to you. You can drive yourself nuts trying to navigate corporate policies, when struggling to do something new. The best tip I know is to act like there's special rule-exceptions just for you. People around you will tend to accept this if you do it with a straight face.
- Stop mirroring your colleagues. Keep doing something that stands out. Work differently. Present differently. Find information differently. It'll make you valuable because it makes you unique.
- Check to see if your work is appreciated by your main sponsor frequently. This is of course pretty important. Acting after own tune is near-impossible to keep up if your not confident in your own worth. So seek feedback regularly. You'll often be amazed how much your boss appreciates you.
- Jens Poder
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Hi Jens
Great advice thanks, I too need to rekindle my workfire BIG TIME. Will start right now :-)
Best/Rasmus