8 Ways to Win at Work

Whining isn’t winning was a Twitter Hashtag that appeared this week after a 
couple of primaries didn’t go the way a certain politician wanted it to. This politician took to the airwaves and social media complaining that the system wasn’t fair. It was rigged against him and offered several other excuses. The reality is that the rules were in place and known by the candidates and their campaigns. This particular candidate thought he knew more and had a better way to win. The others  played by the rules and won and lost without much fanfare or noise.

What is your reaction when you lose? By losing, I mean, don’t meet a deadline, a project isn’t successful, a conversation doesn’t go the way you anticipated or something doesn’t work out the way you anticipated. Do you whine, take responsibility or ignore it and hope no one notices? Did you know the rules or expectations at the onset? Did you ask anyone to clarify the expectations? Or did you just assume you knew and pushed forward?

A few weeks ago I wrote about being your authentic self. You can find it here. This follows that same thought line. Be you! Be the real, authentic you. When things don’t go your way, you don’t whine, you handle it with grace and style.  You want the reputation of being authentic, not a whiner. You want to be someone who others look up to. Whining and making excuses will not get you there.

What are some steps you can take to preempt yourself from not being in a position to whine and come out on top?

1. Know the rules of the game (yes, work and life is a game) and make sure your team knows the rules
2. Be clear on the outcome(s). Make sure everyone knows the outcome and has the same understanding of what the outcome is as you do
3. Have a plan. Make sure your team knows the plan. Again remove any ambiguity and make sure you are all moving in the same direction for the same outcome.
4. Ask for input and advice on the plan and outcomes from everyone and anyone who might remotely be involved.
5. Communicate consistently with the team and anyone or group that will have an impact on the project. This could include, boss, customer and anyone who remotely touches the project
6. Watch for changes along the way. Such as people, team, or resources that may impact the outcome.
7. When it’s successful give your team the credit and If it’s not successful, don’t whine!
8. Take responsibility, learn from it and move on.

 Bonus steps:

1. Take responsibility. Be the owner.
2. Conduct a lessons learned.
3. Understand what you will do differently next time

Remember whining is a reputation that is easily achievable but you really don’t want. It’s a label that will stay with you rightly or wrongly for a long time. People like leaders who take responsibility and give credit when and where credit is due. Be a winner not a whiner and you will gain more respect.

If you need help moving from whiner to winner, a coach can help. Contact us today for help moving from whiner to winner.

What steps have you taken with team members to move them forward?