Managing your
sense of perfection can be very helpful not only in the workplace, but in your
personal life as well. Many times, when
tasked with an assignment or project, it is not the task itself that appears to
be overwhelming, but the anticipation and stress of delivering a perfect
product. While you should always aim to exceed expectations, there may be times
when your own personal standards are getting in the way. Oftentimes it can be difficult to
differentiate between what is actually required and your expectations of that requirement. There are a few ways to
ensure that you meet your mark, save time and shine in the process and the
following are a few ideas:
Know what is needed. When you are initially given an assignment, your
first instinct is to envision what you think would be the perfect deliverable. But
if you step back and look at what exactly is being asked, you may find that your
vision does not quite align with the main idea or purpose. Look at the
assignment with an objective eye and focus efforts on exactly what the tasker or manager is asking for.
Know your audience. When working on any assignment it is always
best to know your audience. If a
presentation is for your manager or supervisor, try and get a good "read” as to
what they want the final product to look like and what information they want it
to contain. Also consider their work style. It is better to deliver a product that complements their methods and
approach rather than to give them a final product with additional data that
they have no need or use for.
Don’t be afraid to delegate. One way to work more productively
is to delegate a piece of a project or task to a member of your team. When you
request a colleague’s assistance with an area of their expertise, it can
enhance the quality of the final product.
Show a personal side. When putting together any project, there are
always opportunities to incorporate individual style and flair. For example, when giving a presentation, it
is completely appropriate to open with an ice breaker or anecdote that
highlights your individual panache and creativity— provided that the rest of
the presentation meets and addresses all areas of the initial assignment.
Be gentle with yourself. If your project or task gets bounced back to
you for changes, do not take it personally. Sometimes plans and directions
change and do not reflect the quality of the project. Keep an open mind and
make those revisions.
ASK A MENTOR
Many
mentors have had to juggle multiple projects with varying degrees of complexity
over the years. As such, they have learned to discern and manage priorities and
deliver a quality product. The next time you are feeling overwhelmed or
challenged to deliver that perfect project, presentation or deliverable, plan
to discuss the following with your mentor:
What elements of the project appear to be the
most overwhelming? Why?
Do you keep with what the tasker manager is
asking for?
Do you think additional elements
should be added?
Do you want to add more than what
is being asked for?
Do you meet the need or your expectation of
that need?
How can you add that small individual piece
that complements the assignment without overwhelming it?
Are you over-critical of yourself? Are you too
sensitive to feedback about your work?
How
can you step back and look at the feedback objectively?
