*Post written by Franklin Valadares, CTO and co-founder of Runrun.it, on Linkedin
- Understand the formula for generating value for your business. Every company has a process of lead generation, made to promote interest in its products or services, to sell, retain and increase revenue with existing customers. Invest your time to better understand this model. It will become easier to deliver value, which is the only reason you are employed.
- Make yourself sure that your work is measurable. Even if you are a young, creative adult, who believes in a free work culture, remember that someone is paying you to deliver something. Delivery volume helps bring value and visibility. If you are in sales, congratulations, your work is measured.
- Formalize decisions. By e-mail, spreadsheets, or through a platform dedicated to work management such as Runrun.it, decisions need to be engraved in stone. Down the line, when someone claims something is inconsistent, it’s good to have a history of what has been decided, and what the reason for your actions were. With this it becomes much easier to show the before and after picture.
- Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Be afraid of making mistakes all the time. The most important factor in any professional process is to do things right more often than not. Create documents, wikis, blogs etc. to record processes and previous learnings. You or someone on your team may come across the same problems in the future. The company needs to have documented lessons learned, and you are an important part of this process.
- Forget motivation. Focus on discipline. You already have motivation! Simply think why you are in the company today. Is it money? Career? To learn new skillsets? If your dream is to not be there, think of where you would like to be (Even if it’s within the same company). Write it down and put a date within the realm of possibility. Now you’re good to go, you now have a plan on how to get there. Now, focus on self-discipline to advance your plan.
- Make a list of skill for which to invest your free time. Yes, your free time. Some companies invest in their employee´s education. But, these are skills that the company finds essential for your actual job. Not the ones that you will need to get to your objective outlined in the previous item.
- Forget the social celebrities and “stage entrepreneurs”. Use all your free time investing in the skills listed in the previous item. Stop believing everything you see on the internet. Content marketing is just that, marketing. Content is something else. You need to understand that there are many people trying to make money by spreading fibs around.
- Last and most importantly: Working is hard work. No pain, No gain! But, don’t forget to enjoy your family and your friends. After all, we work to construct amazing things, make money and spend time with the people we love.
