17.08.2024 Today’s Insights from Inc.com – Do the “Worst [Part] First!”
![17.08.2024 Today’s Insights from Inc.com – Do the “Worst [Part] First!”](https://www.mciworldwide.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Slide1-19-400x225.jpg)
Dear Students,
Throwing out a few business buzz-worthy terms to you today: “Try for quick wins” and “Go for the low-hanging fruit!” Their purpose? Such aphorisms encourage ambitious international students like you to begin a challenging process or project by completing an easily-executed task, to sense those “feel-good” endorphins flowing before plunging full-on into a longer-term, complex, potentially more difficult effort.
As Jeff Haden, Inc.’s most popular columnist argues, though, such “tick-off-the-box” items on a potentially-long initiative to-do list may actually distract candidates like you and your friends from where your real effort should lie – and from endeavoring to go where the fruit is, metaphorically speaking, even more delicious, further out on the tree (or deeper into your efforts).
Is it fun to jump right into the hard(est) parts of the job search process, for example, to learn how to network, build relationships with strangers and go to events to meet industry professionals? Isn’t it easier to simply hit “Apply” to a bunch of roles on Indeed?
While the latter may be true, undertaking the most significant, if thorny parts first reflects key power skills that aspiring talent (yes, you!) must learn if you want to build a successful, progressive global career, including competencies like strategic planning, analytical skills, organizational skills, time management, critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, stress management and resilience, just to name a few. And, if an initiative involves working with others, young professionals like you and your classmates should prepare, through coaching, for also mastering conflict management, using influencing skills, building listening skills, learning persuasion, managing expectations, negotiation and a host of others.
As a long-term mentor of mine used to say, “I take my hits on the front end.” Meaning, tackle the most important, messiest challenges in a project first, bringing the most value, after which, subsequent steps may well be clearer and/or smoother. When raising my kids, I phrased a similar point in a sillier way: “Done then fun.” The message is the same – as Haden puts in, “Solve for the monkey first.”
Let’s hope there aren’t too many monkeys in your weekend, though!
Best,
Amy-Louise