Surprise

PLUS: How owls lower our stress

October 22, 2024

For the next 5 minutes, let’s elevate your career.

In today’s email:

  • Your power to surprise when you have been underestimated

  • Three simple writing hacks

  • What value do you want from this meeting?

  • How owls lower our stress

  • Serena Williams as career coach

ON YOUR CAREER

Your power to surprise

Nearly all of us have been underestimated at some time in our careers. It could be that we are junior, somebody else is taking credit for our accomplishments, or we are not working with our strengths. When expectations are modest, we have the opportunity to surprise.

You might seek cross-team projects where you can add value. Prepare a thoughtful contribution for a meeting where you are usually quiet. Share a spreadsheet that you built. All of us can change how we interact with our colleagues. We can use this power anytime.

COMMUNICATION

Three simple writing hacks

1. Kill adverbs:

❌ Actually, literally, totally, absolutely, really, very

An editor many years ago put a red line through each of my adverbs. He was correct to kill them. Writing seems clunky and less confident Adverbs can also become verbal tics, undermining our persuasiveness when we speak.

2. Limit jargon and acronyms:

❌ FWIW JA should hit-up ORC to deliver a KARMA check-in by EOD

✅ John would you ask Priyanka to email a brief update by 5pm?

Jargon and acronyms are slow to read. They lead to confusion and exclusion for people who are not familiar with all of them. Clear, plain words are easier to understand if we need to refer to them in the future.

3. Include short sentences:

❌ A sequence of long sentences with multiple clauses tests our attention

✅ Short sentences are easier to read and provide emphasis

Alternating long and short sentences delivers energy to our writing. It engages our audience.

PRODUCTIVITY

What value do you want from this meeting?

These two questions are essential to consider before you attend any significant meeting:

  1. What value will you try to give other participants?

  2. What value do you want to receive from other participants?

The value you give could include:

  • Succinct ideas and updates from your area of expertise

  • Listening to other speakers and exploring their ideas

  • Being collaborative, on-track, and action-oriented

The value you seek could include:

  • A 10% price discount from a supplier

  • A customer providing you a testimonial

  • Your manager approving your attendance at a conference

Too many meetings waste time and energy. Being value-centred in meetings is core to your productivity and that of your team.

1 MINUTE TO LOWER STRESS

Owls

Source: Temple Owls/GIPHY

My daughter and I often exchange Instagram reels of owls. Not the ones where they are hunting; instead, the ones where they are facing the camera. Their eyes are large and face forward. Like with human beings.

Looking at pictures of animals with large eyes can be calming. We may get a burst of the feel-good chemical oxytocin. A minute of watching an Instagram reel or YouTube video can return you to the zone of high performance in a stressful day.

GET SMARTER

Serena Williams

Serena Williams is a venture capitalist with a strong track record of identifying unicorns.

The majority of Williams’ portfolio comprises under-represented founders. She is inspired by founders who are solving problems close to their hearts.

Williams is also one of the greatest tennis players of all time. She won 23 Grand Slam women’s singles titles and was ranked number 1 for 319 weeks. Some of Williams’ wisdom:

It doesn’t matter what your background is or where you come from, if you have dreams and goals, that’s all that matters.

I really think a champion is defined not by their wins, but by how they can recover when they fall.

Being strong is never easy. Not in this world we are living in… Standing up for yourself is not going to be easy, but it’s always eventually respected.