"Just learn how to get stuff done. I’ve seen at every level people who are very good at describing problems, people who are very sophisticated in explaining why something went wrong or why...
"Just learn how to get stuff done. I’ve seen at every level people who are very good at describing problems, people who are very sophisticated in explaining why something went wrong or why something can’t get fixed.
But what I’m always looking for is, no matter how small the problem or how big it is, somebody who says, 'Let me take care of that.’
If you project an attitude of whatever it is that's needed, I can handle it and I can do it., whoever is running that organisation will notice, I promise.
And which is why I think with young people, you don't always need to be so impatient asking for the plum assignment. A lot of times the best way to get attention is whatever is assigned to you, you are just nailing. You’re killing it. Because people will notice, 'Oh, that's somebody who can get something done.'"
Ehh.... I think this has created a problem where the outward attitude is there... but not the skills. I know I'm personally very sour on "engineers" who very cheerfully announce they'll take care...
Ehh.... I think this has created a problem where the outward attitude is there... but not the skills. I know I'm personally very sour on "engineers" who very cheerfully announce they'll take care of that and then it's a lowly worker that has to actually do it, sometimes on the vaguest of descriptions.
Not even talking about stuff said engineer physically can't to - you need to know how to work/adjust machines, and sometimes the engineer that works on the design and whatnot doesn't have experience with the machines, which makes sense.
Just the general tactic of planning/promising something to the boss, telling the team "make it work" and fucking off for the afternoon/weekend... and of course the boss only really sees the actual workplaces once in a blue moon.
There is some nuance here that I feel like will get lost on some people. Frankly, that is also why I don't think celebrity quotes, even if they are ex-presidents, are all that valuable. They lack...
There is some nuance here that I feel like will get lost on some people. Frankly, that is also why I don't think celebrity quotes, even if they are ex-presidents, are all that valuable. They lack a lot of context to make it actually valuable advice. In fact, in its current iteration, it is pretty much fluff content in my book. It is akin to the sort of inspirational stuff for posters and bad room tiles. Maybe this was said as part of a larger interview where in context it is valuable. But as a stand alone bit of advice it isn't all that valuable, the obvious parts are obvious and the important bits don't contain the information need to turn this in something you can meaningfully apply.
So, what is the nuance that is missing, then? Well, it is that it glosses over the competence bit.
Just learn how to get stuff done.
This is very, very, very important in my opinion. However, it is also one of those meaningless things to say. "Just" as a word is a terrible invention. It's presence implies something is easy, something you... well... just ... do. But learning how to get stuff done in the most general sense of the word is incredibly difficult. Also, are we talking about "getting things done" through delegation or competence around the subject matter where something needs to be done? This one sentence does hide a wide array of prerequisites to make this advice actually helpful.
Not to mention that all too often I have seen people who do not know how to actually get "stuff" done and then go:
'Let me take care of that.’
But don't actually take care of it in a way that is productive, helpful, or simply in a way that creates problems down the line.
Initially they often get high praises indeed, but they are also the sort of folks who are the first to let go down the line as it becomes clear that they are in fact not taking care of it.
Lastly, for managers (and a president is the ultimate form of a manager) people that identify problems are indeed annoying. But without people identifying problems you also don't need people that "get stuff done" as there would seemingly nothing to be done.
"Just learn how to get stuff done. I’ve seen at every level people who are very good at describing problems, people who are very sophisticated in explaining why something went wrong or why something can’t get fixed.
But what I’m always looking for is, no matter how small the problem or how big it is, somebody who says, 'Let me take care of that.’
If you project an attitude of whatever it is that's needed, I can handle it and I can do it., whoever is running that organisation will notice, I promise.
And which is why I think with young people, you don't always need to be so impatient asking for the plum assignment. A lot of times the best way to get attention is whatever is assigned to you, you are just nailing. You’re killing it. Because people will notice, 'Oh, that's somebody who can get something done.'"
Obama
Ehh.... I think this has created a problem where the outward attitude is there... but not the skills. I know I'm personally very sour on "engineers" who very cheerfully announce they'll take care of that and then it's a lowly worker that has to actually do it, sometimes on the vaguest of descriptions.
Not even talking about stuff said engineer physically can't to - you need to know how to work/adjust machines, and sometimes the engineer that works on the design and whatnot doesn't have experience with the machines, which makes sense.
Just the general tactic of planning/promising something to the boss, telling the team "make it work" and fucking off for the afternoon/weekend... and of course the boss only really sees the actual workplaces once in a blue moon.
There is some nuance here that I feel like will get lost on some people. Frankly, that is also why I don't think celebrity quotes, even if they are ex-presidents, are all that valuable. They lack a lot of context to make it actually valuable advice. In fact, in its current iteration, it is pretty much fluff content in my book. It is akin to the sort of inspirational stuff for posters and bad room tiles. Maybe this was said as part of a larger interview where in context it is valuable. But as a stand alone bit of advice it isn't all that valuable, the obvious parts are obvious and the important bits don't contain the information need to turn this in something you can meaningfully apply.
So, what is the nuance that is missing, then? Well, it is that it glosses over the competence bit.
This is very, very, very important in my opinion. However, it is also one of those meaningless things to say. "Just" as a word is a terrible invention. It's presence implies something is easy, something you... well... just ... do. But learning how to get stuff done in the most general sense of the word is incredibly difficult. Also, are we talking about "getting things done" through delegation or competence around the subject matter where something needs to be done? This one sentence does hide a wide array of prerequisites to make this advice actually helpful.
Not to mention that all too often I have seen people who do not know how to actually get "stuff" done and then go:
But don't actually take care of it in a way that is productive, helpful, or simply in a way that creates problems down the line.
Initially they often get high praises indeed, but they are also the sort of folks who are the first to let go down the line as it becomes clear that they are in fact not taking care of it.
Lastly, for managers (and a president is the ultimate form of a manager) people that identify problems are indeed annoying. But without people identifying problems you also don't need people that "get stuff done" as there would seemingly nothing to be done.