No longer just taking orders
I think this people pleaser has come a long way 😌
In the past, whenever a team member asked me to do something, I dropped everything else and jumped to it. I thought such requests were a way to prove myself.
It didn’t help that I am a people pleaser. I needed and wanted and craved approval 🫠
But that’s changing.
Instead of saying yes to everything, I’ve started asking a lot of questions. I address some to myself and some to the people asking for my time.
Qs for team members asking me to do something
What is the priority of this request?
When do you want this done?
Could you explain the purpose of the project?
I heard you mention X. Would it be right to assume you’re trying to achieve Y?
What does this project entail?
Qs for myself
Do I have the capacity for this?
How does it map back to our marketing KRs?
Do we need to get this done now?
Am I the best person to do this?
Do I understand what this person wants to achieve?
I came up with these questions because I noticed that after skipping off to start an impromptu project, no questions asked, two things were likely to happen:
The person would be slightly confused when they learned that I had prioritized their requests because they didn’t expect me to get it done immediately
The person might have a totally different idea in mind from what I had gone on to do
These weren’t always the case but it happened enough times to make me rethink how I was approaching things.
My time at work is precious, and I have to protect it. While the people asking for things or suggesting ideas might mean no harm, it’s up to me to take the initiative to filter and prioritize my tasks.
Also I won’t become a valuable member of the team by doing everything but by doing the things that bring us closer to our goals 💰
Writing this made realize me that this mindset shift was important to help me move from being an order taker to an active participant in my own career.
I think this people-pleaser has come a long way 😌
If you always say yes to tasks and need to switch things up, feel free to use these questions too. Don’t forget to tweak them if needed.
Till next time 👋🏾
Here’s some unsolicited gist about my life 👇🏾
My entire team is jetting off to Italy for the team meetup while I keep refreshing my email to see if I got a visa. My initial application was rejected by France because they thought I wouldn’t come back home, and they mentioned some rubbish about not believing my documents were authentic. I’m really tired of being denied access to places because of where I was born.
After the visa rejection, I went into a consumerism mood and bought planes. It feels good to look at beautiful things thriving despite the chaotic and unfriendly environment we leave behind.
I met Tega Ethan and Dwin the Stoic IRL! Screams in fangirl 🤭🤭🤭🤭
I traveled to Lagos to attend my friend’s wedding. There’s something beautiful about watching your friends fall in love and commit to a significant other 🥰
I spoke on a panel on B2B marketing at the FCDC meetup in Abuja. Really glad to share my knowledge and learn from other marketers in our community.
