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The ABC Of Success At Work

Forbes Human Resources Council
POST WRITTEN BY
Sudhir Singh

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Success has never been formulaic, and there seems to be a long list of factors that influence it. Can there be an easier framework to follow in helping us be successful? After observing people and organizations closely for over 20 years, I developed this recipe — what I call the ABC of Success at Work.

A: Adequacy

The feeling of adequacy comes from the clarity on the expected outcomes and sustained confidence that they can be achieved.

Engaging with supervisors and key stakeholders to establish goals that are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) objectives is the important first step. Continuous dialogue and feedback will keep the objectives up to date amid changes.

It is a no-brainer that skills are the primary requirement to deliver on objectives and feel adequate. One must have the technical, functional and behavioral skills to carry out the job successfully. In addition, the necessary tools to accomplish the tasks must be available.

The most ignored and undervalued aspect is health. In many cases, the sense of adequacy gets compromised due to health issues. Health isn’t limited to just physical; it is a summation of physiological, emotional, social and financial health. Lack of any could lead to disruption and distractions, eventually impacting the adequacy and therefore the outcomes.

Adequacy = clarity on outcomes + confidence of achievement (as a result of skills, tools and health).

B: Belonging

One’s values, beliefs and behaviors must be aligned with people on the team and in the organization to create a sense of belonging. Acceptance and inclusion are needed there if alignment is missing in some areas.

It is difficult to perform in an environment that appears alien. Polarization and politicization are natural outcomes. Too much energy is spent on avoiding or countering alienation.

It is most relevant to track this aspect when one joins a new team or organization. The level of belonging is generally low at the start, improving quickly in most cases or dropping sharply if misalignment occurs. Going through major change at work or in life can also impact values, beliefs and behaviors, thus impacting the sense of belonging.

Belonging = appreciation and acceptance (of one’s values, beliefs and behaviors).

C: Cared For

People feel cared for when their supervisor is sensitive to their biggest needs and worst fears. The feeling is bolstered when they see the supervisor and other leaders helping them meet these needs and alleviate the fears.

Errors and mistakes are bound to happen at work. It can be difficult to survive if the supervisor’s sponsorship is missing. Risk-taking ability and creativity are greatly impacted in the absence of sponsorship.

Recognition is another important aspect of feeling cared for. It is not as much about being rewarded or receiving awards as it is about the authentication of one’s existence and substantiality by the supervisor, team and key stakeholders.

Cared for = sensitivity (toward biggest needs and worst fears) + sponsorship + recognition.

These ingredients have two sides to the coin: the incumbent and the environment. There is a constant interaction between the two. A positive relationship and reinforcement lead to an upward spiral, and vice versa to a downward spiral. For example, if one is feeling good about a delivery but receives adverse feedback from the environment, it reduces the sense of achievement, thus having a negative impact on their sense of adequacy.

Leaders can also apply the ABC of Success framework as a proactive and preventative mechanism. Maintain awareness by periodically examining the state of adequacy, belonging and feeling cared for among your team members and yourself. Always take two points of view: the incumbent’s and the environment’s. Ask the following questions, looking for negative or ambiguous responses and act accordingly.

• Are they clear on what must be achieved and why it must be achieved?

• Are they skilled to deliver the outcomes?

• Do they have the required tools?

• Are they feeling healthy — physiologically, emotionally, socially and financially?

• Are the people they interact with excited about working together?

• Does the supervisor care for their biggest needs and worst fears?

• Do they have the supervisor’s sponsorship?

• Does the supervisor value their contributions?

Next time you come across a situation where you find yourself or someone in your organization going downhill on performance or engagement, try putting the ABC framework to use. Look at what has changed recently and how the change is impacting the sense of adequacy, belonging and being cared for. Press specific levers and take pointed actions to get things back on track quickly. They move fast when the direction is downhill, so the speed of action is as important as the accuracy of diagnosis. A situation never improves on its own, and delay makes it more painful for everyone.

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