Jun 27th, 2024
Feature Article
Influence
Written by: David Stevens, Director of Business Development
Lessons that surround us.
As human beings, we are inherently susceptible to influence. Spend enough time around someone and you’re bound to pick up a quirk or two. Whether intentional or not, the way others act and respond to situations will inevitably impact our own actions down the road. Our habits and behaviors are ever evolving, molded by the influences around us.
It’s crazy to think that in just a couple of months I will have been with Clientek for 8 years… Beyond simply making me feel old, this realization has also prompted an introspective review of my growth over that time. My experiences at Clientek have instilled countless lessons in me that I will carry with me for the rest of my life, thanks largely to the incredible people I get the chance to work with each day.
Here some of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned over the last 7.83 years:
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Your time is your time.
Managing your schedule is entirely up to you. Learning to effectively communicate availability and capacity is crucial for achieving a sustainable work-life balance. People understand that you have other commitments. It is better to find a time that works for everyone than to stretch yourself so thin that you’re hardly present for the task at hand. -
What problem are you trying to solve?
This question gets a lot of mileage here at Clientek. While it might seem straightforward, pinpointing the real issue is often more challenging than it appears. Our instinct is to leap to solutions but understanding and addressing the core problem is crucial for success. I’ve found myself bringing this question home (much to my wife’s disdain) and have found that the results are remarkably effective in navigating our personal challenges and decisions. -
Executives are just people.
My role has granted me the opportunity to work closely with high-level executives, both within Clientek and with our clients. This experience has taught me that a title is just that, a title. No matter the size of the organization, C-suite and high-level VPs are all just people like you and me. Communicating and working with executives doesn’t require any special approach; it just requires you to be yourself. -
A well-informed response is better than a fast one.
As a millennial, I wrestle with the urge to respond to everything immediately. It has taken me some time, but I’ve come to realize this isn’t always the best approach. I’ve adopted a method in which I allow myself to respond right away, but only to acknowledge that I’ve received the message. This satisfies my need to rapidly address the notification bubble on my phone but also grants me the ability to dedicate an appropriate amount of time to drafting my response.
Having spent the better part of a decade influenced by the personalities here at Clientek, these lessons have profoundly shaped my behaviors, both personally and professionally. As I look forward to the future, I am grateful for the lessons I’ve learned and the continuous growth that Clientek has enabled.
Embrace your surroundings.
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