Think Your Way Out of the Pile

No one wants to feel "invisible" in life, yet we often let others see us as little more than a statistic, especially when working in a large company or sector, like BPO Philippines. 

Referred easily as 'applicants', 'employees', or 'human resources', our individual personalities are being buried into 'a pile' of numbers, labels and data.

Most people go into the pile, doing what’s asked of them but not much more.


To elevate yourself in the eyes of others, especially by your boss, and get out of the pile is to go above and beyond expectations whenever you’re asked a question or given a task to do.

And THINKING can be an important step to delivering beyond expectations. Here are some practical steps to help you think your way to the top.


DISCONNECT, TO THINK

The first step to getting out of the pile is to disconnect.

You have to get away from the daily barrage of requirements and information by retreating to a space free of interruptions.

Scheduling time to think will help you gain perspective in order to work smarter with more strategy.


SHAPE YOUR THOUGHTS

Firstly, our thoughts initially are unclear.  In their infancy most ideas are fuzzy, flabby, and fanciful.  Challenge yourself to build up your ideas into distinct concepts which you can plainly communicate to others.

Secondly, concepts, to be useful, must undergo tests of practicality, to tighten them up and to get them into shape of possibility.

Mold your concepts with these questions.
• Does the idea proceed from reliable assumptions?
• Does the idea align with the values and vision of the organization?
• Does the idea make sense given the structure and strengths of the organization?
• How would the idea actually take shape in your organization?
• What would it cost to pursue?
• How long would it take to make this happen?


STRETCH YOUR IDEAS

Stretch your ideas and concepts to their full potential by sharing with a select group of trusted, creative and intelligent people who can best advise how to achieve the concept's full potential.


GET YOUR IDEAS SUPPORT

An idea must come into a concrete existence to make an impact.
To give it a solid foundation, the concrete concept must be shared to convince and gain the support of key decision-makers and communicating clearly with those most likely to be affected by the idea’s implementation.


START YOUR IDEAS SMALL

Test your idea on a small scale can expose its weaknesses before a major launch.  Sometimes the flaws are fixable, and the idea can be reworked.

A trial run confirms that an idea which sounds impressive can actually withstand the challenges of in the real-world of BPO Philippines.

Source: 

Maxwell, John. "Thinking your way to the top"
31 March 2012. Philippine Daily Inquirer
Accessed 2 April 2012. Link here.