Hooked on Individual Performance - Issue 4

Why Being a Proven Performer is More Important Than Ever

Last week's Hooked explored company performance as a primary driver in attracting and retaining top talent. No longer can teams only throw money or the promise of great culture to seal the deal. In today’s strange, new world, it’s all about earning the right to say, “We not only survived...we thrived.” But how does individual talent play a role in this? We think this could be the most under-rated question of the new year.

What’s going on?
Just as some of the most innovative companies have been born out of massive market disruption, 2023 will be the year to make or break careers. There is no time like the present to lean into the challenge and perform under severe conditions and constraints to increase your personal value. Like it or not, the actions you take right now will shape the trajectory of your career.

Why does it matter?
If you’re still employed, you are under a ton of pressure and expectation to perform at a significantly higher level than anyone else who could have been in your role. That’s a powerful sentiment. The actions you take today will set you apart as a known performer. Every company is on a flight to efficiency. Whether that efficiency is delivered through customer satisfaction and retention, increasing and converting leads, or other areas of the business that need optimizing, now is the time to seek out and execute. Solving critical path areas will create dual optionality for the company and you.

What do others think?

“Right now at your startup, you should be in exploratory mode. Connect with every area of the business and identify the things that matter. You have access to founders. Ask what's keeping them up at night. Trust me, they will let you know. Learn, build a plan, execute, and measure results. Your leaders value colleagues who take ownership, execute, and show they care deeply." - Jessica Nguyen, Chief Legal Officer, Lexion

What do we think?
This is a once in a lifetime career opportunity to hit the ball out of the park and be known as someone who can perform under the conditions that really matter. This will create tremendous downstream negotiating power for you to leverage in the years ahead. Get off the bench. Make a name for yourself. Compound your value and go build the next game-changing business or disruptive product.

What do YOU think?

Take Action:

• Take a good, hard look at your current situation. Are you in position to make an outsized impact under the current conditions and constraints? Identify problems that make you vital to the business and map out what a 5-10x performance looks like against these problems. Push. Execute. Make progress every day.

• If you are a founder or startup leader, give people the opportunity to make meaningful impact and shine. This will help the business thrive and enable talent to create value in a way that benefits their careers.

Tools, Events, Insights
Career Tuneup —> Flip the Script - Take Control, LinkedIn Tips and Action Plan
Investment News —> DevZero
Hey! Entrepreneurs —> Take the Leap!
Up Your Communication Game —> Yoodli