Lately I’ve been working on new project meetings every day. At the moment, my company is transforming its existing business to adapt the after-Covid environment while continuing to lay the groundwork for new business. I’ve had meetings with a lot of people, and there’s one thing in common among those whom I feel, “I want to work with that person again.”
Suppose that all the companies have been dissolved now and all of us have started to create another company or project. I think there is a “person who will be the first to be chosen” at that time. No matter how bad the recession is, there is always someone who is recognized as “I definitely want this person on the team.” Such a person would never be in trouble for a job even if the company started restructuring. We should pursue to become such a person. Personally, I think that those ”selected people have following elements in common.
(1) People with noticeable strength
A person whose strengths are evident. Someone who can analyze the data. Someone who can design. Someone who is good at languages, to name just a few. People who have strengths that are easy to understand are more likely to be remembered by others. The so-called “all-arounder” is very useful, but on the other hand, your strengths could be blurred. If you think you’re an all-arounder, I’d encourage you to verbalize what makes you strong. It would be good to raise the resolution of your strengths, such as “Good at project management” or “I can take care of all the paperwork”, and to be able to clearly identify them and explain them to others.
2) People who can make numbers
If it’s B2B business, the most essential activity is to be able to create customers; if it’s B2C business, you need to be strong in marketing and be able to create market awareness. The sense of trust that “if I work with this person, our team is going to make money” is huge, which will be the key factor to be chosen to a team. Incidentally, I believe that this is a necessary condition for starting a business, and people who have this element often manage to get by even after starting a business.
(3) People who are fast in action.
If I propose an idea to these people, they would say swiftly “Okay, let’s do a meeting! When do you want to do it?” Those who will immediately give us output, saying, “I’ve tried to make a little something.” A person like this is an invaluable resource that enhances the overall quality of a project.
4) People who can bring something new
Someone who always has good antennae and is hungry for new information, like, “Oh, I know this tool is in trend nowadays,” or “I’ve been using that service so much lately that I thought it was interesting.” People like that bring a new perspective to the team. This includes studious people who often read books and bring wisdom to those around them.
(5) A person who is positive and energetic.
Someone who gives you positive energy when things get tough or projects get tough. Since a business is a group of people, people want to be on the team when they are energized. This is not just a mental argument. When you bring a positive perspective to a situation that looks negative, you can actually see the light and take it one more step further, which will lead to better results. Being energetic is also a sign of strong commitment.
Above, I’ve listed about five points. Of course, there may be others. You don’t have to have all of these things, so I think it would be good if you could prepare yourself for at least one of them and be aware of it.
Once you’ve worked with them with these kinds of person, you will say, “I’d love to work with you again!” Then I often have the feeling of going to send him a call by saying, “Let’s work together someday.”
Since “working together” is a two-way choice, in order to get love calls answered, you have to equip yourself with a few of these things and make an effort to keep people wanting to work with you.
It is going to be an increasingly “turbulent” era. There will be more layoffs and job changes, and new projects will be launched. In this situation, I think it is very important in your career to be able to become a person whom people think about, “I want that person to be on my team.”