I’ve been reading a great personal finance blog lately called Get Rich Slowly. It’s full of useful and interesting tips, and has an active community of readers.
While browsing some archives via my feed reader the other day, one of the entries from back in May 2006 that really struck a chord with me is one that’s not even specific to personal finance, but is a practice at the core of a successful career and personal life — something I’ve always aimed to have myself — responsiveness.
Get Rich Slowly | The Secret of My Success:
Your actions affect how other people see you. If you’re unresponsive, people will look for other ways to get their job done. If you’re an unresponsive salesman, your customers will call somebody else. If you’re an unresponsive manager, your employees will work around you, not with you. But if people know they can count on you, they’ll seek your assistance in the future, and you’ll be rewarded with increased reputation and responsibility.
J.D. then quotes Michael Hyatt’s “What’s the secret of your success?†(as he does throughout the post):
The truth is, you are building your reputation — your brand — one response at a time…You can’t afford to be unresponsive. It is a career-killer. My basic rule is this: respond immediately unless there is a good reason to wait.
Words to live by. Factor in the methods learned in books like Getting Things Done and you’ll succeed in everything you do.
1 response so far ↓
1 Dan // Dec 22, 2006 at 3:04 pm
I have been having some problems at work lately and the comments on unresponsiveness explain a lot – but I’ve been so burned out that I have almost chosen to be unresponsive. I do have that book “Getting Things Done” and read it years ago – maybe it’s time to read it again. The good news is that this week I have been feeling some of my funk going away and I have some energy to address some lingering issues. Thanks for the advice.