How to be happy at work and make great things

Here are a few thoughts I have had on how to get the most out of your work experience. If you have anything you would like to add, let me know in the comments!

• Values are more than just a corporate poster. It’s something that you can believe in. Work (and Life) are more meaningful if you believe in what you are doing all day. Find a way to make it meaningful to you and you will be happier and better at what you do.
• Life is too short for making crap. if you are going to spend your precious time making something, do it well! The success of a company depends on everyone not just doing what they need to do, but going above and beyond to make it excellent.
• Be yourself. Find what you can uniquely bring to your company with passion and bring it! It doesn’t necessarily have to be your primary function, just find a way to involve the essence of you in what you are doing there. There is nobody that can be as good a you as you. You are the best one in the world.
• Don’t cut corners on hiring. Hire the best and then support them and success will follow. Rest assured that you are here because you are the best.
• Connect with each other. Communication is one of the biggest challenges that any company faces. Always look for opportunities not only to talk about projects but to connect as people. You are there every day with each other. Be there with people you respect and enjoy because you have made an effort to really get to know them. This is where genuine culture comes from. The only ingredient in the recipe for Great culture is you.
• Involve creativity in whatever you are doing. Great HR involves great creativity. Great programming involves great creativity. Accounting with creativity finds where the company can save hundreds of thousands of dollars. Have a strong point of view, but being open in your thinking at the right times can bring things to the next level.
• Be humble and don’t play politics. Lift each other up. Be careful not to fall into a culture where everyone is competing over accomplishments. Not everybody is great at selling themselves and it doesn’t mean that they aren’t valuable and doing amazing things.
• Pay attention. All systems are interconnected. What will effect another department will eventually effect you.
• Be honest from the bottom up and the top down. When you find yourself being less than truthful, really think about why and whether that’s really the right course in the long run. It may sometimes be harder, but systems based on a foundation of honesty are one million times more stable than systems based on what you think people want to hear. When you can trust each other everything is easier. I begin every new management relationship with a conversation regarding this.
• Nothing great was ever made alone. All great ideas arise from conversations or from one person being inspired by another. We need each other to make great things. Value each other’s ideas and different perspectives. Be open to inspiration from each other.
• Make time to experiment and explore. The world will not stop changing, do not let it leave you behind.
• Do not be a slave to process. Process is a valuable tool, but it is only a tool. Keep your eyes on the piece of wood in your hands, not on the lathe. If you need to finish it with a chisel, that is ok.
• Be patient. Nothing is ever perfect right out of the gate. There will be a lot of back and forth and conversations and it will take some time. Don’t be precious about things, it’s better to make things right.
• Keep the big picture in mind. Reserve some time to put things in perspective at least once a week.
• Take initiative, figure things out and get things done. You don’t always have to wait for everything to be completely spelled out before you proceed with something. This doesn’t mean don’t communicate, it means don’t let everything be a roadblock.