Work that is ninety percent finished has delivered nothing. The last stretch is where reputations are made, because it is the part most people skip.
Check it against what was asked. Go back to the original request. People drift while working and deliver something adjacent to the request rather than the request itself.
Tell the people who need to know. Work nobody knows is finished is work that is not finished, as far as everyone else is concerned.
Leave it usable by someone else. Files named sensibly, in a place others can find. You will be asked about it in three months and you will not remember.
Write down what you would do differently. Five minutes now, and it is worth a great deal next time.
You finish a task on Thursday.
What happens: Nobody knows it is done, so your manager still counts it as outstanding and possibly chases you for it on Friday.
What happens: It is now closed in everyone's mind. Over a year, this one habit changes how reliable people believe you to be.
What if I am not sure it is finished?
Ask, specifically. "I have done these three things. Is there anything else before I call this done?" That is a much better question than a general is this alright, and it takes one message.
Nobody thanked me and it feels like it did not count
That is common, and it is usually about how busy people are rather than about your work. Keep your own record of what you finished, because you will need it at review time, in an interview, and on the days when it feels like nothing you do is noticed. Nobody else is keeping that list for you.
Before you move on
- Check the result against the original request
- Tell people it is done and where it is
- Keep your own record of what you finished
Check what you know
3 questions. Have a look at what this lesson asks.
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