If you want better collaboration and meaningful career progression, start by understanding how you’re wired – and how others experience you.
A couple of years ago, I received strong feedback about the impact I sometimes left behind. I’ll be brutally honest here – it wasn’t always positive.
My work was excellent. Stakeholders valued my expertise. But some people still found me “too direct” or “too demanding.” Mostly people with a stronger focus on workplace harmony and relationships than on execution – and I didn’t always hide my frustration well.
Back then, I believed that excellent work would speak for itself. Well, it doesn’t.
I was surprised to learn that the very same people advanced in their careers so easily. Now I understand why: they invested heavily in networking. They weren’t more skilled. They didn’t deliver better results. People just liked them – and people naturally support, promote, and protect those they feel good around.
What shapes your career is what people say in the room when you’re not there – and they talk far more about how you made them feel than about KPIs or delivery.
So I started working on it. Today I pay attention to my tone. I try not to criticise. I don’t expect others to match the intensity or precision I naturally put into my work. I try to create ease in conversations – even when my to-do list is exploding. Still a work in progress. Quite much.
Last week, we had a great session delivered for the PMO team that made all of this even clearer. We used the Fascinate® assessment – a tool that would show how the world sees you.
My result: The Trendsetter (Innovation + Prestige) – someone who brings new ideas, thinks ahead, and raises the standard.
Seeing it mapped out so clearly made a lot of things click: what energises me, what frustrates me, and how I can show up with more intention.
According to the system, I’m at my best when I:
✅ bring a new perspective
✅ think ahead
✅ see patterns in the chaos
✅ elevate the work beyond where it started
And it confirmed what I’ve always known about myself:
✅ I naturally operate at a high standard
✅ I like things to be done exceptionally well
✅ I aim for clarity, precision, and quality – because I genuinely care about the outcome.
It’s a style that innovates, structures, and lifts the bar. This was the first time I saw it captured so precisely. And I loved it!
🔍 The takeaway?
I’m proud of who I am today, and I also understand that people are different, and they might have different priorities, so I’m learning to adjust my behaviour for stronger, smoother collaboration. We can’t change how we’re wired. However, we can become aware of the impact we leave behind – and choose to make it a better one.
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