Make it easy for others to support your goals.

Build goodwill within your team.

When someone from another department asks you for a file or an update, avoid just doing the bare minimum to get the task off your plate. Instead, ask yourself: “How can I deliver this in a way that makes their next step easier?” This might mean adding a one-sentence summary of the data or formatting a sheet so it’s ready for their meeting.

Thinking about the needs of others builds your reputation as a leader. As you move up, your success depends on your ability to work across different departments and get people to cooperate with your vision.

It’s a good look to be known as the person who makes everyone else’s job easier. This perspective is also an effective way to handle office politics without any drama. When you focus on being a helper to your peers, you build a massive amount of professional goodwill. People are naturally more likely to support your projects and advocate for your career growth if you have a track record of being reliable and helpful. Beyond being “nice”, this is a strategic way to network with your team from your own desk.

Put these approaches into practice.

Let’s look at practical ways to deliver your work in a way that makes the recipient’s next step easier to keep you in mind in the future.