5 things to do to shorten the path to success

Addy Osmani is a familiar face in the web development community around the world. He is the author of famous websites such as TodoMVC, Yeoman, and Material Design Lite. Addy is currently holding the position of Eng. Manager (technical manager) at Google.

Below are 5 pieces of advice that Addy Osmani wants to send to everyone in her latest post on her personal page with nearly 200,000 followers.

Cooperate

A senior Google engineer said that many positions today can work remotely without having to go to the office. While there are many advantages in terms of convenience, the disadvantages it brings unintentionally reduce the ability to interact and collaborate with colleagues, and even hinder innovation.

To increase connection, Addy Osmani shares that you should actively participate in video meetings. Participants need to turn on their cameras and listen seriously as well as contribute ideas. In addition, to increase cohesion among colleagues, you should remember each other's birthdays to exchange wishes or have lunch together, discuss favorite items...

Mentor

Having seniors share valuable experiences not only helps Osmani increase her confidence but also helps her with career orientation such as promotions, new assignments, and even job changes.

The senior engineer encourages people to start by saying, “First do it, then do it right, then do it better.” Instead of just staring at a blank page, Osmani advises people to write something down, then refine and improve it.

Communicate

For Osmani, communication is an important skill for sharing ideas and building trust with colleagues, partners and superiors. This skill should be applied to any job, even if it does not require communicating with many people.

Even if you have trouble starting a conversation, Osmani recommends using the 10-second trick to become a better conversationalist: Come up with three topics to discuss before any meeting or conversation to take the pressure off.

Strategic thinking

Osmani warns against having “tunnel vision,” and instead thinks strategically about the work you do. Only by having a vision and a longer-term plan can people envision the future ahead.

Osmani says it’s important to focus on what you can control rather than getting bogged down in details that can lead to anxiety and frustration. Job insecurity can certainly take a toll on mental health, especially among Gen Z, who are at the early stages of their careers.

Osmani shared a quote from the author of the book "The Loxious Achiever" - Morra Aarons-Mele: "People with a clear strategy can take less risks, innovate and have higher levels of psychological safety."

Invest in happiness

Here's the senior Google engineer's final piece of advice for everyone: Invest in your own happiness.

According to Osmani, anxiety at work can be a major cause of burnout, which can take a serious toll on your mental and physical health. Therefore, learning how to take care of yourself is also important to achieving high performance at work. Osmani offers some ways to feel happy, such as spending time in nature, meditating, therapy, exercising, and reading.

"Most importantly, learning to say 'no' to certain things that are not appropriate at work will help you improve your health," he said.