Take nobody's word for it

  Ever felt lost at work? Ever found yourself asking, 'What am I doing?' or 'Why am I doing this?' It's a sentiment many of us can relate to. I've pondered these questions numerous times throughout my career. One thing I've come to realize is that working in an environment where the foundations of a team are rooted in clear values and purpose, it leads to a vastly different experience. When everyone understands what matters most, decision-making becomes smoother, and frustration decreases across everyone. This doesn't mean you won't ponder these questions anymore, but the confusion will be less. Similarly, when you have a clear purpose, you feel excited about what you are doing. When your values and purpose clash with your workplace or peers, it can lead to frustration and a feeling of limited impact. It's almost like constantly swimming against the current. It's exhausting and limits your impact. On the other hand, if your values are aligned...

Ever feel that sinking feeling after a presentation?  The one where your audience seems to check out and the silence screams "unengaged"?  Been there done that. After delivering one of the talk to my teammates where I bombed, I decided to improve my presentation skills. Inside Amazon, engineers have the opportunity to deliver POA (Principal Of Amazon) talks. These presentations, crafted by senior engineers, share knowledge and insights with a wider audience.   A significant amount of effort goes into creating these presentations. Each speaker is assigned a dedicated coach who guides them through the process, offering invaluable guidance in polishing the presentation and ensuring the message is delivered clearly and succinctly. My experience delivering multiple "POA talks" revealed a simple secret from the coaches: prioritize crafting a script before building slides.  During my first POA talk in 2014, I arrived with a prepared slide deck.  However, the coach's ...