On Father's Day: Five Professional Tips My Father Taught Me Before He Dies

On Father's Day month, I decided to celebrate it differently this year. My father (1942-2018) was a dedicated professional, and because he was my best friend too, I used to be his constant companion, which was a blessing as I had a coach by my side for 33 years of my life before he died of 4th stage cancer in 2018. Hence, without further due :) , here I'll be sharing 5 of his professional tips that he taught me right after my graduation and I live by, hope they will be helpful to you too:

1-Take Good Care of your Irreplaceable Treasures: He used this term referring to both family and mental health. Not a typical tip you'd hear from a hard working professional from previous generations. But he consistently managed to do it through his 30 years of full-time employment. I can't recall a time when he canceled a plan with me because he has work to do. No work on weekends, it's family/me time, even if he's overloaded, he would re-plan his work tasks to be done as efficient as possible without having to cancel his selfcare and family plans.

2-Tackle the Easy Task First: It may contradict with the 20/80 rule, but this has a positive psychological impact as it will help building momentum "snowball effect" so you have energy for the tough tasks you've been avoiding ;)

3-Start Building your Network at Early Stage: Your network is your support system when things go wrong, it's the group of trusted people that will be there for you and you will be there for them to support too. It's a long term process that takes years to build, so... the earlier the better.

4-Keep Tracking Records of Everything: Documentation will not only help you remember all details about your tasks but will also provide solid evidence to refer to in case of conflicts.

5-Do the right thing...ALWAYS: This is a key to build a strong and consistent brand based on integrity and ethics. Telling the truth won't always make people happy, and it may create enemies, but you have to do what is right instead of what is easy. Doing and saying what people want to please them will ruin your credibility over time.

I'm still in touch with few of his work colleagues, and they still remember how efficient he was at work. On Father's day I want to tell him that I'm so proud of the man who managed to build a brand and reputation that lasted after his lifetime. Happy Father's day in heavens dear.

To All Fathers Out there...Happy Father's Day...Because Fathers are our Super Heroes :)

Ghada