We’ve all been there before: just as you’ve acclimated to your role and gotten the hang of your responsibilities, some hotshot comes in with a new idea or innovative system that radically transforms how you do your work. This disruptive hotshot shows you up by finding a way to do your job more productively and somehow achieves better results.
The hotshot phenomenon is universal, no matter what industry or role you’re in. Whether you’re an executive assistant, a CEO, a doctor, or a lawyer, there’s always someone who’s slightly more talented, more tenacious, or more intelligent. And while it can certainly be difficult to deal with a well-meaning disruptor, hotshots can provide a much needed shock to our routine, enabling all of us to find new and innovative ways to complete tasks and increase productivity.
But you don’t have to wait until the next wunderkind waltzes into your office and threatens your job security to start finding ways to revolutionize the way you work. This video from Daniel Pink encourages viewers to ask themselves the Hotshot Question, which entails asking yourself once a month what a hotshot would do if they came in and took over your role. Practice visualizing an expert in your field coming into your office brimming over with ideas. What changes would this amazingly talented individual immediately implement? Perhaps they would spend less time on email and mindless administrative tasks. Or they might download a new task management app to boost organization and productivity. Maybe they would focus on ensuring that all meetings were efficiently run by creating an agenda and sticking to it.
Taking the time every month to question and challenge our work habits by examining our day to day through the lens of a hotshot allows us to proactively and creatively seek better ways to do our jobs. Because no matter how good you are at your job, there’s always room for improvement.
What changes would a hotshot make to your daily routine?