Welcome to a journey toward workplace success! Making effective decisions and navigating complex situations is key to thriving in your career. That’s where the WINX model comes in—a powerful problem-solving framework designed to unlock employee potential and drive success in any work environment.
As we kick off this exciting journey, I’m thrilled to share an exclusive excerpt from my latest book, WINX for Employees—The Problem-Solving Model to Unlock Workplace Success. This book was not written for leaders. My first book was for them! This was written specifically for employees from the front line and graduates entering the workforce. For a very limited time, this transformative guide, offering invaluable insights and strategies to empower your career journey, is available for just $0.99.
I hope you will embark on this empowering path and discover how the WINX model can elevate your workplace experience and lead you to new heights of success!
Excerpt
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”
— Will Durant, historian
We make thousands of decisions every day, right from the start when choosing whether to have that healthy shake or donut to whether to give your family a warm smile or kiss before leaving for work.
Other decisions involve choices about how to allocate time and money or whether to express your honest opinion about your manager. And then there are some big decisions that might pertain to major life choices like accepting a marriage proposal, purchasing a house or car, accepting a job offer, relocating for new opportunities, and so many more.
Whether large or small, significant or not, we make thousands of decisions daily without thinking much about the process. After all, we’ve been making decisions all our lives and are pretty good at it — or so most believe.
One study indicates that the average person will regret over 143,000 decisions over a lifetime.
But how often do we think about how we can make better decisions? Better decisions result in the best outcomes for us and others, including our colleagues, customers, and employers. Focused decision-making makes for better business, whether you’re the newest front-line employee, a mid-level supervisor, or a director.
Working in high-ranking leadership roles for over two decades in the services industry, I’ve often witnessed the impact resulting from hasty, ungrounded decision-making processes. I’ve also seen the transformative power of the disciplined WINX process for approaching decisions.
No one can predict the future, of course. Still, our odds of success increase exponentially when we follow a methodical decision-making process that identifies the real problem, evaluates alternatives, and considers the stakeholders. So, I created a simple, 8-step framework I call WINX (for Win Exponentially.)
This framework first appeared in my book for leadership teams: WINX: The Problem-Solving Model to Win Exponentially with Customers, Employees, & Your Bottom Line. It’s easy to see the impact of decisions made at this level. Leaders must consider the impact of their choices on a critical trio: customers, employees, and company.
But I didn’t want to stop there. No matter what your role within an organization, you have the potential to affect its success — and your own. We are all the leaders of our lives, making decisions that affect ourselves, colleagues, and families. Every role can potentially affect the trajectory of the organizations in which they work.
This book offers the same WINX framework, tailored to everyone—whether you’re an individual contributor, a mid-level manager, or an employee at the front desk or in the mail room.
Whatever role you !ll, structuring your approach to important choices when making decisions can bene!t you personally and professionally. Here’s why.
Our Decisions Shape Our Identities
None of us is born with the tools we need to solve problems. We learn as we experience life, succeed and fail, make mistakes, and achieve victories. These actions shape our opinions, strategies, and even who we are as people.
Perhaps you feel you’re pretty good at making decisions, in which case you might be surprised to learn that most of our decisions are emotional. We tend to rely heavily on emotions and gut instinct. This means that too often, we may spend our mental cycles rationalizing emotional decisions rather than making rational ones.
However, we can learn and adjust our habits. The WINX model gives you a process and a path to make decisions. By strengthening those decision-making tools, we can affect our paths.
Our decisions shape us, and we can shape those decisions. The “first step is to look beyond our own needs.
Our Decisions Shape Others
As babies, we depended totally on our caregiver(s). As we grew and matured, most of us were taught how to be independent and make decisions to improve our situations.
Yet many of us still need to learn how to be interdependent.
Interdependence refers to a relationship dynamic in which two or more parties rely on and need each other to accomplish their goals or thrive. There is mutual reliance among the parties involved. Each party depends on the resources, actions, or contributions of one another to achieve desired outcomes. Both are somewhat independent and self-sufficient.
This interdependence means knowing how to work with others and, additionally, how to work for the greater good. When we learn the power of working for the greater good, that good returns to us. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but it almost always comes back powerfully. In fact, it delivers exponential results.
I have found that employees at every level of an organization make better decisions by focusing on the impact of their decisions on what I call “The Focused Trio.” In my world, the service industry, this trio comprises your customers, employees, and company.
However, many of us only consider the impact on one person—ourselves. That is understandable but short-sighted.
One pivotal step in the WINX process is evaluating the impact of the current problem on yourself, your colleagues, your organization, and your customers.
One Employee’s Journey …
An employee named Sam was struggling at his job. He worked in a customer service department, but his performance had been consistently below par. Sam was on the brink of losing his career, and he knew he had to make a change.
One day, while Sam was sitting at his desk and feeling overwhelmed by increasing pressure and frustration, his boss took the time to explain Sam’s actions’ impact on the company. As a result of his supervisor’s suggestions, Sam decided to step back and rethink his approach. He realized he needed to understand the power of interconnectivity in the workplace and the importance of supporting his role and colleagues, superiors, and customers.
Sam began by putting himself in his supervisor’s shoes. He imagined the challenges and expectations that his supervisor faced daily. Next, he started to walk in his customers’ shoes. He listened to their concerns and needs, empathizing with their frustrations when things went wrong. As time passed, Sam’s efforts to improve his service became evident. His boss noticed the positive change in his attitude and performance, and customers began to praise his dedication and responsiveness. Sam’s colleagues also benefitted from his newfound collaborative spirit, as they worked together more efficiently and shared insights to enhance their collective performance.
Then, one day, Sam’s boss called him into the office and delivered surprising news. Instead of being let go, he was promoted to a team leader position due to his outstanding transformation. Sam saved his job and became a shining example of the power of self- reflection, empathy, and collaboration in the workplace. Sam also realized that he was happier at work and that happiness carried on to his home life.
Sam’s journey taught him that success in any role was about individual performance and understanding the interconnected web of relationships in a company. Putting himself in others’ shoes and “finding small ways to improve his service, he turned his career around and created a harmonious and productive environment where everyone could thrive. This is the definition of WINX or Winning Exponentially. It is winning by understanding the bigger picture—the power of not just you or me but instead you, me, and them.
Your Family, Your Career, Your Life
This book is intended to help you perform well in your job. “Performing well” is about being your best so that you can excel. Ultimately, it all comes back to your family and your life.
Remember, we are our decisions. Every decision or significant issue we act on impacts us and those around us.
Doing your best daily improves the outcomes for your current and future employment opportunities and, ultimately, your family.
The 8-step decision model can help you at work and in all aspects of your life.
End of Excerpt
For just a couple more days, I am offering the e-book version of WINX for Employees at .99 cents. Click here for access to this special https://www.amazon.com/WINX-Employees-Problem-Solving-Workplace-Success-ebook/dp/B0D3WR3RC1/
For access to the book for business owners and leaders, as well as the paperback of the book for employees, click herehttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D43BK4FR
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About the Author: Irma Parone is a speaker, author, and the founder and president of Parone Group. Her 4xaward-winning book WINX- The Problem-Solving Model to Win Exponentially with Customers, Employees & Your Bottom Line is available in all formats.
She is a leadership consultant who speaks for and works with organizations, including creating high-value customer loyalty, problem-solving and decision-making for leaders, time management, and focus. She has a partner group that extends to numerous topics. Reach out to Irma on LinkedIn or directly at 954-464-6689 or irma@paronegroup.com
About the Author: Irma Parone is a speaker, author, and the founder and president of Parone Group. Her 4xaward-winning book WINX- The Problem-Solving Model to Win Exponentially with Customers, Employees & Your Bottom Line is available in all formats, and her newest book WINX for Employees is available in kindle and paperback.
She is a leadership consultant who speaks for and works with organizations, including creating high-value customer loyalty, problem-solving, and decision-making for leaders, time management, and focus. She has a partner group that extends to numerous topics. Reach out to Irma on LinkedIn or directly at 954-464-6689 or irma@paronegroup.com