No One Tells You that Being “Eager” Can Backfire
It’s a natural assumption that if you volunteer for everything and help everyone, they will love you and see your value. Immediately, accolades and promotions will follow. You will be the office superstar, indispensable and on the fast track. This is, however, a fallacy. You need to think of the frequency of offering to jump in and help as existing on a bell curve. People who are successful with this behaviour are in the middle. Too much is just as problematic as too little. Why? Being eager is subject to the law of diminishing returns. After a while, the benefit you will gain shrinks to the point where it’s hardly worth it and can even start creating negatives. Let’s break it down. Offering Help When Someone has to Train You Isn’t Help The #1 rule of offering to help someone at work is to make sure it actually is help. That it will make their life better. That it will reduce their workload and increase the chance of their success. If you see someone drowning because they have to edit a bunch of social media posts and you have never used the editing software, offering to help them edit is a bad idea. If they have to stop what they’re doing to train you, you are not helping. You are creating more work for them. You’re better off offering to pick them up some lunch so they have a bit more time to finish. Make sure you have the requisite skills, knowledge, or network to deliver on your offer of help. We can’t stress this enough. Don’t offer to do something that you cannot deliver on your own. Yes, you may want to build a better relationship with that colleague, but don’t be so eager to help that you end up making them regret taking you up on your offer. Pair Enthusiasm with Awareness The #2 rule of offering to help is to make sure you know what’s been done. There are few things more annoying that someone who swoops in to save the day, only to produce what you finished days ago. Don’t redo work or reinvent the wheel. Find out as much as you can on your own, ask for a thirty second check-in, and confirm that what you’re planning to offer is actually useful. If someone needs help pulling numbers for a presentation, don’t rewrite the executive summary. Pull the numbers. If you want to show initiative, ask them if they would like you to write some simple code that will pull the numbers automatically every month. Another piece of the awareness puzzle: Don’t add stuff that will create work for someone else without their buy-in. Don’t offer to help Sophie by identifying all the work you can’t do and suggesting someone else. You aren’t helping Sophie by pointing her to Jeremy. It’s still work for her, and he’s going to be irritated because you’re placing yourself in the middle. If it’s Jeremy who’s in the better position to help, go to him first and share your thoughts. But be cautious, because if it’s a lot of work for him, you’re bringing him a problem. And now you’ve gotten yourself into a mess. If you can’t help him help Sophie, then don’t bother in the first place. Limit How Often You Volunteer You need to choose moments that have visibility or impact. Being selective is for your sanity as much as anything else. First, you don’t want to burn out. Second, you don’t want to lower your value by doing tasks that are far beneath your capabilities. Helping people at work is rarely altruistic (there are some exceptions, particularly with trustworthy colleagues who would help you if asked). Most of the time, you need to make sure the help offered is good for you too. Will it showcase some skills you don’t get to display often? Will it connect you with new parts of the organization, increasing your chances of finding new opportunities? Will it help you develop your professional network? Planning a team lunch offers far less exposure that helping out on an executive retreat. At a minimum, you don’t want to be doing so many tasks for other people that you run out of time and energy to do your own job. You must always be able to deliver on your own commitments first. You don’t want to be in a position where you have to ask for help because you’re too busy producing deliverables for other people. That’s not good time management or organizational skills. Your boss will notice. And they won’t be happy. Why Too Much Assistance Can Make You Look Bad Another factor: if you’re always offering to jump in and save the day, you’re actually making people feel like they can’t do their job. You aren’t a superhero, but more a villain, showing them up and exposing how awful they are. Before offering to help someone, ask yourself how you would feel if the situation were reversed. Most of us appreciate assistance during an unusually busy time or uniquely intense project. Most of us do not appreciate frequent offers of help for things that are part of our daily job routine. Plus, if you have so much time to help others, your boss might start to wonder what the hell it is you’re actually being paid to do. In conclusion When it comes to offering assistance at work, aim for the sweet spot between ‘detached, couldn’t care less about other’s struggles’ and ‘jumping in every five minutes in a desperate bid to be liked’. There is a happy medium in there. Where you provide genuine value in challenging situations. And remember, don’t be so eager that you end up creating more work for the person you are helping. That will hurt both your reputation and your ability to get help when you need it.
Our Not So Cutting Edge Insight #1: Watch for Mood Patterns
I’m VERY SURE no one ever told me how much of work is just managing other people’s moods. It feels like an obvious statement, but it needs to be said. People don’t behave the same way all the time. Their stress, pressure, how they feel about you or your colleagues, or a bad day changes how they talk and react. While I’m loathe to admit it, mood absolutely affects how work gets done, even if the task itself is simple. Everything in the Workplace is Filtered Through Mood It may not be evident at first, but after you have a few interactions with the same person where their reactions seem inconsistent or surprising, you start to realize the job changes with mood. When you feel: “that went badly and I am not sure why”. Chances are that someone’s emotional state was impacting the interaction. When I get this feeling, I start paying attention to patterns, so I don’t have to start from scratch every time I get that feeling that something’s off. Does someone get short under pressure? Or uneasy when things are unclear? Once I notice the patterns, I can start to predict when those reactions might happen. That predictability reduces the emotional shock of the moment and gives me a way to prepare instead of feeling blindsided. The practical challenge is the repeated experience of not understanding why a particular reaction happened. People’s display of mood is sometimes non-intuitive. Not everyone reacts the same way, and not everyone manifests emotions in the same way. I look for patterns to reduce that uncertainty by observing how external conditions, such as stress, deadlines, or ambiguity, tend to produce specific responses in specific people. Over time, my understanding of the patterns displayed by each individual creates a sense of predictability, which reduces confusion and helps prepare for likely outcomes. It’s so much better than reacting to each situation as if it is entirely new. Why are Moods Your Problem? Ignore mood to your detriment. In a perfect world, your career wouldn’t be dependent on how your boss is feeling on any given day. But the reality is, you’ll go further if you acknowledge the mood factor. You know that classic public relations technique, where politicians will drop unpopular news late on a Friday afternoon? They know that a lot of people are anticipating their weekends, and so they’re less likely to pay attention to the latest government press release. You need to channel that same strategic thinking. You’re never going to get rid of moods. So what I do is see them as part of my day. From the first moment I walk in, I assess mood. Saying ‘hi’ as I walk to my desk isn’t as much about being friendly as it is getting a mood assessment from my coworkers and boss. How are they feeling? Is it the right day to ask for a raise? A good time to ask for help? Should I offer support on a project? Stay out of someone’s way? You always want to give yourself the best chance for success, and that means picking your moments around other’s moods. Navigating Moods Needs its Own GPS Navigating mood is a balancing act though and it’s super important that you’re not allowing anyone else to dictate your life. It’s definitely not about putting your own feelings aside and letting everyone else set the tone. Some people say responding to mood is a feminine trait but the person I’m thinking of who did this the best was a dude I’ll call JL. He was our team lead, and he knew when to push and he knew when to stop arguing. His ability to show a wee bit of sensitivity to the folks around him helped us tremendously. We were in a project meeting once with another team, and we needed them to step up their timeline on a deliverable. JL presented our case and was assertive during the timeline discussion. But he recognized the moment the other team lead’s tone change. He wrapped up and gave her time to process. It was such beautiful timing. We were able to avoid accidentally triggering conflict and/or creating more work, aggravation and churn for our team. If you develop even a bit of competency in noticing when the mood around you changes, you can adjust and avoid unnecessary problems. When Mood Patterns Conflict I know, it’s all fine and nice to say “pay attention to mood,” but what happens when you’re in the middle of two moods that require different responses? I’ve been there. Like, you’re in an informal project planning meeting, and one coworker has the highlighters lined up and is ready to get her to-do list done, and the other coworker is scowling and clearly communicating that he wants to be literally anywhere else. Navigating a situation like this isn’t easy. Taking sides is going to upset one of them and set your project back because you’ll create bad blood. But you can’t split yourself and respond in two different ways. This best thing you can do is acknowledge what each person is communicating so that you can find a compromise. Outline the work that needs to be done to support the mood of the keener. Agree to go away and get some work done for the guy who doesn’t want to be there. A firm commitment to reconvene at a reasonable date keeps everyone, including yourself, on track. You might be thinking this all takes a lot of work. It does. You might also be thinking that not everyone adjusts to other’s moods. You’re right. But that just means you’ll stand out as a superstar for putting in the effort. Recognizing Your Own Patterns The last thing I’ve got to say, is that you’ve got moods too. Part of dealing with mood in the office is being honest about your own (even if it’s only to yourself). We all have days where we just don’t feel like talking to
Why Every Employee in Canada Needs Professional Development
Why Every Employee in Canada Needs Professional Development You work hard. You’re conscientious and dedicated. You try your best—and yet, somehow, you’re not getting ahead. You’ve got the right education, the right intentions… But there’s still something missing. A frustrating, hard-to-name gap that’s quietly holding you back. That’s where professional development comes in. At its core, professional development is just a big bucket of “information that helps you get the career you want.” And let’s be honest: a lot of that information isn’t taught in the Canadian school system. Sometimes you land a job only to realize you’re missing a critical skill. Other times, it’s less obvious—like there’s an unspoken set of rules or a hidden roadmap everyone else seems to have. Success in the workplace often hinges on implicit knowledge: how to navigate personalities, processes, and politics as much as executing tasks. So, how do you learn what no one’s formally teaching? Where can you get some professional development training in Canada? What Is Professional Development? Professional development is a mindset of lifelong learning. It’s about deliberately seeking new information, skills, and perspectives to grow your career and build confidence. The goal isn’t just to learn—it’s to evolve. You don’t want to have the same capabilities ten years from now. You want to be sharper, more adaptable, and more in control. Professional development includes: Curated content: Books, podcasts, and articles that broaden your knowledge and spark deeper thinking. Focused courses: Programs that help you tackle a skill gap or issue in a way that leads to lasting behavior change. Mentors and coaches: Thought partners who offer clarity, push your thinking, and help you take action. There’s a whole range of territory where professional development can apply: Factual knowledge: The “how-to” of the tasks your role demands. Organizational culture: Learning to navigate your workplace effectively and get noticed for your contributions. Managing people: From understanding your boss to collaborating with colleagues in a way that highlights your value. Career planning: Thinking ahead and preparing for where you want to be five or ten years down the road. Why It’s Hard (and What to Do About It) At Glass and Grit, we get it: life is busy, and there’s a tsunami of information out there. After work, you’d rather hang out with friends or disappear into your favorite show. You’re mentally fried. Learning can feel like another chore, especially when it’s not clear what to focus on or how it will help. Here’s how to cut through the noise: Pick a learning method that fits your life: Podcasts during your commute? Conversations with a mentor over coffee? Scribbling notes in the margins of a book on Sunday morning? Role-playing with a good friend? Do what works. Integrate it into your day: Learning without action doesn’t stick. Practice in low-stakes moments: strike up a new kind of conversation when you’re buying your morning coffee, reframe an interaction with a colleague, and experiment with a different tone in an email. Be deliberate: Don’t get distracted by shiny productivity hacks or impulse-buying products. Make a shortlist of three things you want to learn to improve your career right now. If you’re unsure, talk it out with a trusted friend before diving in. Every now and then, step back and ask yourself, Where am I going? Am I on the path to get there? What kind of professional development training can fill the gaps? Why Professional Development Should Be Built Into Your Career There’s that old line: Do you have twenty years of experience, or one year repeated twenty times? It’s easy to stall. Especially if no one’s giving you helpful feedback, if you’re hitting walls, if you’re not sure what you’re doing “wrong,” the frustration can make you want to check out. Even if things are going well, you can get stuck—pigeonhole yourself into work you don’t love, with no clear way to pivot. That’s why intentional, ongoing professional development matters. Done well, it: Increases your value: You can align with your organization’s evolving needs. Opens doors: When you show up with clarity and skill, people notice. Protects your sanity: When you take charge of your learning, you’re less at the mercy of chaos or clueless leadership. Gives you flexibility: You can move faster toward your career goals, on your terms. How to Measure Success in Professional Development Professional development is a long game. You weren’t supposed to learn everything by 22. And stopping once school ends guarantees you’ll hit a ceiling. But how do you know if your efforts are working? Success isn’t just landing the dream job or getting a raise (though those are great). It’s noticing your progress. Are you tackling new challenges with more ease? Are you acting with more confidence? Do you understand your workplace—and yourself—better? When you choose your learning intentionally—targeting your biggest career challenges, building the skills you need, and regularly asking yourself, “Is this helping me move forward?”—you’ll see results. Final Thought Not every job will be amazing. Not every workplace will “get” you. But when you commit to learning and training with purpose, you give yourself more power, more options, and a much better shot at building the career you want. Professional development in Canada isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a requirement. It’s how you take the wheel and control your career.