The tiny workplace rituals that earn outsized respect

I'm afraid our younger generation of PR pros doesn’t know what’s about to hit them.

The mix of macro-economic whiplash, slower hiring for knowledge workers, and AI disruption will make tomorrow’s workplace tougher than the free-wheeling Great Resignation and “quiet quitting” days when they started.

Here are three habits that inoculate new talent against the squeeze. Pass them along to your junior team members – or anyone whose career you care about (shareable LinkedIn post here).

1. Close every loop

• Acknowledge the ask. The moment you receive an assignment, reply: “Got it – expect it by <date/time>.”
• Beat the deadline. If the brief says “Wednesday,” deliver that morning. If it says “Wednesday morning,” then reassure by sending it before you leave Tuesday.
• Own the tracking. Don’t make your boss remember where things stand. Share updates before they ask.

The deliverable is only half the job; the other half is removing it from your manager’s mental to-do list.

2. Send a Friday Wrap

One short email, every Friday:

1. Done: bullets of finished work
2. In progress: what’s moving and next steps
3. Needs: any blockers you can’t clear yourself

Managers love it because they can scan your week in 30 seconds. You should love it because each wrap becomes a living archive of wins – gold for performance reviews, resume updates, LinkedIn posts, even award entries.

If your boss hovers, send a two-line daily version instead. The principle is the same: Visibility breeds trust.

3. Arrive with solutions, not problems

Before escalating an issue, ask, “If it were entirely on me, what would I do?” Try that first. If you still need guidance, come back with two viable options and a recommendation, a la:

“Option A costs $1K and gives us exact monthly benchmarks. Option B is free but only has annual data. I recommend B to stay on schedule and revisit A for Q3 planning.”

This framing proves you did the homework and lets your leader decide in seconds. It turns you from problem courier into problem solver.

None of these moves requires extra IQ, a fat budget, or permission – just discipline. And that’s why they stand out.

Adopting these habits now gives our young colleagues a head start toward indispensability before the market tightens another notch.

Last week I gave Inner Circle members – rookies and seasoned VPs alike – a step-by-step blueprint for staying indispensable, plus a networking playbook that locks in a Plan B. Join our Wait List and you’ll be notified when that training is available for new members.