Google expert reveals top skill that gets you promoted faster
What's the story
Google's executive productivity advisor Laura Mae Martin has pinpointed the most important skill that can make an employee more competitive and improve their chances of getting promoted.
Speaking to CNBC Make It, Martin stressed on the need to set clear and immediate priorities instead of vague and distant goals.
This, she says, is the secret to working more efficiently without burning out.
Strategy
Priorities versus goals: A strategic approach to productivity
Martin, who has been with Google for more than 14 years, clarified the difference between goals and priorities.
She explained that while goals can appear abstract and far away, priorities are concrete and immediate.
For instance, a goal could be to land a managerial position in a year, but a priority could be to develop leadership skills by spearheading a team project this quarter.
Assertiveness
The power of saying 'no' in maintaining productivity
Martin also emphasized on learning to say 'no.' She spoke about her own difficulty with the idea, saying, "I am a recovering yes-sayer and found it really hard to say 'no' because I wanted to maintain social capital."
But it's worse to overcommit and underdeliver, she warned.
Martin advised that the best way to refuse is by giving a specific reason or asking for time to think about it.