DOI: 10.1145/3287297
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You have to finish strong,
every time.
BY KATE MATSUDAIRA
HAVE YOU EVER felt super excited about the start
of a project, but as time went on your excitement
(and motivation) started to wane?
Unfortunately, not all work is created equal. It is
often the work through the bulk of a project that is not
remembered or recognized.
The work that tends to be remembered from any given project is the
work that happened last. It is the final
step that most people will think of, because it happened most recently. This
is especially true of the people who
have the most power over your promotions and future opportunities, who
don’t see what you accomplish day to
day. They just see the results.
I have worked with hundreds of engineers during my career, and I have
seen this happen over and over again.
Projects start with a bang and end with
a whimper, and the people on the team
are surprised when their hard work
isn’t viewed as positively as they think
it should be.
How can you make sure you are recognized as a valuable member of your
team, whose work is seen as critical to
the team’s success?
You have to finish strong, every time.
Here is how to keep your momentum
up and make the right moves to be a
visible contributor to the final success
of every project.
The Psychology of a Strong Finish
Humans tend to remember the end-ing of something far more clearly
than any other part—even if other
parts were more significant or important. Why is that?
Essentially, our brains can process
only so much. We take in so much in-
The
Importance
of a Great
Finish