PwC's US CEO says the people who get ahead do this when no one is watching

• Today’s tip to get better at work: Position yourself for a promotion by regularly making time to learn.
• PWC US CEO Paul Griggs started as an intern at the firm and said curiosity helped him rise to the C-suite.
• He suggests making a habit of researching questions you don’t know the answer to.

Get better at: Climbing the ladder

Today’s move

Griggs said employees who want to climb the ranks at work should get curious, even when they’re not specifically asked to do something.

Why it works

Griggs said that the Benjamin Franklin quote, “Energy and persistence conquer all things,” sums up what it takes to climb the corporate ladder. That means putting in the work when no one is looking.

He gave an example of two employees.

One of them leaves work on Friday and mentally clocks out to enjoy their weekend. The other one spends 20 minutes researching a problem they didn’t know the answer to before carrying on with their plans.

That little bit of effort adds up, and, over time, this employee consistently shows up more prepared to conversations. They appear quicker at picking up concepts, they add more value, and, over time, they get more opportunities.

Try it today

Griggs said early in his career he worked with a colleague who brought a notebook to every meeting and jotted down anything he didn’t understand.

You can try the same tactic. Start writing down the concepts and questions you want to learn more about, and get into the habit of spending a little extra time digging into them.

The bottom line

People notice when you put in the extra time to get better at your job. Getting in the habit of being naturally curious will help you stand out — especially in an era when information is so accessible.

Source

Has this habit helped you climb the ladder? Tell us what you think of this advice in the comments below.

Read the original article on Business Insider