The magic loop: A framework for rapid career growth

https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-magic-loop

1. Do your current job well
2. Ask your manager how you can help them
3. Do what they ask
4. Ask your manager if you could help in a way that also grows your skills toward a particular goal
5. Do as they suggest, and repeat in a loop from step 4

Advanced forms of the Magic Loop

1. Suggest your own ideas: “I noticed that we are often late on projects because we forget to account for vacation schedules and then someone critical is out. I’ve been thinking that I could implement a step in our planning and update process that captures these. Would that be helpful, or is there something else you would like me to do?”
2. Just do it: “I noticed we often miss vacations in our schedules. I went ahead and fixed that by adding a step to solicit and document holiday plans with the team.” At this point, your manager will start to see you as helpful, innovative, and autonomous. This is the best thing for a manager—someone who does their job and who then additionally magically helps out without needing to be asked or told.

Manager problems and how to handle them

• Start with yourself: If your manager gives you no feedback or you strongly disagree with it, get additional feedback from your own peers as well as peers at the next level. Use this process to find out: is my manager truly wrong, or do other people say versions of the same thing?
• Build the relationship: The whole idea of the Magic Loop is to form a cooperative relationship with your manager where you both win. The manager gets a motivated employee who works on critical projects, while you get a career advocate. If you are starting with a poor relationship with your manager, or with a manager who does not seem to invest much in you or other team members, then this process may take longer.
• Suggest your own ideas: To do this successfully, you need to consider what the manager, team, and company need from you. This is because for your suggestions to be accepted, they do have to accomplish something of value for the manager and the company.
• As a last resort, leave: The successful employee does everything they can to make a situation work but then also quickly exits the role if it cannot be repaired.