As a professional, I take my work very seriously, and until recently, I’ve treated all work equally in terms of importance and analytical rigour. Yet, I’ve learned through experience that this approach is significantly flawed.
Instead, it’s best to look at engagements by discrete tiers of contribution:
- Tier 1: Full Ownership
- Tier 2: Guided Influence
- Tier 3: Light Presence
Tier 1 (Full Ownership) is indeed just that. It’s when you know with certainty that you have clear decision authority, the work materially influences revenue, and the artifacts or effort as a whole will create repeatable value. At this tier, your role is to define structure, force decisions, and keep things moving forward.
Tier 2 (Guided Influence) is when you find yourself in ambiguous environments / initiatives. At this tier, you aren’t responsible for delivery or outcomes. Rather, you’re only responsible for helping the team make the right decisions. This requires you to define “decision frames” and introduce constraints where necessary (e.g., scope, timelines, etc.).
Tier 3 (Light Presence) is when there is no clear ownership, no link to revenue, and no real decision commitment. In these situations, your job is to maintain awareness and provide minimal updates only when necessary.
A related byproduct of this behavior shift is that you’re less likely to get pulled into engagements that don’t take full advantage of your real value.