Aidan O'Dea

Most people don’t know how to innovate. The advice to ‘think creatively’ or ‘brainstorm ideas’ skips over the real mechanics of innovation. Innovation isn’t magic. It’s a skill. Here’s how: 1. Understand how you think (meta-cognition). 2.Learn new ways to think (mental models). 3.Practice expressing those thoughts clearly (visually or verbally). Innovation is a process, not a flash of inspiration.

A friend prompted me to reflect on what I’d say to myself at the start of my career: - no one is responsible for your career but you. - sit down and reflect on your job and career once a month. - if things aren’t going well in work analyse it through 4 lenses— is it that you work for a shit company or a shit boss? Is your job shit or is your career shit? - you don’t owe anyone in work anything except a good honest attempt. - work doesn’t owe you anything except your salary. - know when to leave. - recognise when you’ve stopped growing. - always think how you can tell the story of the project you’re working on and the specific value you brought to it. - always know your value on the open market. - your work friends don’t have to be your actual friends. - understand your energy and impact on your colleagues.

A simple, clear message is more effective than one overloaded with detail. Focus on what matters.

Networking is key to career growth. But without sharp thinking and clear communication, connections won’t take you far. Skills scale better than handshakes.

You’re not just ‘working.’ You’re building the skills that shape your future. Clear thinking and effective communication are foundations you can practice daily— skills that compound into long-term success.

Feedback is a mirror—it shows us our strengths and guides our growth. Over 18 months ago, I was told my logical approach and confidence in navigating ambiguity stood out. That feedback gave me clarity about my strengths and motivated me to build on them. Listening to feedback isn’t just about validation— it’s about learning, refining and aiming higher.

I noticed my friend in work is great on calls. Whether it’s client introductory calls, project update calls, sales calls, presentation calls— any sort of calls. I asked him how he got so consistently great at them. He told me “sign-posting”. However he meant for both himself before the call began, and for the audience during the call. He continued “simple little sign-posts: here’s where this project started, here’s where we are now, here’s why we need your input.” Or “this is who we are, this is what we’ve done before, here’s what we might do for you.” Simple sign-posts to help navigate sometime ambiguous calls.