Workplace Multiplier by Tola Akinsulire

July 7, 2025

Welcome to the Workplace Multiplier newsletter. Published Monday to Friday, equipping you to achieve your professional goals faster and without burnout or overwhelm by leveraging The Triple Win Method.

Don't Start That Project Until You Read This

Howdy ,

Happy New Week.

This can be a great week for you. And I have a thought that might help you.

Last week, I had a go with a team member for wasting his time.

Let me explain.

He was given a brief to come up with a plan to drive the sales of a product by a senior executive.

He came up with the plan.

But the plan was flawed.

Why?

The product was not a product that would sell.

How do I know?

Well, I asked a member of the sales team. She said there were gaps that the product was not meeting. They had tried to sell it and it wasn’t cutting with the market.

Imagine. A plan to drive the sales of a product that the market would not buy.

You can guess the outcome already. The plan will not work until the product is revamped.

First principle thinking.

Before drawing up a plan to sell, you need to have a product that the market is willing to buy.

The lesson here is simple but powerful: Always Start With Fundamentals.

Before you invest time in tactics and execution, verify your foundation. This applies to virtually every professional situation you'll encounter.

Before writing that presentation, confirm you understand what decision-makers actually need to hear. Before proposing that new initiative, ensure it addresses a real business problem. Before diving into that analysis, verify you're solving the right question. Before scheduling those meetings, confirm they'll move the needle on what matters.

First principles thinking saves you from brilliant execution of the wrong thing.

We've all been there - spending weeks perfecting a proposal only to discover it missed the mark entirely, or crafting detailed project plans for initiatives that weren't aligned with business priorities.

Here's my challenge for you this week:

Pick one project on your plate. Step back and ask yourself - have I validated the core assumption that makes this effort worthwhile? What's the fundamental question I need to answer first?

Sometimes, the most productive thing you can do is pause and get the foundation right. Your future self will thank you.

To your success,

Keep winning at work and in life.

Tola Akinsulire

Your Strategic Workplace Mentor

P.S. What's one assumption in your current work that you should test this week? The earlier you catch a misalignment, the more time and credibility you save.

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Want to get in on some of the lessons I have picked up in my career? Get my eBook "21 Lessons I Learned in My Career - A Primer to Help You Become Better at Work". Get it here

Do you work in a new country, or does your work involve working with people outside your country? Get my acclaimed book "Winning Beyond Borders: Achieving Success at Work in a New Country". Get it here

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