In my recent performance appraisal, my manager said that he valued the fact that he trust me to complete tasks without me demanding much of his time.

Whenever I have to make a decision on how to approach a job, I weigh up two options:

1. Ask for direction from my manager
2. Have a go

I lean heavily towards Option 2. If I have the faintest idea of what could be done, I will have a stab at putting something together in the hope of minimising fuss. I’ll also try to polish it up before taking to my manager(s) for a sense check. Often, good presentation can help people see the potential in the work. I’ve had some of my craziest ideas sail through review without comment because, when put into a professional format, it looks like the obvious approach to take.

Of course, sometimes I get things wrong and have to redo work. In the long run, though, I have found that the benefits of being brave and having a go are worth the risk of stuffing up occasionally.

Saving your boss time and fuss could be worth more than you think.