Google’s productivity expert reveals the no.1 skill that gives employees a better chance at promotions

Laura Mae Martin has worked with Google for more than 14 years and is currently its executive productivity advisor. (Image credit: Laura Mae Martin, Unsplash)

As Google's executive productivity advisor, it's Laura Mae Martin's job to help employees and executives who manage and run the tech giant get more done without burning out. She has taught some of the world’s brightest professionals how to work smarter and has recently revealed the number one skill that can give them a better competitive edge and a higher chance at a promotion.

Speaking to CNBC Make It, Martin -- who has worked with Google for a little over 14 years -- said that when it comes to productivity, the most common problem isn’t a missed hack; it’s that people try to take on too much work. She said that setting specific, concrete priorities are more important than having vague, indefinite goals.

Goals can feel abstract and “far off,” while priorities are more specific and immediate, Martin told the publication, making them easier to tackle. The way she sees it, a goal could be to get promoted to a managerial position within the next year, while a priority could be to develop leadership skills by volunteering to take on a team project this quarter. In this case, the priority (leading a team project) is an immediate, strategic action you’re taking to achieve a more opaque goal (getting promoted), she said.

The Google executive also encouraged professionals to normalise saying "no". “I am a recovering yes-sayer and found it really hard to say ‘no’ because I wanted to maintain social capital,” Martin told the publication. “But it’s worse to overcommit and underdeliver.”

The best way to say no is to give a specific reason why you can’t do what someone is asking or to start by telling the requester you need to think about it, she added. “You want your colleagues to feel supported and respected" but you also need to protect your priorities because “time is a finite resource,” Martin said.