No Skill Development Required!

So many of us are constantly seeking opportunities to grow and develop ourselves for the sake of preparing for the next opportunity. I have invested in MANY courses to make myself more marketable. A few years ago, I learned a valuable lesson. Skill development is not the ultimate career fuel. There are several things you can do NOW, to get yourself noticed FASTER by leadership. Here are six:

1. Be one time-There is nothing that says, "I don't respect your time" like consistently being late to scheduled meetings.

Now, I understand, there is so much to do and there are days that we (I am GUILTY) book our calendars back to back. It is hard to make it from one meeting to the other and always be on time. There is a difference between being habitually late and running behind every once in a while. The most important thing is to communicate and apologize!

2. Be prepared-This goes hand in hand with timeliness for me. If you show up for a meeting and have no idea what's going on, you don't know the purpose or the ideal outcomes...REALLY? When you (or your colleagues) are not prepared for meetings; you waste PRECIOUS TIME. If you are leading the meeting; help your teammates out by clearly communicating the purpose and outcomes proactively. Preparation (productivity) should be a part of your culture!

“Focus on being productive instead of being busy.” --Tim Ferris

3. Accept feedback-This honestly may be the most important way to gain the respect of leaders. Feedback is truly a gift. Feedback can come in many forms, and each one (good or bad) is valuable. You can find a small gift of information even in the worst forms of feedback. TAKE IT!

4. Speak up- A wise woman once said, "If you think it, say it." I've had the privilege of working with FANTASTIC people throughout my career. Many of my best colleagues have considered themselves internal processors. When they would get into meetings with extroverted, opinionated external processors (ME); they wouldn't speak up. (Side note: I have learned how to let silence work to the team's benefit and give all team members the opportunity to speak). You can't change those you are in a meeting with, so if you have something valuable to add, speak up! Additionally, this is the fastest way to get noticed by colleagues and leaders in the organization.

5. Be accountable-This one is easy, just do what you promise and communicate timing and outcomes clearly. To take it one step further; you should learn how to negotiate your time. If you work in a culture that is fast paced and demanding, you have to be able to either say "no" or "yes, and". I prefer "yes, and". The "and" allows me to negotiate the timing and the outcomes asked of me. This gives me that opportunity to work with as many people as possible without over committing myself. I could write an entire blog on this (one day I will).

6. Be authentic-Showing up as your true self is PRICELESS. The word diversity is tossed around quite often, but diversity in thought separates the good teams from the great ones. Great leaders want team members that can challenge the "group think" and introduce new ideas. You are your own super power, use it!

“Don't trade your authenticity for approval."--Unknown

What do you think? What are tips we can practice now to prepare for our NEXT?

If you find that you are in a transitional period in your career and would like support throughout the change, I would love to hear from you. Contact me: tiffani@theofficeinformant.com!