Five Traits That Will Get You Noticed

A workplace is a community where we get to practice our skills daily. In every community there are people who stand out as being role models for others to follow. A few days back, I was catching up with a youngster about what operating model best serves one to stand out in a work setting and get noticed. I shared with him five all-weather traits that any workplace will value immensely.

Invest In Developing Your Skills.

People who work very hard and keep themselves very busy but don’t learn or develop new skills will find themselves stagnating and not growing.

In contrast, those who are always looking for opportunities to expand their knowledge and skills will always stand out and be counted.

So, don’t get stuck with your Job Description. Instead, bit by bit, invest in learning about areas that may not directly fall into the scope of your Job description. E.g., If you are in sales, invest in learning about customer experience or product management. When you consistently invest in learning and developing your knowledge and skills, you will become more valued, highly sought after, and better prepared to handle higher-level responsibilities at work.

Show Bias For Action.

In a typical workplace, there are different kinds of people. Some who are very good at pointing out what is wrong and what’s not working as a way to establish their smartness. They may think that they are adding value, but all they do is annoy most people.

Instead, be the person with the bias for action. Roll up your sleeves and get to work to fix problems and put out fires. Don’t let bureaucracy and the “system” be an excuse for your inaction. Get past your fears, uncertainty and find ways to get things done. A workplace always values those with a bias for proactive action.

Build Your Network

You never succeed alone. Achievement and growth always happen when you collaborate well with others.

Don’t get so busy in your job that you forget to build deep, meaningful connections within your workplace. The easiest way to grow your network is by taking a genuine interest in what others do- “What are the challenges you face in your role? How do you deal with them?” 

Taking a genuine interest in what others do is a sure-fire way to form essential connections at work. 

Also, keeping an open eye on what other people need and finding ways to help them out is another excellent strategy to add value and earn other people’s respect.

Always Be Positive

There will always be situations at work that can upset you- lack of growth, people-pleasing, blame games, favoritism, office politics, etc. Don’t let these problems bog you down. Don’t complain, blame or give excuses. Always stay positive.

Workplaces love sunny, positive people who show up and brighten the place.

Don’t Settle For Average.

People who stand out never do things half-heartedly. They don’t come with a tick-in-the-box attitude. Instead, they put in the effort to try and be exceptional in everything they do.

• You have a routine task given to you. Find ways to automate it.

• You have solved a problem. Contemplate how you have solved the problem and document it so others can benefit from your learning. 

• You are already ahead of your plan; take up a challenge to experiment and try new approaches.

If you are genuinely keen to stand out and create an impact at your workplace, challenge yourself to be a little better at what you do every day. Don’t accept good enough. Always strive for excellence.