Chapter 13
Career Plan Step #3: What Makes You Awesome at Work?
Excellence: “the quality of being outstanding or extremely good.”
—Oxford Dictionary
I was bored out of my mind. I decided to do a late night gym session and discovered after five minutes I really didn't want to do anything. I didn't feel like getting on the hamster wheel (treadmill) or lifting weights (it was too late at night and my energy was all but gone) so I decided to hop on a new machine that I had no idea how to work, but had a redeeming quality I liked—a television screen! I figured the best way to get some exercise and distract myself for 30 minutes was to turn on a show.
I flipped through the channels and landed on the Time Life channel that was showing reruns of The Carol Burnett Show while also trying to sell me a DVD set for a mere $49.99. Within 10 seconds, I was hooked and ready to buy, but luckily I didn't have my wallet with me.
I was annoyingly laughing out loud (I couldn't help it) as Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman, and Tim Conway reenacted an office scene with a boss and his secretary. Some 30 years later, it was still great comedy. The legendary cast were masters at their craft. They made comedy look natural and easy and kept me laughing so hard I could barely stand up. As I watched, I was jealous that they were having such a good time. While driving home, I realized I loved The Carol Burnett Show because she was so good at what she did. Her excellence affected the lives of millions who had the opportunity to witness her brilliance.
I like seeing people excel after working hard to become their best. It is increasingly rare for people to invest their time and energy into becoming great at what they do. As I have watched and studied individuals who stand out in the workforce, I noticed that it doesn't matter the pay, the hours, or the work situation, these people always bring their A-game. (Even when they don't feel like it.) Developing awesomeness is the foundation for Step Three of the career development plan. We have identified your key roles and responsibilities, we know your strengths, now we need to find out the value you bring to your boss, your counterparts, your team, and the organization. When you leave work at the end of the day, what did you do that made you stand out among everyone else? In what areas do you excel in your current job?
Why Be Excellent at Work? Why Stand Out?
Mediocrity has become a bad word. It's not enough to be just average. As quotas increase and workloads spike, organizations have a compelling need for increased competencies and skill sets from employees. Those who are mediocre are getting left behind. But on the flip side, it is also becoming more difficult to stand out in the workplace as the expectation of job excellence and performance increase.
You already know the reasons you should be excellent at work. Standing out has its perks, such as the increased possibility for raises and promotional opportunities as the company increasingly values you and your work. While these are important, they are also shallow when compared to the long-term benefits excellence brings to your life and career.
When you are excellent in your work, you are building skills that will help you not only now, but also in the future. You are investing in yourself, and joy and fulfillment come from the process of working to become great.
What Value Do I Bring to My Company?
If you are confused as to what you excel in, or what value you bring to your job, this may be an initial bad sign! (Uh-oh!) Begin by considering your personal strengths and talents you identified in Chapter 12. If you still don't know what value you bring, quickly run and get your last performance review and search out what was written about you. What specific behaviors were documented that speak to where you excel in your position?
If nothing is in the performance review, you have your work cut out for you.
Grab your trusted fellow employees or others who work in your department and conduct several interviews with only one question: What are one or two areas in my work that I am seen as the expert? Listen closely and hope for the truth! If you don't agree with what they are saying, then you are probably correct in assuming they are not speaking the truth. (It is difficult to find people who will tell you the honest truth about yourself.)
Another method for discovering what value you provide is to listen to your fellow employees or customers when you return from vacation. While you were gone, what fell apart? What didn't get accomplished and what does no one else in the department know how to do as well as you?
Now that you are prepared, let's answer the question. Grab a pen or a pencil and write down what value you offer your direct manager, counterparts, and your team members! Write down at least three responses.
What Value Do I Bring to My Company?
How Do I Become Excellent?
This is where it begins to get fun. If you can't identify an area in which you are already excellent, then choose one aspect of your work to become the expert in. Be sure that it is something you enjoy because you will be spending time on mastering this skill. Here are a few suggestions to speed up the mastering process.
- Learn as much as you can about the area you want to excel in. Become the knowledge expert in that area.
- Do more than is required for that specific responsibility. Go beyond being able to do it faster and better than anyone else. Think of what could go wrong or problems that are regularly seen in this area and be the one to provide suggestions on how to fix the issues.
- Be the first to help others when it comes to this specific task. The more you practice, the faster you will master it.
- Take the lead in this area. If any new project arises that pertains to this area, stand up and take a leadership role. If you are not chosen to lead, then be an active contributor and bring ideas to the table, and speak up when a bad idea is presented. You need to position yourself as an expert. Once you figure out how to excel in one area, it is much easier to do in another, not to mention that developing excellence becomes habit forming!
I Refuse to Broadcast My Successes
The time has long since passed (unfortunately) that your work speaks for itself. If your boss and others in your department and organization don't know how great you are, and what areas you excel in, you may be making a fatal career mistake. You have to stand out to be noticed, to get opportunities, and to increase your job security. (Not to mention earn more money!)
“But I hate to brag.”
“I don't know how to market myself.”
“I don't like yelling about my accomplishments from the rooftops. It makes me look like a kiss-up.”
Most people find it difficult to tout their accomplishments. It is important to know that there is a big difference between bragging and creating a branding for yourself in the organization. You won't need to tell everyone about your recent success if others do it for you. By involving others in your work, you can congratulate and give kudos to them. It will make their day and they will do the same for you, giving you the recognition you've earned.
To be clear, the one person you must speak with about your accomplishments and successes is with your manager. It is your responsibility to set aside time during your one-on-ones to share what you are doing well. Your boss is not a mind reader, but is busy instead working and worrying about his or her own career. You need to provide the information so it can be shared up the leadership chain.
You have now completed the foundation of your career plan and it is time to start planning, strategizing, and creating the career that you want. This is where the fun begins!