3 Ways to Stand Out in Your Organization
Elizabeth Rozet
Employer Brand @Amazon | Empowering Future Top Voices | Chronic Illness Awareness
There are some people who stand out in groups. They gain respect from people who make decisions and they have an influence on the decisions made within the group. These individuals often become the leaders after some time. Based on my experience, there are three ways an individual can stand out in a group and receive this type of attention.
1. Support the people in charge.
People in leaderships positions are often overwhelmed by the amount of things they need to oversee and the things they need to implement. The person that proactively volunteers to take on a task – and does it well- will be seen as dedicated and passionate by the people in leadership. When you become supportive to the leaders they will become reliant on you and you’ll stand out among the people who simply show up.
2. Gain valuable knowledge that will help the group.
Do the leaders follow the vision and mission statement and goals set out for the organization? What are some complicated things about the organization that other members don’t have time to read or learn about? What are the strategic reasons WHY your organization is doing some of the things it does? The more you know about the group the more involved you will be. When people start realizing they can turn to you for help or explanation for why things are done, you’ll stand out.
3. Think of things you can do to make change within the organization.
This one can be a little dangerous. You want to be seen as supportive and involved; not dominating and taking over. Can you think of a solution for something that other members complain about? Ask to meet with the leaders of the organization. Bring the problem forward, offer several solutions to the problem and volunteer to lead the change. Be open to the feedback of the leaders.
Standing out has its benefits, but it can also be dangerous. Be receptive to leadership feedback, listen to suggestions, and be willing to grow. If you implement the 3 steps above slowly and don’t become power hungry, you will be the glue that holds together an outstanding organization. Good Luck!
National Manager Personnel Support Programs (PSP) Operations at Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services
6 年Great post Elizabeth. I love the first one especially. In my experience, anyone who is seen as being there to help and to reduce the workload of their boss, will do very well. Not only will they have opportunities to learn and gain experience, they will be proving that they can work outside the box and go the extra mile. And when it comes time to send someone on that special opportunity or job, you will be a prime candidate partly as a reward or to better prepare you for the future. I terms of strategies of the organization, I completely agree that most folks do not know enough about this area. If you can prepare presentations that speak to this issue and explain why the organization does certain things, you will be seen as much more strategic and with much more potential. If you can speak to changes the organization has to make to achieve its goals in the future, this is even better. Many years ago, my boss used to say "Bring me your solutions, not your problems." It took me a few years to fully understand what he was meaning. My experience is that too few folks today can solve problems in a timely and effective manner...this is especially true when dealing with people problems. If you can look at a situation, determine all the relevant factors associated with that problem, analyze why, determine some options and compare them to come up with a simply yet effective solution, you will achieve much. And if you can do that with your boss' problems, even better. Thanks for the great article.