Performance is Just the Starting Point

Welcome to?Driving Impact,?your biweekly infusion of knowledge to help you ignite transformative change in your industry and in your career without losing yourself. I will extend my 20+ years of knowledge across industries, roles, and regions and invite guests to join in and hear how they tackle important challenges in their industry. I welcome all comments on what you'd love to hear more about in the next editions.

à bient?t

-Katheline

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9?? Here are 9 Simple Steps to Drive More Impact

In today’s talent arena, where competition knows no bounds, performance is a given, it's the cost of entry. How do you create an impact in your industry and in your own career? One of the biggest mistakes professionals make is hoping that core role performance will accelerate their career. It will get you to the door, but you still need the key...

First Things First

A few probing questions can help you get started in shaping your 'career impact plan'.

Amongst a crowd of high performers:

• How will you set your personal brand apart?
• What is your unique value differentiator?
• How will your impact be remembered?
• What is your unique contribution?
• What are your unique POVs?

"Welcome to the Bottom"

These questions can extend beyond career introspection and invite you to envision the profound influence you'll create within your industry.

As a wise person once told me after I got a promotion in a corporate job: "Welcome to the bottom". What this person meant, in their own cynical way, is expectations are higher the higher you climb.

Driving impact in a corporate career involves making a significant and positive difference within your organization.

Here are 9 strategies to help you get started:

1. Set clear goals: Clearly define your goals and align them with the broader objectives of your organization, of your department, of your boss and your boss's boss. Having a clear direction will help you focus your efforts on areas where you can create the most impact, where you can add value, and differentiate yourself. Ideally, you are solving big and bold problems that are still within your reach with coaching and support.
2. Understand your organization: Gain a deep understanding of your organization's mission, values, and strategic priorities. This knowledge will enable you to identify the right opportunities where you can contribute.
3. Seek opportunities for improvement: Continuously look for ways to improve processes, systems, and outcomes within your organization. Identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, or areas for innovation, and propose practical solutions to drive positive change. Hint: everybody can complain but not everybody can help provide a solution...

Ask yourself: "How could I make this better? How could I increase the quality of our inputs and outputs? How can I increase our speed to delivery? What is missing from our view that would make a sizable difference to how we operate?"

4. Take initiative: Don't wait for instructions or guidance to take action. Don't wait for the playbook or the perfect blueprint. Don't wait for orders. Take initiative to identify problems and opportunities, propose and implement solutions. Be proactive and demonstrate leadership by assuming additional responsibilities and going beyond your assigned tasks.

5. Master the art of collaboration: Foster collaboration across different departments or teams within your organization. Build relationships, seek diverse perspectives, and involve relevant stakeholders in decision-making processes. Collaboration can lead to innovative ideas and better outcomes.

6. Master effective communication: Develop strong communication skills to convey your ideas, proposals, and achievements clearly and persuasively. Tailor your message to your audience and use data and evidence to support your arguments. Effective communication helps you gain support for your initiatives and drive change.

7. Embrace perpetual learning: Invest in your professional development by seeking opportunities to learn and grow. Stay updated with industry trends, new technologies, and best practices. Acquiring new skills and knowledge will enable you to bring fresh ideas and solutions to your organization.

8. Measure and communicate your impact: Establish metrics or key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the impact of your initiatives. Regularly track progress, collect data, and analyze the results. Communicate your achievements to your superiors, colleagues, and stakeholders, highlighting the positive outcomes you have achieved. Agree with the below stakeholders on the cadence and format of such communication. Ask for feedback in each of these 'impact updates' to your leadership team.

9. Be adaptable and resilient: Embrace change and adapt to new circumstances. Anticipate unforeseen setbacks and emerge resilient, armed with an unwavering positive attitude. There will be more setbacks than you can predict... You might get frustrated at times and it is part of the growth process. Be resilient in the face of obstacles and stay level headed. Leaders can appreciate someone who can remain cool and collected when the castle falls apart. This flexibility and resilience will help you stand out in a sea of complaints and will help you navigate the challenges of driving impact in a dynamic corporate environment.

Remember, driving impact requires a combination of strategic thinking, initiative, masterful collaboration, and expert communication.

Dear reader,

this was the first edition of the Driving Impact newsletter. In future editions, we will dig in across an array of topics and interview a select group of professionals to understand how they drive impact in their specific field.

I'm hoping these conversations will infuse a solid dose of knowledge to help you solve complex problems and leave your mark.

ASK: Send me your questions in the comments related to how to drive impact and become memorable in your field or anything else you would love to hear about on this topic.

à bient?t

-Katheline