Work Principles 101: 4 steps to get ahead at work

Rob is a 25-year-old millennial living and working in the Phoenix, Area. He’s worked as a sales rep a growing tech startup for 2 years and wants to make a name for himself within the organization. Although he’s excited to prove his worth, he doesn’t know where to begin. What can Rob do to improve his professional brand and stand out among his peers? This is a common problem faced by many driven millennials in organizations across the country. In this article, I’ll highlight some of the strategies you can use to get ahead at work and establish yourself as a valuable contributor.

Take initiative

When starting out in any organization, you won’t have much clout. People will not seek out your opinion on important issues and you may get overlooked for high profile projects. If you want to establish yourself as a contributor, you must seek out opportunities to go above and beyond your job description. Examples of these tasks may include taking on a small project to improve customer wait times by 10%, taking the lead on a small project that results in securing $10,000 worth of business for your company etc.

Not only that, but joining a professional service organization, such as Toastmasters, to improve your public speaking and leadership skills and/or staying an extra hour each weekday to practice delivering your sales pitch can also help develop valuable skills. Regardless of how small a task may be, as you build upon these small wins your colleagues and bosses will take notice. It’s important to note that no one will drop a great opportunity on your lap. You need to take initiative to secure opportunities where you can showcase your skills.

Build rapport

Regardless of whether you’re part of a small or large organization, you’ll need to develop rapport with others if you hope to achieve your long-term professional goals. However, how do you go about developing these relationships? The answer to this question is actually quite simple… take a genuine interest in the lives of others. Although this may seem like a huge time commitment, it doesn’t have to be. It can be as easy as picking up an extra coffee for someone on your daily Starbucks run or having lunch with your coworkers in the lunchroom. A small act of kindness goes a long way and people will remember you for it.

Having said that, you should never initiate contact with someone with hopes of acquiring something from them. Individuals who have bad intentions are easy to spot and most people won’t respond well to this kind of behavior. Instead, seek to help others out for the sake of helping and take an interest in who they are. As you get to know your colleagues, you’ll find they’ll trust you more and be more willing to hear you out.

Speak up

This is something I struggled with when I first started my career at FAST Enterprises. I lacked confidence and thought I didn’t have anything of value to contribute. However, after gaining insight into my own abilities, I realized that my opinion mattered and that I could add value to conversations. According to a recent survey conducted by Robert Half Management Resources, employees valued communications skills higher than technical skills in their managers. On top of that, 30% of people survey mentioned that their bosses could improve in this area. Even if you’re not a boss yet, improving your communication skills will pay huge dividends over the course of your career.

Prior to important meetings, be sure to review the agenda, understand who will be present and come prepared with a list of questions you want to ask. Put some thought into these questions and come ready to contribute to the conversation. Remember that speaking is like a muscle. Although at first, it may feel uncomfortable to flex it, over time you’ll become more comfortable expressing yourself. Eventually, you won’t know how you operated any other way.

Become an asset

Although this recommendation may seem obvious, it's probably the most important in this article. When you become an asset to your organization, new opportunities will be open to you. People who were initially unaware of your contributions will begin to take notice. Although reaching the “asset” status in an organization can accelerate your career, getting there will take effort. One of the ways to accelerate the process is to contribute above and beyond your job description. Your employer has hired you to provide value to the organization. If you overdeliver on what is expected of you, you'll separate yourself from the pack. To go about this, I recommend adding at least 20% to each metric you’re expected to hit.

If you’re expected to hit $100,000 in sales for the year, shoot to secure at least $120,000 in business. If you’re expected to write a program for a client, shoot to deliver the project 20% ahead of schedule and with fewer errors than the competition. Over time, these results will add up and begin to shape your professional brand. Eventually, you'll receive promotions and accolades for your work and will be well on your way to creating the career of your dreams.

Bringing it all together

After reading this article, Rob decided to take action towards improving his professional life. To start, he spearheaded a small initiative to increase the number of small business service contracts. He made a list of possible clients and set out to establish relationships with key decision makers. After 3 months of prospecting and building rapport, he was able to secure over $35,000 in service contracts from small and midsize businesses in the Phoenix area. Along with this new initiative, Rob began having lunch with his co-workers and coordinated a work ultimate frisbee team.

In meetings, Rob has become more assertive and shares his opinion more often. He’s well on his way to becoming an asset to his company and his future looks bright. Although it’s not always easy, taking initiative to change your life for the better is sometimes necessary. If you’re willing to put in the effort to change and grow, I bet you’ll be surprised at the spectacular things you're able to accomplish.

P.S.

My book recommendation for this article is “Principles” by Ray Dalio. In the book, Ray Dalio, one of the most successful hedge fund managers of all time, talks about the life and work principles he's utilized over the course of his life to achieve his massive success. I loved the insights shared in the book, especially the ideas centered around establishing an idea meritocracy in your corporate culture. I'll definitely be utilizing some of the strategies discussed in the book in my own life and I highly recommend the book. I've provided the link to the book here:

Check out "Principles" by Ray Dalio