People want to stand out at work, and really, it’s not all that complicated. (You’ll notice I didn’t say it wouldn’t be difficult. I said it wasn’t complicated.)
And no, I don’t mean surface ways you can stand out, like by having tattoos (I don’t care if you have them or not — just do awesome work), being gregarious (again, doesn’t matter to me either way — just do awesome work), kissing the appropriate posteriors (ok, I can’t stand this one, and neither can anyone else, so let’s just not employ this strategy — deal?), or anything else like that.
Instead, try these…
Serve.
In a world dominated by people frantically trying to figure out how to stand out for any number of reasons, be the one who stands out for your dedication to being others-oriented.
Offer suggestions, ideas, and most importantly, solutions.
Anyone can point out things that aren’t perfect, and there’s not necessarily anything wrong with doing that sometimes. The people who make a difference in organizations, however, are the ones who can not only spot something that’s off, but can also come up with solutions for how to make it better.
[bctt tweet=”Some find problems. Some find solutions. Difference-makers find both. #leadership #companyculture”]
Be actively engaged in meetings.
This requires you to be mentally engaged with your team as they’re discussing things so that you can subsequently offer substantive thoughts and ideas of your own, as was mentioned above. Healthy, functioning teams are teams whose members all participate. You can’t make a difference if you’re not engaging in discussions with your team.
Initiate.
Take the lead. Be the one who takes the first step. When you see something that needs done, do it. If you’re not sure if you’re “allowed” to do it, ask whoever you need to ask if you can take the lead and make it happen. In organizations all over the place, the majority of folks sit passively, waiting for others to take the lead. Be that person. Initiate.
[bctt tweet=”Don’t talk about doing things. Do things. #leadership #companyculture”]
Be the positive counterbalance to negativity.
All organizations have negativity from time to time. Heck, as humans, all of us are negative from time to time, right? What I’m talking about, though, is that we understand that within organizations there are often pockets of negativity that develop for any number of reasons. Usually, negative folks tend to gravitate towards each other.
You can stand out by not only refusing to get sucked into the black hole of negativity, but also choosing to be a proactive and vocal source of positivity in the organization. Will it always be easy? Nope. What’s ridiculously easy is to hide in the shadows and be negative. But that’s why choosing to be a force for positivity within an organization makes you stand out. It’s what leaders do.
Pursue development.
High performers are generally folks who are always looking for ways they can learn and grow. They do these things on their own, of course, but they also seek out coaching and development from their managers and others as well.
Ask your teammates for feedback.
Yikes. Talk about terrifying. Granted, this requires a different sort of trust, but it also shows a level of humanness and vulnerability that most people aren’t willing to show at work. Of course, if you’re a Mojo client, this is a normal part of team life.
These are just a handful of things you could try, and there are certainly others. Feel free to add yours in the comments below!
