How to get noticed at work -finding recognition

Does it sometimes feel like your hard work isn’t noticed?

Perhaps you do such a damn good work on a regular basis so much that your supervisor takes you for granted. Maybe, because of this, you’re no longer recognized and rewarded for your efforts as you once were.

Oh well, you might be the best worker in your organization, and the one everyone wants on their team – but, it you remain largely unnoticed, you’ ll be passed up for new projects, additional responsibilities, awards and promotions.

People can often overlook your efforts, even if you consistently work hard. It’s up to you, not them, to draw the spotlight, so that you can keep moving towards your career goals. Please be rest assured that although sycophants, flatterers and other “ass-licking” colleagues may seem to get ahead in the interim, but most often than not, they fall just as fast as they rise.

How to get noticed?

Develop specialist skills

Do you consider yourself a generalist – someone who does many different things in different roles, or a specialist – someone who is an expert in one or two specific areas?

When an organization is in its infancy, it will often hire generalists, because they can perform in many different roles. As organizations grow, however, specialists are often hired to focus on key areas. This may leave the hard-working generalists feeling pushed aside and disempowered.

If you’re a generalist, think strategically about the sort of skills your organization needs. Work on building these skills to become a specialist. The more knowledgeable and skillful you become in a particular area, the more likely you are to be noticed for your work.

Remember that organizations also tend to look for people with soft skills – non-technical skills such as creative thinking, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution. These are often as important as professional expertise. So, if you are thinking of becoming a specialist in a certain area, don’t forget these important skills. Helping your boss resolve a major conflict within your team will get you noticed just as much as delivering a great presentation or sales report.

Get out of the shadows

It can be easy to stay in the background and keep your head down. But to get noticed, you will need to take yourself out of the shadows.

A simple way is to start by making conscious effort to talk more in meetings and on digital communications channels. Improving your network by joining events and socializing will also mean more people will get to know who you are. This can be daunting for some but working on your self-confidence and communication skills will go a long way towards making this possible.

It’s also important to et credit for your ideas. Sometimes, whether intentionally or unintentionally, your manager or colleagues may present your ideas as theirs. If a person claims your ideas as their own in a meeting, gently but firmly correct the misstatement. Its important that you speak up. This might mean having a difficult conversation with your boss but the situation will only get worse if you don’t and your well-being will suffer.

Take on more responsibilities

You can also get noticed in your organization by taking on more responsibilities whenever possible. This doesn’t mean that you should overwork yourself. But if you see a new project or role that will help you expand your skills, take advantage of it. Look out for projects that have high visibility within the organization, or that will show a significant impact on the bottom line.

This is particularly important with innovation and process improvement. Developing a reputation as an innovator or creative thinker can be valuable. So try to get assigned to projects where these skills are valued.

Please note that as you take up more responsibilities, make sure that you continue to do the core parts of your job well. If you fail to do this, you will get noticed but for all the wrong reasons.

Track your accomplishment

When you are working hard, its easy to forget some of your achievement over the past six to twelve months.

Keep track of all your accomplishment within the organization. If clients or colleagues pay you compliments, write them down. If the compliments came in an email or social channel, take a screen shot. If you exceeded last quarter’s sales target, for instance, make a note of the statistics that prove it.

When its time for your performance review, you will now have hard evidence to prove to your boss what a great job you are doing. Then, when it’s time to ask for a pay raise or promotion, you’ ll be in a better position to secure it.

More tip on getting noticed.

• Stay updated in the industry – having commercial awareness of your wider industry improves decision making and problem solving and makes you an even more valuable employee. Therefore, consuming trade newsletters, blogs, podcast, social media and other relevant materials will keep you up to date on the trends and technology. Even better, why not seek out opportunities to be a contributor.
• Find a mentor – Mentors can offer valuable advice and career coaching. They will also serve as sponsors for you, within the organization and further afield. Chances are that the mentor has been through the same situation that you are experiencing and can help you navigate them successfully.
• Get involved in your organization’s charitable causes – Volunteering for these activities – liking running in a race or helping to organize a fund raising event – can help build your network and raise your profile within the wider organization, while contributing to a worthwhile cause.

What do you think? Please drop comments and lets share knowledge.

Courtesy MindTools