As much as we keep hearing about the gig and freelancer economy, the reality is that most of still have full time jobs and at least for the foreseeable future this won’t change. This means that for most of us we still want to know how to succeed and thrive in the jobs and roles that we are in. However, most of the pieces of advice we hear about recommend things like making your manager look good, taking on extra work, trying to become friends with others, and the like. Instead, I want to propose a few non-conventional yet powerful approaches that employees can use to get ahead at work.
If your company has internal social media or collaboration tools, use them.
In the world of social media many people have been able to build businesses for themselves and gain recognition as being a thought leader. In fact, I took this very same approach myself years ago when social media first became popular. This led to all sorts of great opportunities such as book deals and speaking engagements. However, if it wouldn’t have been for these social tools and platforms then chances are that I wouldn’t be contributing to Forbes. These same social tools that we use in our personal lives now exist inside of our organizations. All sorts of collaboration tools and internal social networks enable employees to build this same type of thought leadership amongst their peers, managers, and co-workers. Start an internal blog, participate in internal group chats and discussions, and be all over that internal social network and collaboration tool if your company has one. You will get recognized for your contributions and become much more visible in your company which will lead to greater opportunities.
Volunteer for any beta programs.
Oftentimes organizations have beta or pilot programs around various initiatives. For example when trying to eliminate annual employee reviews an organization might first test this idea among a small group of people. These pilots might be for new technology implementations or new organizational design principles. Whatever the beta program might be, sign up to get access to it and participate. Not only will you get the experience of understanding what might be coming down the road but you will also get the visibility of being a part of something new. Don’t just participate but share, collaborate, communicate, and add value where you can.
Learn how to learn.
This is perhaps the most consistent theme that comes up during my conversations with chief HR, talent, and people officers. To be the smartest person in the room all you need is a smartphone. In that type of environment what separates you from everyone else is your ability to learn new things and to apply the new things you learn to various scenarios and situations. Whether you are in marketing or IT, HR or finance, it doesn’t matter. Regardless of the job you’re in, that job will change. New technologies will emerge and new approaches to doing your job will develop. Years ago if you studied marketing you weren’t taught social media, you had to learn it. To succeed in the future of work you have to be able to take your own personal and professional development into your own hands. Take courses online (that you might have to pay for yourself), attend events, reach out to peers, and do whatever you need to do to stay relevant. You can’t rely on your university or your organization to teach you everything you need to know to be successful. That part is up to you!
Have another unconventional tip you would add to this list? Let’s hear it! Leave a comment below and let me know what you think.
Jacob Morgan is a keynote speaker, author, and futurist. You can invite Jacob to keynote your next conference, subscribe to his videos on Youtube, check our his podcast, or subscribe to his newsletter!
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