Want to Launch Your Career Try These Strategies Marla Gottschalk

Want to Launch Your Career Try These Strategies Marla Gottschalk Photo by William on Unsplash With all that is written about how organizations are evolving to engage todays employees, I cant help but think about the opportunities that we have as contributors to transform those very same organizations. Our own actions shape our careers, and the fact remains that workplaces are built upon a two-way partnership â€" where both employers and employees contribute to eventual success. I would venture to say, that the dynamic between the two becomes more vital with each passing day. Yes, the door swings both ways. To consider this, we should examine the unspoken organizational contract that we make with our employers. What should we (as employees) do to maximize our contribution? Ive talked to supervising managers (from sales to consulting) to get a handle on the attributes they often see in their high potential contributors. Heres a list based upon that feedback: Strive to be industry savvy. If your are not keeping up with the current   hot buttons in your industry, you are probably letting yourself and your employer down. The internet offers endless possibilities to tackle industry specific topics. (You can have a brief chat with an in-house expert as well.) Get up to speed as quickly as you can. Bolster your level of business acumen. Not sure how your role affects the bottom line? What your boss really does? Do you understand exactly how your organization makes and loses money? Devote an hour a week to develop this business muscle. Take a broader view of your work. When completing an assigned project, try not to simply just check off tasks on your to do list.   Always focus on the end-user â€" whether it is an outside client or someone within the organization. How can you craft your work so it becomes more valuable to them? Work with a sense of urgency. High potential employees see the necessity to build a clear road map and stay on task. As one Senior Vice President described, They get up in the morning, have a plan, and want to accomplish their goals. Ask about company initiatives. Be as concerned about your organization as you would like them to be about you. Inquire about current challenges and initiatives. Offer help where appropriate â€" youll be the better for it. Know your fellow team members. Are you assigned to a team? Being a team member is an art form â€" and an important part of work life today. So, do your research. Youll be more invested in your team if you know the backgrounds of your fellow team members. If you have a tendency to turn off opposing opinions, you may look at things quite differently, when you know a little more about the source. Dont play the career comparison game. Career progress is an individual process. It may be frustrating when a fellow employee climbs the career ladder more quickly than you â€" but there may be a perfectly good reason. Dont abandon ship. Trust in your value, and have confidence that you will also excel. Dr. Marla Gottschalk is a Workplace Psychologist, speaker and coach You can also find her on Twitter and Linkedin.