Best Practices for Amplifying Your Influence & Standing Out in Your Workspace
The Accounting space can be a competitive environment.
After all, employees want to do their best work for their employer, make a lasting impression on their colleagues, and consistently develop and grow in the company. This means work environments can become pretty competitive.
The more time and effort you commit to doing your best work, the more likely you’ll be to earn trust from your managers, fantastic recommendations, promotion opportunities, and more.
Plus, consistent strong work ethic can help increase job security by showing higher-ups your dedication to get the job done & perform at a high level.
In recent years, standing out in the workplace has become more important and complex, thanks to the rise of hybrid and remote working. Around 96% of employees in one study said they believe it’s now crucial to maintain “visibility” in the workplace.
So, how do you ensure you stand out for all the right reasons?
Step 1: Take Initiative
Establishing yourself as employee often looks like completing tasks and doing what’s expected of you. If you want to really stand out and do your best work, start by taking initiative.
What’s right in front of you to do? What’s the most effective and efficient way to do it? How can I lend a hand to someone around me in order to ensure we meet deadlines?
Being a good employee is doing your job. Being a stand out employee is looking for ways to do your job more efficiently and effectively and helping others do the same.
Research shows proactive people in the workforce are often viewed as better performers, innovators, and contributors. Taking the initiative occasionally shows your employer you understand the business’s goals and you’re willing to act without being prompted.
The key to success is knowing when to take the initiative. If your employer asks you to do something a specific way, following instructions carefully will likely reflect better on you than taking a more creative approach. Some great ways to take the initiative (safely) include:
- Suggesting solutions to common problems in meetings or work conversations
- Volunteering for new projects or asking to take on additional work
- Seeking out new opportunities to improve your performance, such as investing in training outside the office or developing new skills.
Step 2: Develop your Skills
Investing in skills that might benefit your employer and make you more effective in your role is an excellent way to stand out. It demonstrates a commitment to your employer and excelling in your field.
Think about your current strengths and weaknesses and how they influence your work. Which skills could you develop to make yourself more valuable to your employer? For instance, working on your leadership skills could be valuable if you want to lead your team one day.
If your company is constantly investing in new tech and software, learning how to use common industry tools effectively will mean you can maintain your performance in the future.
There are plenty of ways you can work on developing your skills. For instance, you might attend events and conferences to learn from other industry experts, sign up for training programs or workshops, or explore online courses.
If you’re unsure which skills to develop, consider speaking to one of your supervisors or managers and asking for their insights on what you can improve.
And remember some of these resources may even be right at your fingertips! When you talk to your manager or supervisor, ask if there’s any learning library available or work events you can get involved with!
Step 3: Build Your Network
Who you know can be just as important as what you know. Building a strong professional network improves your credibility with your existing employer by demonstrating your commitment to thriving in your industry. At the same time, it can also improve your chances of finding new opportunities for roles in the future.
Think about both internal and external networking. From an internal perspective, you can focus on building relationships with as many people as possible, from your colleagues to managers and supervisors. The more you connect with other team members, the more you’ll be able to work collaboratively and establish yourself as a crucial part of the workforce.
Externally, look for ways to connect with people who can help you develop your skills and expand your industry knowledge. Participate in groups and forums online, reach out to relevant individuals on social media networks like LinkedIn, and attend conferences to meet new people.
Step 4: Showcase your Accomplishments
In an ideal workplace, managers and business leaders will naturally recognize your accomplishments and reward you for your hard work. However, it can be difficult for any supervisor to keep track of every employee’s achievements.
If you accomplish something fantastic in your role, don’t be afraid to mention it in a team meeting and celebrate those who have helped you accomplish it as well. This can help build morale and showcase that not only are you committed to your success but the success of the company and those around you.
Other ways to do this might look like sharing graphs, statistics, or positive reviews with your manager as a point of feedback.
Saving information about your achievements into a personal file could also be a great way to start to build out your resume in the future and great points of discussion during reviews. It’s helpful to have things you’re proud of as well as things you want to work on and continue improving.
This can be a hard area for most people, so when thinking about what you’ve accomplished, it helps also to think of the people who helped you get there and recognize their achievements as well.
Step 5: Be a Team Player
Continuing with this theme, it is crucial to be a team player. Celebrate your wins and the wins of others as well. Around 37% of employees say teamwork is very important to them, and people enjoy being apart of a collaborative workforce.
Committing to being a “team player” will help you to build better relationships with your colleagues allowing you to accomplish more together and enjoy a more peaceful work environment.
Being a team player means committing wholeheartedly to group projects, sharing your knowledge freely, and looking for ways to support your colleagues. Offer advice and guidance when you can, be willing to assist team members when they ask for help, & be receptive to feedback.
Establishing your why!
It feels great to be recognized in your workplace, but it’s also important to find and have the right motivation supporting your actions.
Things like aligning with your company’s overall mission statement, seeing your colleagues succeed, and supporting your management team in meeting objectives.
You’ll find that it’s easier to consistently do your best when you love what you do and what your company stands for, and you’ll quickly find sometimes the best way to stand out in your work place is through the positive attitude you have towards your work, colleagues, and managers.