Your influence is the only thing to get you noticed
Sitting quietly in the back of the office, merely “following your job description”, even effectively, is not going to get you promoted. An employee has to have influence, meaning he/she must be actively involved in conversations that will advance his/her career.
I am not suggesting you must be self-promoting, but rather to have the courage to share ideas about your work and to be confident in expressing your feelings about the direction of the company and your role in it. This is about creating influence.
With companies having to really push themselves to thrive in these economically-tough times, it is only wise that they allow their employees to assume greater responsibility to help the company achieve excellence.
See ways you can achieve influence in the workplace:
Influence Breeds Impact and Cultivates Momentum
If you are passionate about something in your work, create impact. This is how your influence becomes viral and how your voice generates demand. You begin to generate momentum as your value in the company grows. Your passion does not always fall within your generic job description, put your hand up for initiatives the company deploys that falls within your areas of passion.
Influence Creates Discovery of Talent
When you are influential at work, people begin to take notice. The more successes you bring to the company, the more you will be noticed. The more you are noticed, the more you will be spoken about and eventually the right people will hear about you. This is how promotions are influenced, as your talent will be discovered by other influencers in the company.
Influence Starts New Conversations
When your voice matters and it is being heard, people want to become a part of your conversations. People become curious about what you are talking about and want to be on the inside of the discussion. These conversation innovators became conversation leaders.
The above factors have significant weight in adding to an employee’s ‘career currency’ and overall influence in the workplace, which will positively affect your progression.