This is your year to become a star performer.
Imagine this: Your boss suddenly turns to you and asks, “What are your work superpowers?” Do you have a snappy, ready-to-roar response? If not, you might be missing out on a chance to stand out during one-on-ones, review periods, and those casual (virtual or in-person) office catch-ups. Not being able to confidently and directly talk about your professional strengths is like dimming your own spotlight: If you don’t know what makes you shine, how will others?
But don’t fret! If your response to your manager would’ve taken longer than you’d like to admit, we’ve got a tip from Erica Keswin, a future-of-work guru and author of Bring Your Human to Workand The Retention Revolution. To figure out your star qualities, reflect on the feedback you’ve received throughout your career journey to help identify your strengths. Get insights from family and friends, too — often they see superpowers in us better than we can. “You don’t have to sit around and wait for someone else to tell you what your superpowers are,” says Keswin. “You can begin the process by doing some data analysis on your own and then vetting it with trusted people in your network.”
You’ve identified your work superpowers. Now what?
Unearth that dusty job description of yours, then take a look at your specific responsibilities and think about how your career strengths can help support each. “If you have a superpower that has nothing to do with being successful in your job, your boss might say, OK, that’s great, but what does that have to do with your role?”
It’s ideal when your strengths are related to your job — or the job you want — but it’s more important to understand how your strengths distinguish you from the 10 other people at your company in a similar role. Let’s face it — you want to be the standout star, not just another face in the crowd.
How to stand out from your peers during the review period
Aside from honing your strengths throughout the year — and understanding how they fit into your overall job duties and the company’s goals — there are smaller ways to make a large impact.
As Keswin points out: “It’s the little things that matter right now, since we’re not seeing each other in person as much as we used to: turning the camera on when you’re in a Zoom meeting, asking questions, being prepared, not multitasking,” says Keswin. “If you’re in a position where there’s an option to go into an office, show up. That’s not to say you can’t have flexibility and drop your kid off at school or go to the doctor’s when you need to, but err on the side of showing up, physically and mentally.”
Especially in today’s modern workforce, you also have to be creative about finding ways to let people get to know you. “All the data shows that employees, at all levels, tend to be more connected and engaged when the people they work with actually know them,” says Keswin. “If you want to be known, have a presence. If your company leverages various Slack channels to help people connect around different types of interests, try participating.”
Find ways to grow on the job
One way the younger generations are shifting office culture is by seeking out opportunities for growth on the job. “I would be super proactive,” says Keswin. “In any meeting with my boss, I would find out what resources are available to help me grow and develop.”
Even if it’s tough to snag a promotion, given the structure of your organization or the nature of your role, that doesn’t mean you should stay idle. “When I think about what leaders want, they’re looking for people who want to grow and develop and who are playing the long game,” says Keswin. “Whether it’s becoming a better writer or speaker — these qualities might not exactly translate into being better at their current job — it’s making them better as an employee overall, and that’s someone the boss wants to invest in.”
Don’t forget: Everyone faces setbacks on their professional journey
… but it’s how you handle them that can either boost your career or lead to stagnation. If your review during the last cycle didn’t go as swimmingly as you’d hoped, make sure to get as many details as possible around the feedback, and what ideas your manager has to help close those gaps, explains Keswin.
“If you don’t get specific on what you can do to improve, then six months can go by and there’s no metric to review,” she says. “I’d also push for more regular conversations about your performance, so you’re not blindsided at the end of this year. You can ask something as simple as, ‘Hey, can I hear from you on a more regular basis to make sure that I’m on track?’”
Don’t forget to build your network
“It’s tricky in today’s market,” says Keswin. “A lot of people are in survival mode. But one of the things I’ve always done in my career is to take lots of opportunities to connect with more senior people, especially when you don’t need anything from them.”
You should always be thinking about building your professional network and getting to know as many people as you can — even when there’s nothing specific that you want. “Because then all of a sudden, when you do need something, that’s the worst feeling,” says Keswin. “You’re like, ‘Oh, I wish I’d been in touch with that person sooner.’”
Don’t know how to start reaching out? The new year is the perfect time to set goals for yourself. Maybe you commit to reach out to at least two new contacts per month – or quarter. It can be senior women in leadership positions, peers, or people from other teams entirely. “When I think about building a career,” says Keswin, “It’s based on honoring relationships and building longer-term relationships with my network.”
Looking for more career advice? Erica Keswin is offering a free LinkedIn Learning course on skills and the internal talent marketplace. And be sure to sign up for Katie Couric’s bi-weekly Wake-Up Call at Work newsletter — another LinkedIn exclusive.
