Page 310 - How America's Best Places to Work Inspire Extra Effort in Extraordinary Times

Self-Engagement C297

___ Before taking on a new job assignment, ask questions to make sure the
job is one that will make good use of your talents.
___ If your career path seems blocked, or you can see no advancement op-
portunities, seek lateral or cross-functional assignments. Imagine ways
you could actually create a new job or new assignment for yourself that
meets the needs of the firm while making better use of your talents.
___ Learn how money flows through the organization, and what you can do
to increase sales/profits or reduce costs.
___ Put yourself in the supervisor’s shoes, and be prepared to explain how it
would benefit your work unit or organization as a whole to change your
job assignments, increase the variety of job tasks you perform, expand
your responsibilities, or allow you greater autonomy.
___ Seek whatever training you need to earn the trust of your supervisor to
delegate more to you.
___ Instead of getting too comfortable when you have mastered a job, keep
yourself engaged by seeking new challenges.
___ Ask for feedback about performance issues that may be holding you
back.
___ Informally interview people in positions to which you aspire, ask their
advice, get a realistic understanding of their jobs, and seek a mentoring
relationship with them where appropriate.
___ Explore the possibility of temporarily or permanently swapping jobs
with a coworker.
___ Seek and propose mini-assignments that will help prepare you for a job
that may not be currently available so you don’t have to wait to try out
pieces of the job.
___ Let your supervisor know your career aspirations, talents, and plans so
he or she can understand how to help you.
___ Become an “intrapreneur” by identifying a new service or business idea
that can make money for the company.
___ Think twice before quitting your job. First, meet with your supervisor
(or a trusted coworker) to articulate your concerns, and ask for construc-
tive ideas for resolving the situation.
___ Other: _________________________________________________________
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