We all want to be awesome at our careers. In order to do that, we have to stand out, get ahead of the change curve, and stay relevant, by going far beyond our job description.
Jesse Sostrin, author of Beyond the Job Description: How Managers and Employees Can Meet the True Demands of the Job, believes that to go beyond our job description we have to get around, what he calls, the hidden curriculum of work, which are things such as: the need for continuous learning and performance and the presence of performance barriers. When we face the hidden curriculum of work without a plan, we often fail to contribute our best effort, we lose sight of the things that inspire us, and we disengage.
Makes sense, but how exactly do we do that? No worries. He gives us a plan on how to excel at the workplace! Check it out below:
1. Commit for the Long-Haul: With careers that span more than six decades, it is an unmistakable truth that our lives are “working lives.” The level of focus and energy you put into your own growth and development right now will set the trajectory for what you achieve over the long-haul. Your ability to work well is the scaffolding for a long, healthy, and successful life.
2. Decide to Care: A vast majority of people in the workforce are just camping out, doing the bare minimum to keep their jobs, and are otherwise are totally disengaged in their work. When you decide to care, you give yourself motivation to achieve the working life you want and to give back in ways that further elevate your passion for the values and causes you care about most.
3. Recognize the Double-Reality of Work: One reason work can be so frustrating is because there is a “double-reality” that causes confusion and stress. The “job description” that explains your role is often different from the reality you face. To manage this, accept the fact that you are actually working two jobs. The first is the position you interviewed for, including the title and all of the responsibilities outlined on paper. The second “job-within-the-job” includes the unspoken work that requires you to manage constant change, effectively collaborate with difficult people, navigate confusing workplace politics, and get your best work done in an environment of shrinking resources and increasing demands.
4. Use Your Barriers to Grow: Although challenges to getting great work done are everywhere, the good news is that when carefully identified barriers mark the pathways to improved learning and performance. Every stumbling block can be a teachable moment when you look for the root cause of the issue, explore it from different perspectives, and spot the shift in your thinking/action that can resolve it. If we can learn from them, our barriers become signposts on our hidden path to success at work and point us toward the changes we need to make to get better.
5. Develop Your Future-Proof Plan: Guided by principles and practices that can help you stand out, stay ahead of the change curve, and achieve the working life you want, your Future-Proof plan is like a tightly packed synopsis of your vision and strategy for success on the job. To complete your future-proof plan, start by refining your future-proof purpose (what you bring to the table that nobody else can). Next, clarify your future-proof contributions (the specific things you say and do that set you apart). Then, identify your future-proof capabilities (the skills and abilities that you need in order to contribute your purpose and value over time). And finally, establish your future-proof relationships (map out the mutually-supportive relationships you need to thrive).
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