Tips For Admins

We’ve all heard of the proverbial saying that the squeaky wheel gets the oil, and there’s a lot of merit to that when it comes to becoming more visible within your company.

When you attend a conference, take a course or read a relevant article, write a memo on what you’ve learned and send it to your boss. Keep a file of these memos. Find a mentor and ask what areas you should focus on to enhance your career. Ask your boss to attend planning meetings, look for ways to get more involved, read the company’s annual report. You might not notice any differences right away, but by continually letting your boss know what you’ve done and how you’ve focused on the growth of the company, you really will start to see results.

You’ll also make career gains by taking on a greater leadership role at work. The reason is simple, namely that people learn from being led, not told. They watch how we react, how we handle stress, how we deal with emotional issues and how we acknowledge accomplishments.

In looking at how we continue to expand on existing leadership roles or carve out new ones, let’s start with perception.

Look the part. Mind you I’m not talking about the “dress for success mentality” although dressing the part is smart and effective. What I’m referring to is the information that is communicated loudly without ever saying a word.

We’ve talked in the past about the fact that 90% of initial communication is nonverbal: 58% is visual, 38% tonal and 7% based on content. When we are assuming a leadership role our demeanor—posture, tone, hands, and eye contact—either back up or deny what we’re saying.

Look for role models. Maybe it’s a politician (they exude confidence) or celebrity (does Donald Trump ever look less than supremely self confident?) or someone you’ve worked with in the past. The idea is to find people who show their confidence (not their arrogance) in everything they do and them duplicate their behavior, or at least adapt it to your own style.

Know yourself. I didn’t say to dwell on weaknesses or be in denial of something that needs fixing, but do assess where your strengths and weaknesses lie and what steps you should take immediately to continue growing. Get a mentor if possible, and if not at least a person who will give you unbiased feedback as to what areas of your professional life need to be improved upon, and which areas are your strengths.

Help others shine. Absolutely nothing is more important than bringing the best out in others. When your team looks good, so do you. Just as you know the importance of making a boss look good, realize that the more everyone around looks great, the better you’ll look, and the better they’ll feel. Remember recognition should be individualized, specific and deserved.

Again, Tom Rath says in “How Full Is Your Bucket?” that the ratio should be about five to one. Five positive reinforcements for every one negative one. And while we’re on positive reinforcement, helping others shine, don’t forget that most people get more excited about and appreciate more the gifts that are not expected. Send a muffin, a paperback, a single flower, a CD or any and all other ideas for thank you gift. I realize I’ve already mentioned this but most people can count on one hand the time someone really found a way to say thank you. Sometimes we all forget to say thank you, and forget to tell others how great they are, or what a fine job they did.

Get everyone engaged in the vision. There are people with vivid imaginations who can soar on their own, and people who can’t see past the end of their noses. Look at their learning styles, look at what excites them, makes them tick, and find ways to bring them into the vision. Ask for advice, ask for suggestions, and then…

Listen. Most of us forget 70% of what we hear within 24 hours. The corporate world is peopled by lousy listeners. If we are going to lead others we need to know what they think, know and feel. The more we really listen (as if we have to write a memo based on what we have just heard) the more effectively we’ll engage the person who is doing the talking. Listening is one of the most difficult things to do and an immensely valuable tool when we master it.

Best regards,

~ Jennifer