How to be a Rockstar at work
I remember seeing a shift in how others saw me as I moved from my thirties into my forties. I was noticed less, passed over more, leap-frogged in the queue and even at work despite my proven success and achievements was still having to fight for my own space daily. It’s time for more of us to step out of the shadows and be a Rockstar in our own way, whatever your work or profession. If you’ve started a new role, are keen to get ahead at work or just want to step out the shadows, here are my top 5 tips for being a Rockstar at work.
1 Famous for …
First, be great at the fundamentals of your job and build relationships with your manager, colleagues and key customers. Make sure that you are using your strengths as often as you can. Your strengths are the things you are good at and that energise you. Using and developing your strengths at work can result in greater enjoyment, better performance and provide you with more energy and vitality. Your strengths and being known for great at your job are the foundations for rocking it.
2 Build your support crew
Make at least one friend at work, as this is all it takes not to feel lonely in the workplace. Not only will this increase your sense of belonging at work, which is crucial for motivation, but happy people are more productive, so everyone wins. Then find someone in a position of influence that can help you advance your career. Build a strong relationship with them and get to know each other. Ultimately, this person will hopefully suggest you for opportunities when they arise and say good things about you to others. This might be your manager or someone in a senior leadership role.
3 Confidence of a Rockstar
More than likely you are highly capable and a dedicated worker. Unfortunately, hard work doesn’t always get noticed or get you to where you want to go. Your confidence in your skills and ability can either accelerate or halt your career. If your confidence is holding you back, then I encourage you to try new things to build your confidence. Start with trying small steps like getting to know more people in the business or taking on a project or piece of work outside your comfort zone. Try one new thing at a time, reflect on each activity and keep track of progress. These small actions see you building new relationships, experimenting and learning and will ultimately increase your confidence. You’ll prove to yourself that you’re able to achieve more than you thought possible.
4 Be a proud band member
While you likely bring a wealth of experience, constantly referring to your former band (previous employer/s) and talking about how you did things there can put others off-side. Make it known you are proud to be a member of the band. Take an approach of seeking to understand and when you offer ideas and opinions of how things might improve, make your suggestions in a thoughtful and considerate way that acknowledges all the good work that already exists.
5 Stand out from the crowd
A good way to stand out or make a good impression is to demonstrate a strong willingness to learn and enthusiasm. Look for opportunities to initiate solving a problem. If you can find a way to solve problems for others and make life a little easier for your manager or colleagues, then you will certainly stand out. There are not too many missteps or wrong moves from a career perspective if you are focused on what you can learn and gain in experience. Every Rocker has a gig that bombed, but even terrible experiences can help you grow; in fact, it’s possible that we advance and grow more through challenge. So, take a risk, initiate solving a problem that helps others and ultimately it will help you advance.
It’s time to step out of the shadows, be a Rockstar in your own way, get famous, build a crew, be confident, be a proud member of the band and stand out from the crowd. Whether this is where you work now or your next place of work, be the amazing Rocker you were meant to be.