How to prove your value at work without burning out
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23/03/2021
If you love your job and want to advance your career, you’re no doubt working hard to achieve as many successes as possible. At the same time, the change and uncertainty brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic may have left you feeling the need to prove yourself and position your role as ‘indispensable.’ However, failing to manage this situation correctly may leave you feeling overwhelmed, overworked and burned out.
Here are some ways to prove yourself at work:
Understand how your organisation is changing due to the pandemic
Proactively listening and asking how the strategic objectives of the business may be changing, how your current role may evolve, and importantly, how you can personally prepare for that evolution, now.
It’s also a good idea to think about how value will be measured in the future. By being proactive and creative in this area, you will demonstrate to your employer that you are adaptable and will bring a growth mindset to the inevitable challenges and opportunities that will arise as we enter the next era of work.
Demonstrate your personal commitment to learning and establish yourself as an expert
Once you have an understanding of the current and future direction of your organisation, ask yourself how you can apply your unique strengths, skills and competencies to help it thrive. Think about how you can upskill to further build on those unique strengths, skills and competencies via further learning to establish yourself as the ‘go-to’ expert in a given area.
Perfect your remote working etiquette
You may be working virtually, which means you are not always communicating face-to-face. That doesn’t mean that your standards of etiquette should slip. So, practice good meeting etiquette on video calls, be responsive to email and the communication applications your organisation uses and build constructive and supportive relationships within your internal organization.
Stay positive and be optimistic
While these are challenging times, a positive and optimistic attitude will help you to get through it thriving. Not only is positivity contagious within a team, and indeed, throughout the organisation as a whole, but it also breeds success.
It may also help to remind yourself of your organisation’s purpose and reason for being. That way, you can be clear about how your specific role delivers value and gives you meaning, which will reinforce those positive thoughts. It’s also good practice to set attainable goals for the day, so that you feel a sense of accomplishment when you complete them, and importantly, enjoy a reward when you do.
Look after your wellbeing and establish some balance
You won’t be able to fully and effectively prove your value at your organisation if you’re working long hours and failing to prioritise your mental health and wellbeing. You’ll simply feel too exhausted much of the time to be able to continue performing at your best. So, make sure you look after yourself and establish some balance in your life. When you do, you’ll find it much easier to do all of the above.
I bet you’ve heard the phrase ‘work smarter, not harder’, you’ll probably know something about how the people who make themselves most clearly valuable to their employers are also often those who are the most skilled at avoiding stress and burnout. The two go hand in hand.
You can follow the advises and you’ll be well on your way demonstrating the unique value you can provide in your professional life!
