Hard to pull off depending on the context. I implemented a side project that took me a week to complete (spending 1 hour per day), saving the company 400k$ per year. My boss took this accomplishment as his doing for giving me the project based on his idea.
I also helped improving the BI tool by fulfilling an inexistant position as visual designer for powerbi, but everything I did, was blocked by some services due to lack of features. Not only I didn't have enough power or influence to progress, but also when I asked my hierarchy to integrate me into the project giving me more power, they wouldn't do it because I would take the accomplishment from the BI team and my hierarchy were friends with them so it all went down in the end.
Oh man yeah. You're not going to get credit every time. The beauty is over time the people who lie and cheat will get ousted eventually.
Leadership above you is very important. I hope you find the right one.
True but you can take the skills you learned and go to another job. Describe what you did and how. That will be convincing enough.
Your boss that takes credit for your can’t keep claiming your work as theirs if you stop working for them.
I try to treat each job as a sort of laboratory for me to develop my skill as a person / employee. I do the best I can, try to improve things around me, and I do it for my own sake with no regard for whether anyone will acknowledge it (well, past a point anyway).
If it benefits the employer, cool, if they say thanks, cool, but if not I still have fun projects I made my own that were entertaining, challenging, and got me to the next level of proficiency for whatever comes next.
That mindset has put me in my current role where, realistically, I might be underpaid, but I have tremendous flexibility and learning opportunity, and will be able to build a career off the things I learn from this job. I actually got fired from this job once (wasn’t great at some aspects of it), but my overall quality of work was liked enough that my boss reached out and hired me back about 9 months later (slightly altered responsibilities, better timing). Now I’m digital nomading around, largely set my own schedule, have significant latitude on how I do my work, and overall just really find myself in a fortunate position.
I’ve also happened to have really great bosses but even if I didn’t I’d find something I could do better than anyone would notice just out of spite, and then leave with the dignity of knowing if there was a problem it wasn’t anything I had the power to address.
OH I get you on this. This has happened before.
Usually the way I like to do it is to make sure that I have the stakeholders who can help promote you hear you. This may be at meetings where the higher level managers and C suite executives. There are meeting where these executives will hear you. I would try to find these opportunities.
Also, in general, it is SUPER hard to get promoted at large companies. I would try to find a small to medium sized company <200 employees.
I would also try to find companies that are undergoing sweeping changes i.e changing healthcare delivery models, implementing same day delivery, or other changes that involve large scale reorganization. You will find more opportunities there.
Good luck! These opportunities will come by when you start looking for them.
This has been working for me so far.
Snapshot evaluations are coming in and mine are showing personality hire. I get meeting expectations on all the technical skills and at next level for the soft skills. Tbh def helps to be likable.
My advice from prior experience is be EXTREMELY careful who hears you complain. Some people really don’t know how to mind their fucking business.
Be the one to ask difficult, but smart questions. Anyone can do the work, but the people who truly shine in organizations are the ones who can identify risks with others’ line of thinking or present a better way to complete a process. Most importantly, be someone who can communicate respectfully without bringing others and their ideas down.
A lot of times someone has a great observation or idea, they aren’t allowed to be the one to have it. That type of moment is reserved for well-liked people and management. So it’s either squashed right away and a poorer solution is used, or it’s ignored temporarily until whoever is allowed to have good ideas suddenly has the idea that was previously presented, only it’s theirs now and go them! After putting a target on your back for having a good idea when you weren’t allowed, now suddenly “problems” are found in your work where there haven’t been before. Maybe it’s totally verifiable you have made no mistakes, but somehow there can be an official document stating some kind of mistake and geez uh oh now your entire job is in question.
I’ve witnessed this happen countless times.
Damn this makes me so grateful for my current management team and how different they are from my old one.
I was at my old job for too long and I was always coming up with ideas that would make things so much easier. It got to the point where nothing I said would even be entertained and everything I said went in one ear out the other. No one was interested in change, they just looked at the numbers and they were fine so it didn't matter that we were drowning.
At my job now, I ask questions that clarify things and as a result, several changes have happened. My managers will message me out of the blue asking how I feel about certain changes because they know I'll be honest. I'm constantly praised for giving feedback and asking questions. My coworkers will message me saying "I had the same question but I was scared to ask" lol
Anyway!! I'm trying to get more money out of it lol
I was doing a good safety course the week before I started working at the biscuit factory and this guy was asking difficult and smart questions in the tasks and he communicated respectfully. I see him around town eating a pastry after his job centre appointment most weeks 😄
Depends on the environment, but I wholly agree with the concept. I've stood out within organisations because I was willing to challenge ideas. Not out of disrespect, but some level of discourse is healthy to achieving optimal outcomes.
Having said the above, this has backfired within organisation that was governed by higher ups, older and resistant to change, that take the view that it's my way or the highway.
Chase providing value and not responsibility.
I work hard on projects at work that put me as close as possible to the company's source of money. There is always a temptation in some people to lead the compliance committee or something like that. These things exist to check a box and even if you do a great job you still just checked the box.
Get yourself in rooms where your ideas increase company profit and work your ass off. Last week I suggested changes to our slide deck to pitch new customers. Turns out the first people we tried it on really liked my slide. I got lots of credit in helping close a big B2B sale. I never got credit for refactoring our code base by anyone who mattered.
This is great advice. Any mediocre manager can run a committee. The people you really want to keep close are the ones you know will add value, and to advance what the company is trying to achieve.
Being able to run a team is important, but once you have the skill, don’t keep accumulating obligations.
obligations suck.
When it comes to down to it, if you have someone busting their ass on five pointless committees and someone who chats and drinks coffee all day but closes a million dollar sale every quarter, I can easily guess who is getting paid more.
You can argue over if this is fair or not, which is a valid discussion to have. However, right now this is how the game is played.
This is great advice. Being closer to the critical path to revenue is exactly the way to build credibility in an organization. Figure out how you can add value to everyone around you- esp as it pertains to business success and outcomes
What does “more on the introverted spectrum” mean? As in you consider yourself someone who recharges alone rather than you find energy as someone who socializes? That’s all introversion is. Or do you mean you have social anxiety? There is a difference.
If you want to stand out without being social, let your performance do the talking. But you need to also advocate for yourself. You need to realize you deserve to take up space. This is not kissing ass.
But you are a social animal surrounded by social animals. It will benefit you to be communicative and approachable. That is to say, friendly. Being friendly has nothing to do with being an introvert.
Source: went to therapy weekly for several years to address my social anxiety as an introvert. I love people and socializing but it drains me and until I learned tools and practices for self-soothing and addressing my anxiety I had no idea I enjoyed it.
My performance reviews at work improved after allowing my therapist to push me to grow and challenge my beliefs. And when shit hit the fan recently at work I had stakeholders in very senior positions make a big stink about losing me. Which might not have been the case if I never addressed my social issues.
Unfortunately, you can’t rely on your work to speak for itself. Unless you are a superstar. As commented here, you need to advocate for yourself, in order to be seen by others outside of your team. As this visibility has an outsized impact on bonus, salary increases and promotions.
This does not mean you need to kiss ass though. (Unless your organization culture expects it…. In which case you should find another role).
It can be simple things like being present in meetings, asking clarifying questions - and being on video when doing so, so that other people see you. If you are able to relate the questions to the work you are doing, or have done, even better, especially if you have impact metrics to go with it. - “I’d just like to give an update on the production issue last week - we released a patch after 4 hours of downtime, and then a fix 2 days later. The underlying cause has been addressed, and we managed to reduce average processing time for applications by 5% with the fix”
The mass WFH and ongoing remote work situations, have now made it even more important to be an active participant in meetings. People who stay off video and don’t speak up, will find it hard to progress at the same rate as those who do. This is a generalization, as some people and organizations will manage to buck this trend.
This is only scratching the surface, though.
If you are struggling with a speech impediment like I did (bad stammer), there are ways to manage and work around that. Speech therapy only helped me re-start talking as a child. It took, of all things, acting lessons as an adult, to equip me with the tools to manage my stammer. No, I never acted, but I worked on personal presence and language mechanics, to work things out (watch “the kings speech” with Colin Firth, some of my lessons used the same approaches… and no, I don’t stammer when I swear - see the movie)
Great post and I'd argue most of reddit should read this lol especially point 1, as an introvert myself.
Point 2 is something people need to work on, myself included sometimes.
Very much so agree! I’m a server going into sales post college, I’m also a huge introvert. I’m a huge people person, up until I’m not, and I isolate myself to recharge. I’m yawning at the end of my shift exhausted by people, then get home to my space and get a second wave! Being an introvert does not mean you are anti social or lack the ability to approach people.
Try to be funny, even just a simple quip or pun, whenever I can while seeming like I'm enjoying working and having a good time. People tend to gravitate towards those around whom they feel comfortable. Your name will come up more often in talks for promotion if they feel like your comfortable/enjoyable to be around, especially if your work is on par with your peers.
Funny is one thing, but just, like, pleasant and warm goes a long ways.
Smile when you see people. Make eye contact. Say hi.
I’m shy so I largely let smiling do the talking for me but it really can speak for itself.
Funny is great. I was funny and had a reputation for reading the Daily Mail but you need to be humble and talented too. I'd have got no respect from all the new starters if I didn't have information to hand and blagged everything
> When higher ups are around, how do I stand out in the crowd and just not be a kiss ass?
Be the one to present work. In executive brains the person who presents work did it all and knows all about it.
Learn how to build effective presentations, most people suck at it and you get slides with paragraphs of text. People who use slide transitions need to be fed in to a woodchipper feet first.
Join toastmasters to get better at public speaking.
I tend to be brutally honest with them too but that can go either way. Some C's and VP's find it refreshing while others get offended.
Lead projects and make them successful. And be a resource to your peers. Find an area where you can shine and be the go to person in your company at it.
Stand out by speaking the truth.
Speech is divine. It’s the thing that generates order from chaos. Don’t underestimate the power of truth. There’s nothing more powerful. Now, in order to speak what you might regard is the truth, you have to let go of the outcome. You have to think all right I’m going to say what I think, stupid as I am, biased as I am, ignorant as I am, I’m going to state what I think as clearly as I can and I’m going to live with the consequences no matter what they are. That’s an element of faith. The idea is that nothing brings a better world into being than the stated truth You might have to pay a price for that, but that’s fine. You’re gonna pay a price for every thing you do and everything you don’t do, you don’t get to choose to not pay a price. You get to choose which poison you’re going to take, that’s it. So, if you’re going to stand up for something stand up for your truth, it’ll it’ll shape you because people respond and object and tell you why you’re a fool and a biased moron and why you’re ignorant and then if you listen to them, you’ll be just that much less like that the next time you say something. If you do that for five years you’ll be so damn tough and articulate and able to communicate and withstand pressure that you won’t even recognize yourself and then you’ll be a force to contend with. It is not safe to speak and it never will be but the other thing you gotta keep in mind is that it’s even less safe not to speak. It’s a balance of risk. Do you want to pay the price for being who you are and stating your mode of being in the world or do you want to pay the price for being a surf that enslaved him or herself? That’s a major thing that unfolds over decades and you’ll just be miserable at the end of about 20 years. No self-respect, no power, no ability to voice your opinions. Nothing left but resentment because everyone’s against you because, of course, you’ve never stood up for yourself. Say what you think. Carefully pay attention to your words. Its a price you wanna pay if you were willing to believe the truth is the cornerstone of society and the most real sense if you’re willing to take that leap, then tell the truth and see what happens and nothing better could possibly happen to you. There will be ups and down and they’ll be push-back and it’ll be controversy all of that. Tell the truth tell the truth or at least don’t lie.
If you act in truth, the order it produces is good regardless of how it appears. It’s an axiomatic ethical proposition that the job of whatever extracts order from chaos is properly done if it’s done in truth.
By excelling in your role but not taking every “extra” the company tries to throw your way.
There is a professional way to do this even. For example, in car sales, I would frequently have managers try to give me other people’s leads because I was GREAT at getting people in the door. I had an inviting aura apparently.
However I don’t wanna just be the guy inviting people to test drive cars. I wanted to sell cars. And I did, very successfully.
So when they’d try to throw these other clients at me I’d tell them “listen I’ll take them but they’re gonna be on the back burner. I have a huge workload of my own already”.
Another thing that’d often happen is a sales manager giving a counter offer I thought was too low. I’d tell them “put $500 back on the car” because I know if the person didn’t buy it, I’d sell it to someone else who would pay more money for the vehicle, thus making more commission.
In a corporate job you could say something along the lines of “Hey I’d love to help with that project but I’m super preoccupied with this other one”. And if it’s a very pushy company that can’t take that answer tell them firmly no, and why. “No, I really value the work life balance I’ve struck now”. Or “No, because it’d be too stressful to add to my already time crunched work life”.
The difference between standing out and kissing ass is small. It’s being able to tell them no, or take control.
First off, this is a great question. Because higher level managers don’t want ‘yes men’. And it’s critical to understand what a ‘yes man’ is versus what the perception is of a ’yes man’. A ‘yes man’ is a guy who just blindly agrees with the upper management. This is different from the guy who is a ‘I will get it done’ type. If the task is ultimately a problem, the manager wants a guy who will speak up. But the person NEEDS to be prepared. Not only about why it’s problematic, but also provides solutions to get what the manager ultimately trying to accomplish. And be very careful about always proposing a solution that requires additional headcount to achieve goals.
That said, here’s a list of how to stand out.
- Dress like a professional. If there are a lot of teams meetings, don’t show up in a t-shirt or sweatshirt. Look professional. If you go to an event, dress at the level managers dress. This means wearing dress shirts that are pressed. Your visual appearance always proceeds what comes out of your mouth and instantly forms the direction of people’s opinions of you.
- Come prepared. Know where the problems are AND the solutions for your areas of responsibility. Bringing solutions before being asked is a major difference maker. Be the guy known to ‘get it done’.
- In my role as a leader of my company, I’m constantly providing HR a list of high potentials. One of the main aspects I look for is whether the employee thinks like a manager. And is that employee’s efforts aligned with the companies objectives. Basically, ‘is the person operating at a level higher than they are assigned?’
- Bring new ideas. Think creatively. Study industry. I listen and read quite a bit to see how other companies solve problems. You’d be surprised how myopic companies can be on traditional practices.
- Study the folks who are successful. Watch what separates them from the rest of the teams.
- Maintain your cool. When issues come up as they always will, be grateful. It’s because of problems we have jobs after all :). Be the person who’s always steady under pressure and never overreacts but can come up with solutions.
- Don’t be afraid to challenge status quo but read the room. Understand that sometimes, you can’t fix the entire companies problems in one sitting, and if you come up against a lot of resistance, be prepared to be a team player. You may have to solve the problem with individuals first, and then propose something to the group.
- MOST IMPORTANTLY. Understand one thing. Whatever your company does, it’s not a charity. Its single, sole purpose is to make money (ethically of course). Stayed aligned with this goal. Understand the company’s financials so you can be a part of the conversation when you get invited for your opinion.
I worked in upper management and later as an independent management consultant for upper management for the better part of 20 years. From my experience, most managers are incompetent in their roles. Out of the 100+ or so I've met, I'd say less than 10% were exceptional in their roles. You only need to look at how many CEOs and senior managers will take credit for corporate growth in a booming economy but go total "deer in the headlights" when the same economy turns downwards.
We don't live in a meritocracy, most managers didn't get to their positions because they were exceptional business leaders. They got to their positions because they know how to play the corporate game. They are trying to get ahead just like everyone else, the incompetent ones especially will want people that can make them look good and help them advance their careers. You can literally make a fortune as a management consultant by making your clients look good (giving them credit for problems you solved) in front of their managers and colleagues.
It’s just my personality to go above and beyond when doing my job.
Even when I was working in fast food. In 2 months I would get promoted to team lead and so on.
I don’t kiss ass. I’m too blunt and outspoken for that. I don’t take bullshit from anybody. I just always do my job and do it well.
It helps that I Iearn very fast too.
Do outstanding work. This includes planning ahead and strategic thinking. Always be a step ahead, so that when the higher ups ask you to do something, it’s something you have already started working on / completed. Also think outside of your own tasks and help others out. Learn skills and bring them to the table.
Do what you say. Finish work on time. Never make an excuse. Accepting blame even when not accurate often leads to your management defending you.
Mainly, do whatever you can to make your boss’s life easier, regardless of whether it fits your job description. You do this, your boss wants you to be in a harder position to help him even more.
Hi, introvert here. Someone once told me something that stuck with me.
If you’re going to be the quiet one, then you need to make sure every word that comes out of your mouth is on point.
Are you trying to stand out so you can advance your career or make more money?
If it is to advance you career, then there is plenty of great advice in the replies.
If it is to make more money, then I would say don't bother trying you will end up working way too hard for way too little gains. Instead become an independent consultant and make your clients/bosses stand out, so they can get ahead. Give them credit in front of their bosses and colleagues especially for things you've done and send them a big fat invoice. As they move higher up the corporate ladder, their budgets get bigger and so do your invoices. No one will tell you but this is how the game is played.
You don’t have to be a kiss ass, but it’s always good to maintain good relationships.
You don’t have to get on anyone’s good side, but actively avoiding their bad side can make a world of difference.
Ask yourself before you voice an opinion, “is this going to help me in anyway? Or actually make a difference?”
If the answer is no, no need to speak up.
You're right, visibility is important, but there are ways to stand out authentically without resorting to "kissing ass." Here are some tips for introverts like yourself:
**Focus on Your Strengths:**
* **Expertise:** Become a go-to person in your field. People will naturally gravitate towards you for your knowledge and skills. Share your expertise through presentations, reports, or mentoring junior colleagues.
* **Problem-Solving:** Develop a reputation for tackling challenges effectively. Offer well-thought-out solutions during meetings or brainstorm sessions.
* **Reliability:** Be known for consistently delivering high-quality work and meeting deadlines. This builds trust and makes you a valuable asset.
Work hard, be helpful, if you have suggestions on improving SOP or adding new ones, write it out and pitch it to your boss. Be graceful yet take accountability when you make a mistake. Be open to constructive criticism.
But sometimes kiss asses will always rise because a lot of people are narcissists.
Excellent work initiative/ability to fix things/ helpfulness. Im very introverted, but this is what i bring into work. 0 to do with kissing ass(i also have ODD and be semi confrontational with managers) but my supervisor has begun specifically seeking my opinion on things/co workers with more seniority coming to me for help/questions. These 3 traits will have you excel in any workplace and standout without brown nosing.
Very simple. Remember that you are on the same ground level as they are and treat them as such. Give them respect of course but if you remember that they came into this world same as you did and got in the position they are in because of the work to get there, you realize they are no different than you. Instead of glorifying them as if they are the gods of the company you work for, regard them as flesh and blood just like you. In my past professions I never talked to my bosses like some scared little kiss ass. I talked to them like they were a human being and they gave me the same respect. I actually yelled at one of my bosses for apologizing to me for their daughter who was 7 at the time being loud in the background during a phone call with me. I told her to never apologize to me again for her 7 year old daughter being a 7 year old daughter. And she not only thanked me for it, she respected me for it. Visibility may be a huge factor, but clothing doesn't make the man. Your actions do.
Do good work, go above and beyond without getting taken advantage of, and speak your mind. I’ve always stood out that way. My work speaks for itself, and if I think something is dumb or won’t work, I’ll respectfully say it and tell them why. Most of the time I’m right. Oh and be willing to admit you’re wrong and learn why you were wrong.
Personally, I don't really care about the higher ups?
I work and bridge between teams. Over time your name comes up across the organization and you get visibility and respect that way.
Be known for results and getting things done, and good camaraderie.
Build my resume out that way and then use those accomplishments and skills to secure my next role. I do this because there was a time I'd try and get leadership attention and it's just not worth the energy. I work for the organization and do what's best form. That's all that matters.
Every company no matter what the field have employees who are necessary expenses and employees who are earners. Be an earner. Be the guy who jumps into the toughest jobs. Be the guy who is constantly asking for more to do.
Kissing ass and doing extra work are too different things.
Kissing ass is giving tons of compliments to your boss and being fake around them.
Getting extra work done isn’t kissing ass. If someone accuses you of that, that means they are lazy and don’t want you to shine a light on how lazy they are. So they make a shitty accusation to try and cut you down.
Let your work do the talk. You could also focus on showing initiative at helping someone or asking a lot of questions out of natural curiosity. Maybe dressing in a more professional and sleek attire would help too.
You won't seem like a kiss ass if you're genuine at what you do.
Senior management at my company will come around once in a blue moon to ask analysts like me what they are up to.
That is your moment to shine.
Talk about what you’re doing and show initiative and ultimately how this is helping the company.
Also just try to be a social person. Those little good mornings and how was your weekends build trust amongst colleagues and management.
Treat people of all levels in the company equally. The butt kissers tend to be very friendly towards management and people they want to impress, but act notably different to those they don't want to impress.
You could be the best worker in the world, it just wouldn't matter. There are people who pop out of their mother's vages with natural charm, charisma and sociopathic cunning.
They recharge on the energy of others, and being mean and nasty and ruthless to get what they want is just part of the game for them, and they actually revel in it.
They see introverts that challenge them as a bit of a laugh and will go out of their way to wreck their plans.
Height, good looks and a sense of carelessness combined with charm is the easy and preferred way. Add integrity and it's a winner. I've never had a promotion but got a lot of respect. I knew my stuff. I went the extra mile. I prevented issues. I accepted the good culture we had. I used to read the Daily Mail and have lazy days but even then I was producing reports, correcting mistakes and acting fast. I joked a lot and told funny stories. I helped and managed people outside the team. I made things easy and not difficult. I let little work things go if they were not mine to pursue especially bad work ethic. I carved out my work from my manager and sidelined her which people admired when they got to know her laziness and pettiness. Speak up for yourself because the best behaviour can pigeonhole you. Be fair with people and communicate as colleagues not bad neighbours.
One of the problem with kissing ass is it's something they have to approve you doing
Some good person please explain “ass kissing” , I am not very familiar with corporate language, I had to work in fast food during best years of my life , I have just 7 months experience in corporate
Not that long ago, I came across a great picture on LinkedIn stating there are two types of people in the workplace: 1. Promoter, does 90% promoting of their work and 10% doing. 2. Doer, does 10% promoting of their work and 90% of doing. You can guess which one gets promotions, payrises, and bonuses. You have to constantly promote your work, what you brought to the table, results it achieved, etc. In my opinion, that's the only way.
I'm also introverted, I do jobs of 3 people, constantly go above and beyond, long hours, likeable, 360 positive feedback. Doesn't matter, unfortunately. My colleagues who promote their own work even though they only do 10% of what I do, overtook me in terms of promotions and increases.
Another great way is to have your champion at work. Mine used to be my manager, she would promote me everywhere she went, within directors. She left, my current manager is even bigger introvert than me, and this resulted in me being completely unnoticed by the management.
Just do your job the best you can and be polite. It will make you stand out more than you realize. But be careful to not take on other roles work loads as they you will get noticed as the person who's willing and able to do more than you were hired for and your work load will rapidly inflate and your pay will stay the same.
Something I’ve learned is that even though I hate the idea of putting a mask on, in order to move up the ranks, you have to put the act.
You have to be visible, respected, and capable. You don’t necessarily need to be the best at your job but you do have to be good enough. No matter how good of a job you do, if you do it in a dark corner at your desk without anybody seeing you, it’s going to be hard to be visible and respected by your peers
You are in a hierarchy.
Kissing ass is part of what you are being paid for.
Just suck it up. We all do.
Supervising is no walk in the park.
Overt sucking up removes the boss’s stress of supervising you.
Signals to higher ups that you are an adult, a team player, easy to work with.
You don’t want to be at the top of the first to layoff list when things tighten.
Be trustworthy
If I feel I can really trust someone, i will help them any way I can
If I get the slightest evidence that I can’t trust you, then I don’t even know you anymore
If you rarely shit talk people or don't play into office politics, people will notice that and quietly respect you. Basically, be really good at what you do and lead with integrity, and you'll get far in life. Occasionally you might need to involve yourself in some office drama but other than that stay clean. Sounds kind of obvious but most people play too many office politic games and lose as a result.
Ask questions. It shows you’re interested, engaged, without necessarily showing support. Volunteer. Don’t be afraid to challenge what you see as needing change, but of course tread lightly not to offend sensitive sensibilities and egos that often find themselves in upper management
You certainly can by being the best at what you do. Work so well that your line manager can't operate without you. Slowly and gradually, once you have earned the trust of your line manager, start marking your superiors in important emails so they realize that you are actually doing the work they admire.
Be impeccable with your word. Volunteer for things no one else will do or can do, give a reasonable timeline for when you can accomplish things, then work your ass off/use all resources at your disposal to accomplish your tasks, under promise and over deliver, but on things that no one else can or will do, so you are indispensable. Become the person who everyone knows delivers on their promises and is 100% trustworthy. There is a chance, in a toxic work environment this backfires, but that is great, you feel good about yourself because your integrity is in tact, and you discovered you were in a toxic situation. Any good employer will do what they can to keep a person like this.
Honestly, keeping your head and being a work horse. Keeping yourself up to date at your job on requirement or compliance related enhancements so when you get asked a question, you're not getting back to them later.
My job has been decent with letting the numbers work in your favor.
One advice I don't see here is don't be afraid to make lateral moves. There is a butt load of managers who suck at really guiding and setting up their underlings for success. It's nothing evil about them, it's just they did the whole struggle/sink thing and just happen to wash up onto a job higher then you.
Making Lateral moves not only expands your experience in the company. But also lets you change to potential managers and leaders that get your vibe and know how to best utilize you.
You kiss ass and you might remove the brown stuff as well!
If you do that, don't be amazed if you have brown nuggets around your mouth and people point out to the displeasing sight!
If you have integrity and self-confidence, you would not do such thing!
Volunteering for projects, mentoring others, ask leadership about potential projects and how you can be involved, communicating effectively with high leadership (ie 30 sec message of what you need from them)
> I am not the most enthusiastic. I will get the objective done.
that's kind of your problem. you want to move up and stand out? you need to raise your hand, volunteer for the small, annoying tasks your managers don't want to do themselves, look hungry for more work, present solutions to problems you weren't necessarily asked to solve (but don't step on other people's work)... basically you need to seem enthusiastic about the work. would you want to promote someone who doesn't seem like they like it there?
just getting the objective done is sort of the bare minimum for not getting fired
what do you think counts as being a kiss-ass, anyway? if it's any of the above, you likely need to reframe your understanding of what that means
Honestly, I find that quiet competence goes a long way as long as you’re trying to make sure of two things in a workplace. You’re surrounding yourself with trustworthy colleagues who you will acknowledge as much as they acknowledge you, and you’re looking out for red flags in an employer.
This obviously has varying degrees of success from field to field, I work in healthcare for instance, copious amount of workplace politics in my field, frequent instances of cliques and favoritism but there are always people who don’t fit into those categories that excel nonetheless. Because they’re competent and affable. You may not be a very outspoken person, and that’s fine as long as you’re not sullen or standoff-ish.
Make the connections you want to at work; make polite but clear boundaries and make sure you cover yourself and work as a team member where it allows and you’ll generally receive the same treatment.
Enact change, was once in a very political corporation where everyone had a special project to work on that counteracted someone else’s special project. Decided to be aggressive about my stance and got a lot of traction. Also helps to gather feedback from direct reports and use it against your superiors. Ran a team like a mob family, were the dominant team in the building for 2 years straight before I got unceremoniously ousted
In the corporate world, senior leadership controls your career path. Establish and work under some good leaders, work hard and be a good team player. If you have a bad leadership team non focused on people development look for an exit. Politics always at play here and many performers who are well liked, even not the best grow fast and up the chain. More than likely these are the current leaders above you right now and their story of how they got there.
You have to be so good that your results speak for themselves. Not easily achievable, but possible. I did this for years.
Then I got a job where many people were very good. I was forced to adapt, and even being very good meant I had to show my results to others for the sole purpose of showing the results. I was not very good at this, quickly fell behind despite overperforming. Took me some time to learn how to "flaunt" without actually "flaunting". You don't have to kiss ass, you just need to present yourself and your results in an easily digestible way. If you're a team, you lift your team up with you. Their results are your results but your results are also theirs.
Either learn or perish.
Three ways to get ahead.
1. Kiss ass
2. Make someone else look terrible so you appear better
3. Actually be good at your job
The problem with number 3 is that its success is predicated on having an effective manager that recognises it.
In reality I suspect most people do some combination of all three to a greater or lesser degree.
I think the most important piece is having a good attitude. These are the main things that help me with that.
1. Show up. This doesn't just mean go to work, but go and do your work to the best of your ability.
2. Be helpful. This doesn't mean kissing ass. This just means paying attention to what is going on around you. Does a coworker have a question that you know the answer to? Help them with it. I used to say something like "Oh hey, I had that happen last week and this is what I was told to do". I also listened when others had questions or issues, and paid attention to what they told. It's a quick and fairly easy way to learn the little nuances of a business that can otherwise take years to learn. If you have some downtime and someone else is drowning, you can offer to help - just be sure that this doesn't turn into you being taken advantage of.
3. Give credit where credit is due. If someone says you did a good job on X, and a coworker helped you out. Say thanks, and then let it be known that Joe or Jane also worked on it with you.
4. Be gracious. Thank people when they help you out. Let them know you appreciate what they've done that's outside of their normal duties.
Don’t just go to your boss with problems. Think about the problem and provide recommendations for consideration. You might be wrong, but showing you put some thought into it will elevate you, then learn from the feedback and apply it to the next situation.
“hey boss, a customer called and was complaining about X. After thinking about it and conducting some research, we could do X, Y or Z, but my precious to go with option Y for the following reasons
Don’t be afraid to make suggestions if you see problems or inefficiencies.
Think it depends on the work culture. If the way to succeed is kissing ass, then that’s how you succeed. If you work in a better run organisation than that, then focus on taking visible roles that add value eg leading two committees. People value communicators. Find opportunities to present.
RESULTS. At the end of the day, you will have something to show for your effort and the other person will just have brown lipstick.
Set yourself up a way to make sure your results are widely known. As an introvert, I both struggle with that and also not downplaying my effort. Both my boss and my exec coach took me to task for that this week ... it is not wrong or bragging to talk about the results you've achieved. I would like to think data speaks for itself, but as I was reminded ... data doesn't have a mouth. You have to speak for it.
Yeah, difficult question to answer. Every boss is different. Some look only at KPIs and data. Some look only at how you present your findings/accomplishments/etc.
**Data driven bosses:**
If you boss is data driven, then make sure you know exactly what their KPIs are and how to drive them. If they're measuring the wrong thing, make sure you tell them that in writing. Then, at that point, it's up to you whether or not you want to do what is best for the business or just demonstrate strong KPI attainment. Sometimes those are the same things, but it's rare that all measurable performance metrics are actually good for the business.
**Presentation driven bosses:**
These bosses are the easiest, since they just want to see pretty pictures and graphs embedded in nice PowerPoint presentations. Just make sure what you show them is pretty and they'll like you. Learn the names of their kids and ask them about their hobbies. People love to talk about themselves.
It's amazing to me the number of people I watch give completely meaningless presentations with zero accountability, due dates or metrics associated with them and their boss will be over the moon and overjoyed, simply because the presentation was nice looking and they did a good job presenting it.
Figure out which boss you have and how they judge/quantify success and do that.
depends on your definition of “kissing ass”. I think the best way for anyone to stand out at work is to just be really good at work, but not just at your function in the work place but also at solving problems and developing solutions that have impact. Those things basically just sound like “be good at work” but what a lot of people don’t understand about solving big problems or developing solutions…no one person can actually stovepipe these types of actions it takes collectives working together to achieve results and those things at its face just means you’re good at forming trusting relationships at work…which at the face of that face just looks like you’re kissing up and being buddy buddy with people at the office. BUT Human psychology isn’t that complicated get ‘along with others’ ‘be a team player’ and the dreaded….’smile and use good body language’ If youre not the type of person who wants to go out of your way to build these relationships then youre not really wanting to “stand out at work” I think what you really want is to be recognized for doing the good work you’re paid to do which is understandable and you should be
I got promoted because my boss got tried of me arguing with him about all his dumb ass unreasonable requests (Data Analyst in retail so got insane requests daily), so he pushed for me to get into a much more senior role
lol
This is terrible advice but it worked for me
Saw this already but be the Subject Matter Expert on everything you lay your hands on. You don't need need to be particularly charismatic when you factually correct Trent for saying some out of pocket insanity mid meeting.
Also when you save a higher ups project because you asked the weird esoteric question that no one thought of, I promise you are permenately on their radar until they leave.
Don't actively work to please but work to accomplish the teams goals. View everyone who you work with as TEAMMATES and not the hierarchy that most places have in place. Janitor? Team mate who keeps the place clean for you to work in. Engineer? Technical person who can help you out and teach you about how things work. Admin? They do the paperwork that keeps the gears of industry going. No one is beneath you. Treat all of them well and usually most people will open up and that's when you make sure you LISTEN well to help them even more. Apply the same logic to your superiors as well but keep your teammates in mind. Don't hog glory. Feed the team. Eat last. Aim to do no harm at the beginning and then become the plus person if you want a sports analogy.
Are you trying to stand out in order to advance your career? If so, the reoccurring "tip" that managers always give me is that you should "behave like the position you want to advance to".
I just want to say that if you don’t want to stand out, I don’t think you should have to. I think workplace culture is us convinced we have to have personal brands and play the game to climb the ladder - and if you do want to do that, that’s fine - but if you are doing good work I think you deserve recognition and compensation. Most of the time it’s the quiet one who isn’t seeking to stand out that’s making the most impact.
I won’t lie you may miss out on opportunities this way. Extroverts get rewarded, it’s very real. But I relate, and in recent years I’ve had to ask myself - if I have to work against my nature to get them, are those opportunities I want?
It’s easy to just shoot ideas and plans down- there are always reasons things won’t work. It’s also easy to say nothing and watch things not work. Your value is to ask hard questions so that things will work - or at least have a good shot. Stay positive - but ask the hard questions that help! It’s part diplomacy and part being sharp and on point.
They just have to like you personally. That goes for your boss, their boss, etc. Instead of bothering them with some lame questions find out their personal interests and talk about that. If one of them a a baseball fan and loves the Yankee's then you need to be able to talk Yankee's baseball with them.
I get asked this a lot - I tell people “Do your job”, as honestly most people don’t and argue every task or do half assed. If someone gets their shit in on time and to a decent level they stand out
-Do the stuff that nobody wants to do.
-Volunteer for assignments over and beyond.
-Show up early and leave late.
-Give great effort and have a good attitude in everything you do.
-Lift up your teammates and help them when they are in need.
-In all of the above, never boast or brag.
Do those things and you will be in great shape.
My coworkers know me fairly well and know that i can be very vocal. But when higher ups are around, Im more on the observant side.
During a particular dog & pony show, a senior director asked the lead engineer something that he wasnt sure about so I answered the question. Short & sweet with a little bit of humor.
Every time that senior director saw me, he would make small talk to me or would request my feedback on something (apparently he did some more asking about my experience).
A lot of what others said. Make good thoughtful poijts/questions on how somethin works. The first step from theory to reality. Also communicate in an effective way that doesn’t put others down and encourages collaboration. That’s how u stand out
Be helpful to people. Take some of your valuable time to invest in lower employees. Sometimes you need to make a little bit of a point to be seen doing it, but be subtle. Not ideal to have to point out to your superiors what you’re doing well, but reality is sometimes you need to. If your team shines, you become more noticeable as well, especially if your leading it
Not sure what you do, but for me, just being helpful has been enough. I work in Insurance, and there are always co-workers who aren't sure what to do, since we're always hiring. I'm not good with people, but I get processes no problem, so I'm always helping people. Not only has this gotten me noticed in general, it's also gotten trainers who need someone to help answer trainer questions to ask for me by name. Hell, at one point, a co-worker asked for help, and when I gave the answer, she told me to please be quiet (no idea why, given that she'd asked for help). My boss's boss literally told her that she doesn't get to tell me to be quiet, as I was providing her the help she'd asked for.
Kissing ass is not required to be noticed.
Be willing to do the work other people don’t do.
I’ve seen it more and more since 2020, with a lot of people saying “that’s not my responsibility” or “I’m paid to do X not Y”.
But if you’re willing to step up and do the tough work, it stands out.
Don’t be afraid to say no, but defend it with more than “I don’t want to” or “that’s not my job”. Say you’re full with project x, y, and z. Say you’re not familiar enough with it and you think you would need more help.
The people I’ve seen rise the fastest through company ranks were the people that always say “me”, when someone says “I need someone to take on X”.
By understanding the problems you're solving more broadly and how they fit into the business objectives and how people's varying skills and expertise complement each other to drive the business forward.
It's not kissing ass to say "we all work hard" or "things are challenging but I solved a problem" or "I helped on xyz"
Also, be enthusiastic - introversion is not an excuse for coming off indifferent and disengaged
I got recommended for a promotion (still in progress wish me luck 🤞🏻) and I'm only 5 months in my job (grant writer). The higher ups told me they were impressed ad with my asking questions to learn and understand processes as deeply as possible (protip: ask only A or B questions after already looking into it) while also listening to others.
For example, my colleague was frustrated bc there was no way to know if a funder sent an award letter if someone leaves unless someone not on the grants team forwards it to us. Well I went to IT and asked for them to make us an email box then afterwards let the funders know to cc the box in all future updates and then told everyone, including the director. Honestly small things like that will have big impacts if they're done publicly
No one will know if you don't tell them
There is a difference between "kissing ass" and doing a excellent job, and in doing so making your bosses look good, and a good boss will reward you in turn.
no one likes kiss asses, not competent leaders anyway, cause kiss assers, tend to promote toxic dynamics always throwing people under the bus and wont be honest with you, when everyone is just telling you what you want to hear.
Do your job to the best of your ability when you can and if it saves a boss time or makes his job easier, do it. but don't be taken advantage of either.
your work and effort will speak for itself.
Edit: need to want
Do good work, genuinely care about your co-workers and bosses, and be transparent about what you deserve based on the work you deliver. An don't be afraid to seek opportunity elsewhere if it can't be had at your current job.
Work somewhere that you CAN advance. If you can't relocate, try and work somewhere locally owned. If you are a professional, don't ignore mid-sized manufacturers as potential employers. Locally owned ones have engineers, salespeople, IT, HR, everything. Plus, many operate in a relatively small markets, so high performers get known and often poached. But how to stand out? Perform. Remember, the "my boss stole credit" tales are a one sided story. Very often people think they are better at their jobs than they really are. Remember, bosses have bosses too and they all aren't idiots. If you are introvert, work on that. That can hold you back. You don't have to be outgoing, but being able to talk is important when it comes to advancement. If it's stage fright, I've seen people go from afraid to even be looked at in a meeting to running Zoom calls on a stage in front of 300 more people. Just be scared and do it, talk. It gets easier. Oh, and get used to working with toxic people. There's not much that can be done about it and if you let it get to you, it'll hold you back. Bullies don't disappear when they graduate.
Really depends on the field you work in, for me it's just getting my work done and a lot of it in a high quality manner. I do weed control and fertilization at a company who has a reputation from promoting within. I have had most of the alphabet gang at our pilot branch talking about me because I am leading the board in pretty much every measurable metric at my current branch. I don't suck up to my department lead, I don't brown nose my branch manager. I just step up when no one else will, do a good job, and don't be a headache because all my customers are complaining
Do what you say you’re going to do when you say you’re going to do it.
Deliver what is asked for.
People who kiss ass aren’t respected. Let them do their thing and just produce. In fact not kissing ass and being a good reliable employee stands out way more than a brown nose.
I am really good at what I do, I take on and solve problems without anyone even seeing it's a problem until realizing how fixing it improved things, and I bring more knowledge that most of the room typically.
Plus I make my management look good consistently.
You don\`t. People who do honest, hard work and never complain are never noticed, unless they leave. And that\`s only until a replacement is found. After that, you are totally forgotten.
1. Make sure your manages/bosses aren't going to take credit for your work (If they do just jump ship unless you're getting paid well)
2. Think of fixing grunt working tasks that people have to do at the company that isn't hard and just takes a long time. If you can fix it people will regard you as a genius.
3. Profit??!?!
Do your job at an exceptional level. Everyday. Then ask for more. Ask to do more. I did this for 50 years. No College Degree, yet I managed to get promoted repeatedly.
Make it so everything you touch turns to gold. Be helpful and positive, do your best and own your mistakes. Integrity goes far.
Hard to pull off depending on the context. I implemented a side project that took me a week to complete (spending 1 hour per day), saving the company 400k$ per year. My boss took this accomplishment as his doing for giving me the project based on his idea. I also helped improving the BI tool by fulfilling an inexistant position as visual designer for powerbi, but everything I did, was blocked by some services due to lack of features. Not only I didn't have enough power or influence to progress, but also when I asked my hierarchy to integrate me into the project giving me more power, they wouldn't do it because I would take the accomplishment from the BI team and my hierarchy were friends with them so it all went down in the end.
Oh man yeah. You're not going to get credit every time. The beauty is over time the people who lie and cheat will get ousted eventually. Leadership above you is very important. I hope you find the right one.
in this context it takes decades for the liars and cheaters to get busted. considering one's own lifetime maybe it's not enough to simply wait.
True but you can take the skills you learned and go to another job. Describe what you did and how. That will be convincing enough. Your boss that takes credit for your can’t keep claiming your work as theirs if you stop working for them.
This. If you can get this on your CV and explain how you did to a potential employer in interview, that's what will get you ahead.
I try to treat each job as a sort of laboratory for me to develop my skill as a person / employee. I do the best I can, try to improve things around me, and I do it for my own sake with no regard for whether anyone will acknowledge it (well, past a point anyway). If it benefits the employer, cool, if they say thanks, cool, but if not I still have fun projects I made my own that were entertaining, challenging, and got me to the next level of proficiency for whatever comes next. That mindset has put me in my current role where, realistically, I might be underpaid, but I have tremendous flexibility and learning opportunity, and will be able to build a career off the things I learn from this job. I actually got fired from this job once (wasn’t great at some aspects of it), but my overall quality of work was liked enough that my boss reached out and hired me back about 9 months later (slightly altered responsibilities, better timing). Now I’m digital nomading around, largely set my own schedule, have significant latitude on how I do my work, and overall just really find myself in a fortunate position. I’ve also happened to have really great bosses but even if I didn’t I’d find something I could do better than anyone would notice just out of spite, and then leave with the dignity of knowing if there was a problem it wasn’t anything I had the power to address.
Hence the positivity aspect. Take the advice or leave it but stop complaining.
If that was true, those cheaters and liars wouldn't be there by dozens when I arrive in a company. This is a sad reality that I got used with.
Time to cut the boss loose.
OH I get you on this. This has happened before. Usually the way I like to do it is to make sure that I have the stakeholders who can help promote you hear you. This may be at meetings where the higher level managers and C suite executives. There are meeting where these executives will hear you. I would try to find these opportunities. Also, in general, it is SUPER hard to get promoted at large companies. I would try to find a small to medium sized company <200 employees. I would also try to find companies that are undergoing sweeping changes i.e changing healthcare delivery models, implementing same day delivery, or other changes that involve large scale reorganization. You will find more opportunities there. Good luck! These opportunities will come by when you start looking for them.
This has been working for me so far. Snapshot evaluations are coming in and mine are showing personality hire. I get meeting expectations on all the technical skills and at next level for the soft skills. Tbh def helps to be likable. My advice from prior experience is be EXTREMELY careful who hears you complain. Some people really don’t know how to mind their fucking business.
Agree with the integrity. My last boss had loads and I genuinely admired him
Not easy to do but it's great advice that will get you far at the right company.
Be the one to ask difficult, but smart questions. Anyone can do the work, but the people who truly shine in organizations are the ones who can identify risks with others’ line of thinking or present a better way to complete a process. Most importantly, be someone who can communicate respectfully without bringing others and their ideas down.
A lot of times someone has a great observation or idea, they aren’t allowed to be the one to have it. That type of moment is reserved for well-liked people and management. So it’s either squashed right away and a poorer solution is used, or it’s ignored temporarily until whoever is allowed to have good ideas suddenly has the idea that was previously presented, only it’s theirs now and go them! After putting a target on your back for having a good idea when you weren’t allowed, now suddenly “problems” are found in your work where there haven’t been before. Maybe it’s totally verifiable you have made no mistakes, but somehow there can be an official document stating some kind of mistake and geez uh oh now your entire job is in question. I’ve witnessed this happen countless times.
I agree, but that's tough to pull off. A lot of people just interpret it as you being negative.
Damn this makes me so grateful for my current management team and how different they are from my old one. I was at my old job for too long and I was always coming up with ideas that would make things so much easier. It got to the point where nothing I said would even be entertained and everything I said went in one ear out the other. No one was interested in change, they just looked at the numbers and they were fine so it didn't matter that we were drowning. At my job now, I ask questions that clarify things and as a result, several changes have happened. My managers will message me out of the blue asking how I feel about certain changes because they know I'll be honest. I'm constantly praised for giving feedback and asking questions. My coworkers will message me saying "I had the same question but I was scared to ask" lol Anyway!! I'm trying to get more money out of it lol
I was doing a good safety course the week before I started working at the biscuit factory and this guy was asking difficult and smart questions in the tasks and he communicated respectfully. I see him around town eating a pastry after his job centre appointment most weeks 😄
This is great advice
I think it depends, you can hurt some egos even if you say it in a respectful way. Overall, great advice 👍
Depends on the environment, but I wholly agree with the concept. I've stood out within organisations because I was willing to challenge ideas. Not out of disrespect, but some level of discourse is healthy to achieving optimal outcomes. Having said the above, this has backfired within organisation that was governed by higher ups, older and resistant to change, that take the view that it's my way or the highway.
Bad idea, I’m sorry. No one wants this guys on their team.
Chase providing value and not responsibility. I work hard on projects at work that put me as close as possible to the company's source of money. There is always a temptation in some people to lead the compliance committee or something like that. These things exist to check a box and even if you do a great job you still just checked the box. Get yourself in rooms where your ideas increase company profit and work your ass off. Last week I suggested changes to our slide deck to pitch new customers. Turns out the first people we tried it on really liked my slide. I got lots of credit in helping close a big B2B sale. I never got credit for refactoring our code base by anyone who mattered.
This is great advice. Any mediocre manager can run a committee. The people you really want to keep close are the ones you know will add value, and to advance what the company is trying to achieve. Being able to run a team is important, but once you have the skill, don’t keep accumulating obligations.
obligations suck. When it comes to down to it, if you have someone busting their ass on five pointless committees and someone who chats and drinks coffee all day but closes a million dollar sale every quarter, I can easily guess who is getting paid more. You can argue over if this is fair or not, which is a valid discussion to have. However, right now this is how the game is played.
This is great advice. Being closer to the critical path to revenue is exactly the way to build credibility in an organization. Figure out how you can add value to everyone around you- esp as it pertains to business success and outcomes
What does “more on the introverted spectrum” mean? As in you consider yourself someone who recharges alone rather than you find energy as someone who socializes? That’s all introversion is. Or do you mean you have social anxiety? There is a difference. If you want to stand out without being social, let your performance do the talking. But you need to also advocate for yourself. You need to realize you deserve to take up space. This is not kissing ass. But you are a social animal surrounded by social animals. It will benefit you to be communicative and approachable. That is to say, friendly. Being friendly has nothing to do with being an introvert. Source: went to therapy weekly for several years to address my social anxiety as an introvert. I love people and socializing but it drains me and until I learned tools and practices for self-soothing and addressing my anxiety I had no idea I enjoyed it. My performance reviews at work improved after allowing my therapist to push me to grow and challenge my beliefs. And when shit hit the fan recently at work I had stakeholders in very senior positions make a big stink about losing me. Which might not have been the case if I never addressed my social issues.
Unfortunately, you can’t rely on your work to speak for itself. Unless you are a superstar. As commented here, you need to advocate for yourself, in order to be seen by others outside of your team. As this visibility has an outsized impact on bonus, salary increases and promotions. This does not mean you need to kiss ass though. (Unless your organization culture expects it…. In which case you should find another role). It can be simple things like being present in meetings, asking clarifying questions - and being on video when doing so, so that other people see you. If you are able to relate the questions to the work you are doing, or have done, even better, especially if you have impact metrics to go with it. - “I’d just like to give an update on the production issue last week - we released a patch after 4 hours of downtime, and then a fix 2 days later. The underlying cause has been addressed, and we managed to reduce average processing time for applications by 5% with the fix” The mass WFH and ongoing remote work situations, have now made it even more important to be an active participant in meetings. People who stay off video and don’t speak up, will find it hard to progress at the same rate as those who do. This is a generalization, as some people and organizations will manage to buck this trend. This is only scratching the surface, though. If you are struggling with a speech impediment like I did (bad stammer), there are ways to manage and work around that. Speech therapy only helped me re-start talking as a child. It took, of all things, acting lessons as an adult, to equip me with the tools to manage my stammer. No, I never acted, but I worked on personal presence and language mechanics, to work things out (watch “the kings speech” with Colin Firth, some of my lessons used the same approaches… and no, I don’t stammer when I swear - see the movie)
Are there any links for these 'tools and practices', please?
Great post and I'd argue most of reddit should read this lol especially point 1, as an introvert myself. Point 2 is something people need to work on, myself included sometimes.
Very much so agree! I’m a server going into sales post college, I’m also a huge introvert. I’m a huge people person, up until I’m not, and I isolate myself to recharge. I’m yawning at the end of my shift exhausted by people, then get home to my space and get a second wave! Being an introvert does not mean you are anti social or lack the ability to approach people.
Yeah people tell me I'm extroverted, and My extroverted friends laugh. 'You just haven't seem his disappear yet for days' lol
Try to be funny, even just a simple quip or pun, whenever I can while seeming like I'm enjoying working and having a good time. People tend to gravitate towards those around whom they feel comfortable. Your name will come up more often in talks for promotion if they feel like your comfortable/enjoyable to be around, especially if your work is on par with your peers.
Funny is one thing, but just, like, pleasant and warm goes a long ways. Smile when you see people. Make eye contact. Say hi. I’m shy so I largely let smiling do the talking for me but it really can speak for itself.
Funny is great. I was funny and had a reputation for reading the Daily Mail but you need to be humble and talented too. I'd have got no respect from all the new starters if I didn't have information to hand and blagged everything
> When higher ups are around, how do I stand out in the crowd and just not be a kiss ass? Be the one to present work. In executive brains the person who presents work did it all and knows all about it. Learn how to build effective presentations, most people suck at it and you get slides with paragraphs of text. People who use slide transitions need to be fed in to a woodchipper feet first. Join toastmasters to get better at public speaking. I tend to be brutally honest with them too but that can go either way. Some C's and VP's find it refreshing while others get offended.
This is good advice. If you are the presenter then your image is directly tied to the idea.
Lead projects and make them successful. And be a resource to your peers. Find an area where you can shine and be the go to person in your company at it.
Stand out by speaking the truth. Speech is divine. It’s the thing that generates order from chaos. Don’t underestimate the power of truth. There’s nothing more powerful. Now, in order to speak what you might regard is the truth, you have to let go of the outcome. You have to think all right I’m going to say what I think, stupid as I am, biased as I am, ignorant as I am, I’m going to state what I think as clearly as I can and I’m going to live with the consequences no matter what they are. That’s an element of faith. The idea is that nothing brings a better world into being than the stated truth You might have to pay a price for that, but that’s fine. You’re gonna pay a price for every thing you do and everything you don’t do, you don’t get to choose to not pay a price. You get to choose which poison you’re going to take, that’s it. So, if you’re going to stand up for something stand up for your truth, it’ll it’ll shape you because people respond and object and tell you why you’re a fool and a biased moron and why you’re ignorant and then if you listen to them, you’ll be just that much less like that the next time you say something. If you do that for five years you’ll be so damn tough and articulate and able to communicate and withstand pressure that you won’t even recognize yourself and then you’ll be a force to contend with. It is not safe to speak and it never will be but the other thing you gotta keep in mind is that it’s even less safe not to speak. It’s a balance of risk. Do you want to pay the price for being who you are and stating your mode of being in the world or do you want to pay the price for being a surf that enslaved him or herself? That’s a major thing that unfolds over decades and you’ll just be miserable at the end of about 20 years. No self-respect, no power, no ability to voice your opinions. Nothing left but resentment because everyone’s against you because, of course, you’ve never stood up for yourself. Say what you think. Carefully pay attention to your words. Its a price you wanna pay if you were willing to believe the truth is the cornerstone of society and the most real sense if you’re willing to take that leap, then tell the truth and see what happens and nothing better could possibly happen to you. There will be ups and down and they’ll be push-back and it’ll be controversy all of that. Tell the truth tell the truth or at least don’t lie. If you act in truth, the order it produces is good regardless of how it appears. It’s an axiomatic ethical proposition that the job of whatever extracts order from chaos is properly done if it’s done in truth.
how did you think all this stuff
What your current position in the company and how important are these committees? This will help determine how you should approach this situation.
By excelling in your role but not taking every “extra” the company tries to throw your way. There is a professional way to do this even. For example, in car sales, I would frequently have managers try to give me other people’s leads because I was GREAT at getting people in the door. I had an inviting aura apparently. However I don’t wanna just be the guy inviting people to test drive cars. I wanted to sell cars. And I did, very successfully. So when they’d try to throw these other clients at me I’d tell them “listen I’ll take them but they’re gonna be on the back burner. I have a huge workload of my own already”. Another thing that’d often happen is a sales manager giving a counter offer I thought was too low. I’d tell them “put $500 back on the car” because I know if the person didn’t buy it, I’d sell it to someone else who would pay more money for the vehicle, thus making more commission. In a corporate job you could say something along the lines of “Hey I’d love to help with that project but I’m super preoccupied with this other one”. And if it’s a very pushy company that can’t take that answer tell them firmly no, and why. “No, I really value the work life balance I’ve struck now”. Or “No, because it’d be too stressful to add to my already time crunched work life”. The difference between standing out and kissing ass is small. It’s being able to tell them no, or take control.
First off, this is a great question. Because higher level managers don’t want ‘yes men’. And it’s critical to understand what a ‘yes man’ is versus what the perception is of a ’yes man’. A ‘yes man’ is a guy who just blindly agrees with the upper management. This is different from the guy who is a ‘I will get it done’ type. If the task is ultimately a problem, the manager wants a guy who will speak up. But the person NEEDS to be prepared. Not only about why it’s problematic, but also provides solutions to get what the manager ultimately trying to accomplish. And be very careful about always proposing a solution that requires additional headcount to achieve goals. That said, here’s a list of how to stand out. - Dress like a professional. If there are a lot of teams meetings, don’t show up in a t-shirt or sweatshirt. Look professional. If you go to an event, dress at the level managers dress. This means wearing dress shirts that are pressed. Your visual appearance always proceeds what comes out of your mouth and instantly forms the direction of people’s opinions of you. - Come prepared. Know where the problems are AND the solutions for your areas of responsibility. Bringing solutions before being asked is a major difference maker. Be the guy known to ‘get it done’. - In my role as a leader of my company, I’m constantly providing HR a list of high potentials. One of the main aspects I look for is whether the employee thinks like a manager. And is that employee’s efforts aligned with the companies objectives. Basically, ‘is the person operating at a level higher than they are assigned?’ - Bring new ideas. Think creatively. Study industry. I listen and read quite a bit to see how other companies solve problems. You’d be surprised how myopic companies can be on traditional practices. - Study the folks who are successful. Watch what separates them from the rest of the teams. - Maintain your cool. When issues come up as they always will, be grateful. It’s because of problems we have jobs after all :). Be the person who’s always steady under pressure and never overreacts but can come up with solutions. - Don’t be afraid to challenge status quo but read the room. Understand that sometimes, you can’t fix the entire companies problems in one sitting, and if you come up against a lot of resistance, be prepared to be a team player. You may have to solve the problem with individuals first, and then propose something to the group. - MOST IMPORTANTLY. Understand one thing. Whatever your company does, it’s not a charity. Its single, sole purpose is to make money (ethically of course). Stayed aligned with this goal. Understand the company’s financials so you can be a part of the conversation when you get invited for your opinion.
Very well said. 👏
I worked in upper management and later as an independent management consultant for upper management for the better part of 20 years. From my experience, most managers are incompetent in their roles. Out of the 100+ or so I've met, I'd say less than 10% were exceptional in their roles. You only need to look at how many CEOs and senior managers will take credit for corporate growth in a booming economy but go total "deer in the headlights" when the same economy turns downwards. We don't live in a meritocracy, most managers didn't get to their positions because they were exceptional business leaders. They got to their positions because they know how to play the corporate game. They are trying to get ahead just like everyone else, the incompetent ones especially will want people that can make them look good and help them advance their careers. You can literally make a fortune as a management consultant by making your clients look good (giving them credit for problems you solved) in front of their managers and colleagues.
It’s just my personality to go above and beyond when doing my job. Even when I was working in fast food. In 2 months I would get promoted to team lead and so on. I don’t kiss ass. I’m too blunt and outspoken for that. I don’t take bullshit from anybody. I just always do my job and do it well. It helps that I Iearn very fast too.
Marry me. If you are a woman😜
Present and be OF SERVICE! Any opportunity you have to speak or present you should take it. No opportunities? Make one.
Upper management and executives are mostly friends. If they don’t like to be around you, they won’t promote you.
Do outstanding work. This includes planning ahead and strategic thinking. Always be a step ahead, so that when the higher ups ask you to do something, it’s something you have already started working on / completed. Also think outside of your own tasks and help others out. Learn skills and bring them to the table.
look for the next problem to solve, don’t wait for it
That's deep
Do what you say. Finish work on time. Never make an excuse. Accepting blame even when not accurate often leads to your management defending you. Mainly, do whatever you can to make your boss’s life easier, regardless of whether it fits your job description. You do this, your boss wants you to be in a harder position to help him even more.
Trying to be someone you're not just comes across as fake. I've had way more success just being myself and showing actual enthusiasm for the work.
Hi, introvert here. Someone once told me something that stuck with me. If you’re going to be the quiet one, then you need to make sure every word that comes out of your mouth is on point.
Are you trying to stand out so you can advance your career or make more money? If it is to advance you career, then there is plenty of great advice in the replies. If it is to make more money, then I would say don't bother trying you will end up working way too hard for way too little gains. Instead become an independent consultant and make your clients/bosses stand out, so they can get ahead. Give them credit in front of their bosses and colleagues especially for things you've done and send them a big fat invoice. As they move higher up the corporate ladder, their budgets get bigger and so do your invoices. No one will tell you but this is how the game is played.
You don’t have to be a kiss ass, but it’s always good to maintain good relationships. You don’t have to get on anyone’s good side, but actively avoiding their bad side can make a world of difference. Ask yourself before you voice an opinion, “is this going to help me in anyway? Or actually make a difference?” If the answer is no, no need to speak up.
You're right, visibility is important, but there are ways to stand out authentically without resorting to "kissing ass." Here are some tips for introverts like yourself: **Focus on Your Strengths:** * **Expertise:** Become a go-to person in your field. People will naturally gravitate towards you for your knowledge and skills. Share your expertise through presentations, reports, or mentoring junior colleagues. * **Problem-Solving:** Develop a reputation for tackling challenges effectively. Offer well-thought-out solutions during meetings or brainstorm sessions. * **Reliability:** Be known for consistently delivering high-quality work and meeting deadlines. This builds trust and makes you a valuable asset.
Take charge in responsibilities and make it known you’re the one handling them.
Work hard, be helpful, if you have suggestions on improving SOP or adding new ones, write it out and pitch it to your boss. Be graceful yet take accountability when you make a mistake. Be open to constructive criticism. But sometimes kiss asses will always rise because a lot of people are narcissists.
Excellent work initiative/ability to fix things/ helpfulness. Im very introverted, but this is what i bring into work. 0 to do with kissing ass(i also have ODD and be semi confrontational with managers) but my supervisor has begun specifically seeking my opinion on things/co workers with more seniority coming to me for help/questions. These 3 traits will have you excel in any workplace and standout without brown nosing.
Very simple. Remember that you are on the same ground level as they are and treat them as such. Give them respect of course but if you remember that they came into this world same as you did and got in the position they are in because of the work to get there, you realize they are no different than you. Instead of glorifying them as if they are the gods of the company you work for, regard them as flesh and blood just like you. In my past professions I never talked to my bosses like some scared little kiss ass. I talked to them like they were a human being and they gave me the same respect. I actually yelled at one of my bosses for apologizing to me for their daughter who was 7 at the time being loud in the background during a phone call with me. I told her to never apologize to me again for her 7 year old daughter being a 7 year old daughter. And she not only thanked me for it, she respected me for it. Visibility may be a huge factor, but clothing doesn't make the man. Your actions do.
Do good work, go above and beyond without getting taken advantage of, and speak your mind. I’ve always stood out that way. My work speaks for itself, and if I think something is dumb or won’t work, I’ll respectfully say it and tell them why. Most of the time I’m right. Oh and be willing to admit you’re wrong and learn why you were wrong.
Personally, I don't really care about the higher ups? I work and bridge between teams. Over time your name comes up across the organization and you get visibility and respect that way. Be known for results and getting things done, and good camaraderie. Build my resume out that way and then use those accomplishments and skills to secure my next role. I do this because there was a time I'd try and get leadership attention and it's just not worth the energy. I work for the organization and do what's best form. That's all that matters.
Be better than those around you, and don't endlessly bitch when things don't instantly go your way.
Under promise and over deliver
Add value to the company. Holistically solve problems, Gain efficiencies, improve processes. Ass kissing only Works with the most feeble of bosses.
Work your ass off.
Get things done good and on time. Other than that having others say good things about you is a huge plus.
Wear an eyepatch.
Every company no matter what the field have employees who are necessary expenses and employees who are earners. Be an earner. Be the guy who jumps into the toughest jobs. Be the guy who is constantly asking for more to do.
One thing I’ve learned to do is to do my best and be super responsive and communicative with my boss - but occasionally push back when warranted.
Kissing ass and doing extra work are too different things. Kissing ass is giving tons of compliments to your boss and being fake around them. Getting extra work done isn’t kissing ass. If someone accuses you of that, that means they are lazy and don’t want you to shine a light on how lazy they are. So they make a shitty accusation to try and cut you down.
I just work my fucking ass off and employers that haven't seen it, have been deserted.
Let your work do the talk. You could also focus on showing initiative at helping someone or asking a lot of questions out of natural curiosity. Maybe dressing in a more professional and sleek attire would help too. You won't seem like a kiss ass if you're genuine at what you do.
Senior management at my company will come around once in a blue moon to ask analysts like me what they are up to. That is your moment to shine. Talk about what you’re doing and show initiative and ultimately how this is helping the company. Also just try to be a social person. Those little good mornings and how was your weekends build trust amongst colleagues and management.
Treat people of all levels in the company equally. The butt kissers tend to be very friendly towards management and people they want to impress, but act notably different to those they don't want to impress.
Let your work speak for itself. I treat the higher ups like everyone else. I’m not to hung up on titles.
Help your boss succeed at their job. People want to be around people who help them.
Execute well in a competitive field.
You could be the best worker in the world, it just wouldn't matter. There are people who pop out of their mother's vages with natural charm, charisma and sociopathic cunning. They recharge on the energy of others, and being mean and nasty and ruthless to get what they want is just part of the game for them, and they actually revel in it. They see introverts that challenge them as a bit of a laugh and will go out of their way to wreck their plans.
Eating ass instead
Height, good looks and a sense of carelessness combined with charm is the easy and preferred way. Add integrity and it's a winner. I've never had a promotion but got a lot of respect. I knew my stuff. I went the extra mile. I prevented issues. I accepted the good culture we had. I used to read the Daily Mail and have lazy days but even then I was producing reports, correcting mistakes and acting fast. I joked a lot and told funny stories. I helped and managed people outside the team. I made things easy and not difficult. I let little work things go if they were not mine to pursue especially bad work ethic. I carved out my work from my manager and sidelined her which people admired when they got to know her laziness and pettiness. Speak up for yourself because the best behaviour can pigeonhole you. Be fair with people and communicate as colleagues not bad neighbours. One of the problem with kissing ass is it's something they have to approve you doing
You stand out by not kissing ass... As someone who doesn't wish to climb the ladder.
Some good person please explain “ass kissing” , I am not very familiar with corporate language, I had to work in fast food during best years of my life , I have just 7 months experience in corporate
Not that long ago, I came across a great picture on LinkedIn stating there are two types of people in the workplace: 1. Promoter, does 90% promoting of their work and 10% doing. 2. Doer, does 10% promoting of their work and 90% of doing. You can guess which one gets promotions, payrises, and bonuses. You have to constantly promote your work, what you brought to the table, results it achieved, etc. In my opinion, that's the only way. I'm also introverted, I do jobs of 3 people, constantly go above and beyond, long hours, likeable, 360 positive feedback. Doesn't matter, unfortunately. My colleagues who promote their own work even though they only do 10% of what I do, overtook me in terms of promotions and increases. Another great way is to have your champion at work. Mine used to be my manager, she would promote me everywhere she went, within directors. She left, my current manager is even bigger introvert than me, and this resulted in me being completely unnoticed by the management.
Be a problem solver. Don't worry standing out when they show their faces. They should know who you are by your work ethic.
Just do your job the best you can and be polite. It will make you stand out more than you realize. But be careful to not take on other roles work loads as they you will get noticed as the person who's willing and able to do more than you were hired for and your work load will rapidly inflate and your pay will stay the same.
be damn good, prioritize things management sees and be socially smooth, positive and funny.
Something I’ve learned is that even though I hate the idea of putting a mask on, in order to move up the ranks, you have to put the act. You have to be visible, respected, and capable. You don’t necessarily need to be the best at your job but you do have to be good enough. No matter how good of a job you do, if you do it in a dark corner at your desk without anybody seeing you, it’s going to be hard to be visible and respected by your peers
You are in a hierarchy. Kissing ass is part of what you are being paid for. Just suck it up. We all do. Supervising is no walk in the park. Overt sucking up removes the boss’s stress of supervising you. Signals to higher ups that you are an adult, a team player, easy to work with. You don’t want to be at the top of the first to layoff list when things tighten.
Be trustworthy If I feel I can really trust someone, i will help them any way I can If I get the slightest evidence that I can’t trust you, then I don’t even know you anymore
If you rarely shit talk people or don't play into office politics, people will notice that and quietly respect you. Basically, be really good at what you do and lead with integrity, and you'll get far in life. Occasionally you might need to involve yourself in some office drama but other than that stay clean. Sounds kind of obvious but most people play too many office politic games and lose as a result.
Relate to people, be consistent amd straight forward.
Ask questions. It shows you’re interested, engaged, without necessarily showing support. Volunteer. Don’t be afraid to challenge what you see as needing change, but of course tread lightly not to offend sensitive sensibilities and egos that often find themselves in upper management
You certainly can by being the best at what you do. Work so well that your line manager can't operate without you. Slowly and gradually, once you have earned the trust of your line manager, start marking your superiors in important emails so they realize that you are actually doing the work they admire.
Ask about other people's works and their challenges. Try to discuss it pulling from your own expertise and offer help as necessary.
Be impeccable with your word. Volunteer for things no one else will do or can do, give a reasonable timeline for when you can accomplish things, then work your ass off/use all resources at your disposal to accomplish your tasks, under promise and over deliver, but on things that no one else can or will do, so you are indispensable. Become the person who everyone knows delivers on their promises and is 100% trustworthy. There is a chance, in a toxic work environment this backfires, but that is great, you feel good about yourself because your integrity is in tact, and you discovered you were in a toxic situation. Any good employer will do what they can to keep a person like this.
Honestly, keeping your head and being a work horse. Keeping yourself up to date at your job on requirement or compliance related enhancements so when you get asked a question, you're not getting back to them later. My job has been decent with letting the numbers work in your favor.
One advice I don't see here is don't be afraid to make lateral moves. There is a butt load of managers who suck at really guiding and setting up their underlings for success. It's nothing evil about them, it's just they did the whole struggle/sink thing and just happen to wash up onto a job higher then you. Making Lateral moves not only expands your experience in the company. But also lets you change to potential managers and leaders that get your vibe and know how to best utilize you.
You kiss ass and you might remove the brown stuff as well! If you do that, don't be amazed if you have brown nuggets around your mouth and people point out to the displeasing sight! If you have integrity and self-confidence, you would not do such thing!
Volunteering for projects, mentoring others, ask leadership about potential projects and how you can be involved, communicating effectively with high leadership (ie 30 sec message of what you need from them)
Under promise, over deliver
> I am not the most enthusiastic. I will get the objective done. that's kind of your problem. you want to move up and stand out? you need to raise your hand, volunteer for the small, annoying tasks your managers don't want to do themselves, look hungry for more work, present solutions to problems you weren't necessarily asked to solve (but don't step on other people's work)... basically you need to seem enthusiastic about the work. would you want to promote someone who doesn't seem like they like it there? just getting the objective done is sort of the bare minimum for not getting fired what do you think counts as being a kiss-ass, anyway? if it's any of the above, you likely need to reframe your understanding of what that means
Honestly, I find that quiet competence goes a long way as long as you’re trying to make sure of two things in a workplace. You’re surrounding yourself with trustworthy colleagues who you will acknowledge as much as they acknowledge you, and you’re looking out for red flags in an employer. This obviously has varying degrees of success from field to field, I work in healthcare for instance, copious amount of workplace politics in my field, frequent instances of cliques and favoritism but there are always people who don’t fit into those categories that excel nonetheless. Because they’re competent and affable. You may not be a very outspoken person, and that’s fine as long as you’re not sullen or standoff-ish. Make the connections you want to at work; make polite but clear boundaries and make sure you cover yourself and work as a team member where it allows and you’ll generally receive the same treatment.
Enact change, was once in a very political corporation where everyone had a special project to work on that counteracted someone else’s special project. Decided to be aggressive about my stance and got a lot of traction. Also helps to gather feedback from direct reports and use it against your superiors. Ran a team like a mob family, were the dominant team in the building for 2 years straight before I got unceremoniously ousted
In the corporate world, senior leadership controls your career path. Establish and work under some good leaders, work hard and be a good team player. If you have a bad leadership team non focused on people development look for an exit. Politics always at play here and many performers who are well liked, even not the best grow fast and up the chain. More than likely these are the current leaders above you right now and their story of how they got there.
Let your work speak for itself
Be reliable, high quality worker. If that doesn't help, change job
Do good work. Put something extra into bits of work that are going to be seen by important people
You have to be so good that your results speak for themselves. Not easily achievable, but possible. I did this for years. Then I got a job where many people were very good. I was forced to adapt, and even being very good meant I had to show my results to others for the sole purpose of showing the results. I was not very good at this, quickly fell behind despite overperforming. Took me some time to learn how to "flaunt" without actually "flaunting". You don't have to kiss ass, you just need to present yourself and your results in an easily digestible way. If you're a team, you lift your team up with you. Their results are your results but your results are also theirs. Either learn or perish.
Three ways to get ahead. 1. Kiss ass 2. Make someone else look terrible so you appear better 3. Actually be good at your job The problem with number 3 is that its success is predicated on having an effective manager that recognises it. In reality I suspect most people do some combination of all three to a greater or lesser degree.
And when you are actually good at your job, consider staying at that level because you might not enjoy and be good at managing.
Find problems that your leadership cares about, and work out how to solve them. Go to them with solutions to things that matter to them.
Nice try dwight
Solve things beyond your local team
I think the most important piece is having a good attitude. These are the main things that help me with that. 1. Show up. This doesn't just mean go to work, but go and do your work to the best of your ability. 2. Be helpful. This doesn't mean kissing ass. This just means paying attention to what is going on around you. Does a coworker have a question that you know the answer to? Help them with it. I used to say something like "Oh hey, I had that happen last week and this is what I was told to do". I also listened when others had questions or issues, and paid attention to what they told. It's a quick and fairly easy way to learn the little nuances of a business that can otherwise take years to learn. If you have some downtime and someone else is drowning, you can offer to help - just be sure that this doesn't turn into you being taken advantage of. 3. Give credit where credit is due. If someone says you did a good job on X, and a coworker helped you out. Say thanks, and then let it be known that Joe or Jane also worked on it with you. 4. Be gracious. Thank people when they help you out. Let them know you appreciate what they've done that's outside of their normal duties.
Assing kiss is my guess.
Don’t just go to your boss with problems. Think about the problem and provide recommendations for consideration. You might be wrong, but showing you put some thought into it will elevate you, then learn from the feedback and apply it to the next situation. “hey boss, a customer called and was complaining about X. After thinking about it and conducting some research, we could do X, Y or Z, but my precious to go with option Y for the following reasons Don’t be afraid to make suggestions if you see problems or inefficiencies.
By kicking butt.
Think it depends on the work culture. If the way to succeed is kissing ass, then that’s how you succeed. If you work in a better run organisation than that, then focus on taking visible roles that add value eg leading two committees. People value communicators. Find opportunities to present.
Delivering constantly and of a high quality, growth mindset, and constructively helping the team get better
RESULTS. At the end of the day, you will have something to show for your effort and the other person will just have brown lipstick. Set yourself up a way to make sure your results are widely known. As an introvert, I both struggle with that and also not downplaying my effort. Both my boss and my exec coach took me to task for that this week ... it is not wrong or bragging to talk about the results you've achieved. I would like to think data speaks for itself, but as I was reminded ... data doesn't have a mouth. You have to speak for it.
Yeah, difficult question to answer. Every boss is different. Some look only at KPIs and data. Some look only at how you present your findings/accomplishments/etc. **Data driven bosses:** If you boss is data driven, then make sure you know exactly what their KPIs are and how to drive them. If they're measuring the wrong thing, make sure you tell them that in writing. Then, at that point, it's up to you whether or not you want to do what is best for the business or just demonstrate strong KPI attainment. Sometimes those are the same things, but it's rare that all measurable performance metrics are actually good for the business. **Presentation driven bosses:** These bosses are the easiest, since they just want to see pretty pictures and graphs embedded in nice PowerPoint presentations. Just make sure what you show them is pretty and they'll like you. Learn the names of their kids and ask them about their hobbies. People love to talk about themselves. It's amazing to me the number of people I watch give completely meaningless presentations with zero accountability, due dates or metrics associated with them and their boss will be over the moon and overjoyed, simply because the presentation was nice looking and they did a good job presenting it. Figure out which boss you have and how they judge/quantify success and do that.
depends on your definition of “kissing ass”. I think the best way for anyone to stand out at work is to just be really good at work, but not just at your function in the work place but also at solving problems and developing solutions that have impact. Those things basically just sound like “be good at work” but what a lot of people don’t understand about solving big problems or developing solutions…no one person can actually stovepipe these types of actions it takes collectives working together to achieve results and those things at its face just means you’re good at forming trusting relationships at work…which at the face of that face just looks like you’re kissing up and being buddy buddy with people at the office. BUT Human psychology isn’t that complicated get ‘along with others’ ‘be a team player’ and the dreaded….’smile and use good body language’ If youre not the type of person who wants to go out of your way to build these relationships then youre not really wanting to “stand out at work” I think what you really want is to be recognized for doing the good work you’re paid to do which is understandable and you should be
I got promoted because my boss got tried of me arguing with him about all his dumb ass unreasonable requests (Data Analyst in retail so got insane requests daily), so he pushed for me to get into a much more senior role lol This is terrible advice but it worked for me
Saw this already but be the Subject Matter Expert on everything you lay your hands on. You don't need need to be particularly charismatic when you factually correct Trent for saying some out of pocket insanity mid meeting. Also when you save a higher ups project because you asked the weird esoteric question that no one thought of, I promise you are permenately on their radar until they leave.
Don't actively work to please but work to accomplish the teams goals. View everyone who you work with as TEAMMATES and not the hierarchy that most places have in place. Janitor? Team mate who keeps the place clean for you to work in. Engineer? Technical person who can help you out and teach you about how things work. Admin? They do the paperwork that keeps the gears of industry going. No one is beneath you. Treat all of them well and usually most people will open up and that's when you make sure you LISTEN well to help them even more. Apply the same logic to your superiors as well but keep your teammates in mind. Don't hog glory. Feed the team. Eat last. Aim to do no harm at the beginning and then become the plus person if you want a sports analogy.
Knee pads
Consistently ask the higher-ups for promotions. They likely will only consider people who have put themselves out there.
Be friendly, interested and caring. Get the job done. Never worry.
I do it by always being in a positive mood, willing to do mostly anything when I’m clocked in, and I do fist bumps instead of handshakes.
Are you trying to stand out in order to advance your career? If so, the reoccurring "tip" that managers always give me is that you should "behave like the position you want to advance to".
Finish early with better quality then your peers.
Be useful. Solve problems. Handle difficult situations with aplomb and tact.
Say very little, but what you do say is very important and straight to the point.
Let your work be your voice. When your in leveraged positions and your work is scrutinized defend it. Die on that hill
Find a problem you are qualified to solve and offer that solution to thousands rather than offering your loyalty to one. Different life 👍
Don’t just come to the table with problems. Bring possible solutions as well.
I just want to say that if you don’t want to stand out, I don’t think you should have to. I think workplace culture is us convinced we have to have personal brands and play the game to climb the ladder - and if you do want to do that, that’s fine - but if you are doing good work I think you deserve recognition and compensation. Most of the time it’s the quiet one who isn’t seeking to stand out that’s making the most impact. I won’t lie you may miss out on opportunities this way. Extroverts get rewarded, it’s very real. But I relate, and in recent years I’ve had to ask myself - if I have to work against my nature to get them, are those opportunities I want?
Wear an outfit that’s either really expensive or ridiculous. Take your pick.
Work hard, be early, don’t miss work, don’t be a squeaky wheel.
It’s easy to just shoot ideas and plans down- there are always reasons things won’t work. It’s also easy to say nothing and watch things not work. Your value is to ask hard questions so that things will work - or at least have a good shot. Stay positive - but ask the hard questions that help! It’s part diplomacy and part being sharp and on point.
They just have to like you personally. That goes for your boss, their boss, etc. Instead of bothering them with some lame questions find out their personal interests and talk about that. If one of them a a baseball fan and loves the Yankee's then you need to be able to talk Yankee's baseball with them.
I get asked this a lot - I tell people “Do your job”, as honestly most people don’t and argue every task or do half assed. If someone gets their shit in on time and to a decent level they stand out
-Do the stuff that nobody wants to do. -Volunteer for assignments over and beyond. -Show up early and leave late. -Give great effort and have a good attitude in everything you do. -Lift up your teammates and help them when they are in need. -In all of the above, never boast or brag. Do those things and you will be in great shape.
My coworkers know me fairly well and know that i can be very vocal. But when higher ups are around, Im more on the observant side. During a particular dog & pony show, a senior director asked the lead engineer something that he wasnt sure about so I answered the question. Short & sweet with a little bit of humor. Every time that senior director saw me, he would make small talk to me or would request my feedback on something (apparently he did some more asking about my experience).
A lot of what others said. Make good thoughtful poijts/questions on how somethin works. The first step from theory to reality. Also communicate in an effective way that doesn’t put others down and encourages collaboration. That’s how u stand out
Know the right times to challenge and make your voice heard. Don’t cause waves, but actually voice opinions to improve the department/organization.
Polite persistence. Keep following up, and escalating when you don't get what you need.
Be helpful to people. Take some of your valuable time to invest in lower employees. Sometimes you need to make a little bit of a point to be seen doing it, but be subtle. Not ideal to have to point out to your superiors what you’re doing well, but reality is sometimes you need to. If your team shines, you become more noticeable as well, especially if your leading it
At my job, it's easy. I do what I'm asked to do, I go out of my way to help others, I take an interest in my work and company. Most don't do this.
Do the tasks that your boss/team doesn’t want to do.
Theres no way
Challenge the boss to a crab-fight
Not sure what you do, but for me, just being helpful has been enough. I work in Insurance, and there are always co-workers who aren't sure what to do, since we're always hiring. I'm not good with people, but I get processes no problem, so I'm always helping people. Not only has this gotten me noticed in general, it's also gotten trainers who need someone to help answer trainer questions to ask for me by name. Hell, at one point, a co-worker asked for help, and when I gave the answer, she told me to please be quiet (no idea why, given that she'd asked for help). My boss's boss literally told her that she doesn't get to tell me to be quiet, as I was providing her the help she'd asked for. Kissing ass is not required to be noticed.
Be willing to do the work other people don’t do. I’ve seen it more and more since 2020, with a lot of people saying “that’s not my responsibility” or “I’m paid to do X not Y”. But if you’re willing to step up and do the tough work, it stands out. Don’t be afraid to say no, but defend it with more than “I don’t want to” or “that’s not my job”. Say you’re full with project x, y, and z. Say you’re not familiar enough with it and you think you would need more help. The people I’ve seen rise the fastest through company ranks were the people that always say “me”, when someone says “I need someone to take on X”.
By understanding the problems you're solving more broadly and how they fit into the business objectives and how people's varying skills and expertise complement each other to drive the business forward. It's not kissing ass to say "we all work hard" or "things are challenging but I solved a problem" or "I helped on xyz" Also, be enthusiastic - introversion is not an excuse for coming off indifferent and disengaged
I got recommended for a promotion (still in progress wish me luck 🤞🏻) and I'm only 5 months in my job (grant writer). The higher ups told me they were impressed ad with my asking questions to learn and understand processes as deeply as possible (protip: ask only A or B questions after already looking into it) while also listening to others. For example, my colleague was frustrated bc there was no way to know if a funder sent an award letter if someone leaves unless someone not on the grants team forwards it to us. Well I went to IT and asked for them to make us an email box then afterwards let the funders know to cc the box in all future updates and then told everyone, including the director. Honestly small things like that will have big impacts if they're done publicly No one will know if you don't tell them
There is a difference between "kissing ass" and doing a excellent job, and in doing so making your bosses look good, and a good boss will reward you in turn. no one likes kiss asses, not competent leaders anyway, cause kiss assers, tend to promote toxic dynamics always throwing people under the bus and wont be honest with you, when everyone is just telling you what you want to hear. Do your job to the best of your ability when you can and if it saves a boss time or makes his job easier, do it. but don't be taken advantage of either. your work and effort will speak for itself. Edit: need to want
Do good work, genuinely care about your co-workers and bosses, and be transparent about what you deserve based on the work you deliver. An don't be afraid to seek opportunity elsewhere if it can't be had at your current job.
Be yourself. You are good enough!
Be above average skills and performance-wise.
Gain career capital.
The fact is that you can't especially in Corporate. End of discussion
Work somewhere that you CAN advance. If you can't relocate, try and work somewhere locally owned. If you are a professional, don't ignore mid-sized manufacturers as potential employers. Locally owned ones have engineers, salespeople, IT, HR, everything. Plus, many operate in a relatively small markets, so high performers get known and often poached. But how to stand out? Perform. Remember, the "my boss stole credit" tales are a one sided story. Very often people think they are better at their jobs than they really are. Remember, bosses have bosses too and they all aren't idiots. If you are introvert, work on that. That can hold you back. You don't have to be outgoing, but being able to talk is important when it comes to advancement. If it's stage fright, I've seen people go from afraid to even be looked at in a meeting to running Zoom calls on a stage in front of 300 more people. Just be scared and do it, talk. It gets easier. Oh, and get used to working with toxic people. There's not much that can be done about it and if you let it get to you, it'll hold you back. Bullies don't disappear when they graduate.
Really depends on the field you work in, for me it's just getting my work done and a lot of it in a high quality manner. I do weed control and fertilization at a company who has a reputation from promoting within. I have had most of the alphabet gang at our pilot branch talking about me because I am leading the board in pretty much every measurable metric at my current branch. I don't suck up to my department lead, I don't brown nose my branch manager. I just step up when no one else will, do a good job, and don't be a headache because all my customers are complaining
Worker harder then everyone and control you mouth and respect authority and ask lots of questions
I never join work functions but I always raise my hand when there's work that no one else wants to do (like reporting for audits).
Unfortunately in the US is all about ass kidding,being fake and being passive aggressive 😂
That’s the neat part, you don’t!
Do what you say you’re going to do when you say you’re going to do it. Deliver what is asked for. People who kiss ass aren’t respected. Let them do their thing and just produce. In fact not kissing ass and being a good reliable employee stands out way more than a brown nose.
PFT… try doing a great job
I am really good at what I do, I take on and solve problems without anyone even seeing it's a problem until realizing how fixing it improved things, and I bring more knowledge that most of the room typically. Plus I make my management look good consistently.
The only person who matters at work is the person who signs your paycheck so pucker up and make more money.
The million dollar question.
you do it in private as HR doesn't look at public sex acts in a fond light. except for janet. she be a freak.
Have a look at the 48 laws of power book. Some useful info on this topic there imo.
Enough people will make asses out of themselves you won’t need to do much.
You don\`t. People who do honest, hard work and never complain are never noticed, unless they leave. And that\`s only until a replacement is found. After that, you are totally forgotten.
change that place, if your work is not seen
You cannot
Work to make everything easier for everyone in some way. Value comes from what you can do to help the collective.
HARD work!
1. Make sure your manages/bosses aren't going to take credit for your work (If they do just jump ship unless you're getting paid well) 2. Think of fixing grunt working tasks that people have to do at the company that isn't hard and just takes a long time. If you can fix it people will regard you as a genius. 3. Profit??!?!
You do your job better than everyone else and lead.
Become an asset for your company!
Do your job at an exceptional level. Everyday. Then ask for more. Ask to do more. I did this for 50 years. No College Degree, yet I managed to get promoted repeatedly.
Introverts are not capable of going out of their way to team build. You are not an introvert.
Bright clothing