The person who cares the most about your own wellbeing, development and success is yourself, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t get your employer to care about you as well. One way to do that is to find out what your company’s priorities are and align yourself with them to proactively become a problem solver. By applying your own passion and personality to get the job done, you can make it meaningful for your own personal development as an added bonus.
Investigating the goals of your business is your responsibility, and the first step on a journey that’ll benefit everyone involved
For example, at tms, we’re committed to the success of our holistic sustainability strategy, the Better Future Blueprint. It’s our approach to making the world a better place within our communities. In Chicago alone, through charitable initiatives and volunteer work, we’ve contributed almost 1000 volunteer hours. As soon as I identified that this was a top priority for the agency the next step for me was to get involved.
That’s how I ended up joining the tms volunteer network. The second step is that you owe it to yourself, as part of your development, to make yourself visible and ensure that you get recognised for your efforts. That is how you can look after yourself and your interests, while still working towards helping your company reach its goals.
As part of my work for the programme, I took charge of organising a huge lunch for hundreds of people. It was a time-consuming task which involved a lot of planning and logistics. When the time came to send out invites I insisted they should come from me, rather than a generic email. A simple move, but one which earned me recognition. It told people I was the one who had organised the event.
If you’re unsure how to go about getting involved (once you’ve established what your employer’s values are) the best tool at your disposal is networking. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people in your organisation. It can be as simple as responding to an email asking for volunteers. Most companies send a lot of those emails out, and often all they get in return is crickets. Consider this your reminder to raise your hand and take those opportunities.
Making sure you’re visible is the magic secret, and key to success
One thing to keep in mind is that aligning yourself with your company goals might require you to explore areas outside of your personal interests. Because ultimately, you’re delivering against the needs of the business. That doesn’t mean you can’t bring your own passion and style to the table. In the end it’s a win-win situation, because helping your business accomplish what it needs can be fulfilling for you as an individual, as long as you bring your personality and find ways to make it meaningful.
This strategy can also help you reach new heights in your career, by connecting with the people in your organisation that matter. For example, when I got involved with the Better Future Blueprint, tms had recently hired someone to carry out these initiatives. Partnering with her was one of the smartest things I’ve done, because then I could learn from her insights and she’s become somewhat of a mentor.
This has given me exposure to the senior leadership team, to help carve an entirely new pathway for my career. Caring for yourself and your place within your organisation is a great way of showing up for yourself and ensuring that your employer sees the value that you bring.
Featured image: cottonbro studio / Pexels
