FSB Author Article
A Fearless New Year: Ten Tips for How You Can Not
Only Save Your Job, But Make a Big Splash at Work in 2009
By Robin Fisher-Roffer,
Author of The Fearless Fish Out of Water: How To Succeed When
You're The Only One Like You
If you're entering the new business year holding your breath, it's
time to exhale.
You can stay off the layoff chopping block by just being yourself.
While you were ringing in 2009, it's likely that there was a dash of
worry and stress mixed in with your champagne. With the economy in a
full-blown recession and more companies announcing layoffs every day,
you could practically feel your career trajectory dropping alongside
the ball in Times Square. Yes, if you're like most people, you can't
help but fear that you're next in line for the ax. And if you're
wondering how you can alter your workplace behavior to increase your
survival odds -- Kiss up to the boss? Lay low? Aggressively jockey
for position? -- I have some surprising (and comforting) advice.
Just be yourself.
You know how at work you sometimes feel the need to squelch or at least
downplay your off-beat interests or your cultural attributes or your
unorthodox approach to projects? Well, this is the year to quit hiding
your differences and start embracing them. Quite frankly, it's easier
to downsize employees who are too homogenous. "Blend in" too well and
you seem expendable.
The real movers and shakers in this world live their lives with
conviction; they never
hide who they are. They're what I call "fearless fish out of
water,"
and their fearlessness is the one thing about them that should be
emulated. The secret to getting ahead at work, or for that matter,
forging strong relationships with friends and family, is to make the
most of those qualities that make you different from everyone around
you.
The trick is to realize that your unusual personality, outlook,
appearance, or background -- really, any attribute that sets you apart
-- is not a liability but an asset. Whether you're the quiet one in a
group of loudmouths, the non-athlete in a group of jocks, or the free
spirit in a group of buttoned-down corporate types, being different
gets you noticed, which is the first step to gaining influence. But
even more important, refusing to hide or downplay your uniqueness makes
you more authentic -- and people gravitate toward those they like,
trust, and believe in. (Not incidentally, that includes employers,
coworkers, and customers.)
Here are several ways you can learn to capitalize on your authentic
self to get ahead in 2009.
Let go of your 2008 fears.
Think about the toll your fears took on you last year. What did they
keep you from achieving? Did a colleague get a promotion instead of you
because you were afraid to put yourself in the hot seat? Did you lose a
client because you didn't speak up when you knew they were going down
the wrong path? When you let your fears squelch your true nature, you
lose your creative spark and become a pale shadow of yourself. And if
you fear losing your job in 2009, your first instinct might be to
retreat to your office and "shut down." This is the exact opposite of
what you should be doing right now, not just to save your job but to
help keep your company viable in tough times.
Remember, being authentic as an employee isn't about self-expression
for its own sake; it's about bringing all
your unique gifts to the table in order to benefit your company.
You
have to put yourself out there completely and fearlessly in order to
keep your organization alive and growing.
Unleash those marketable parts of your personality you normally keep
bottled up. Let's
say you're highly creative or a great problem solver. Have you really
been making these traits work for you? Or do you just come to work
every day, head for your office, and complete your projects the way
your higher-ups have taught you to -- even if you've come up with a
better way of doing things that will save you time and the company
valuable dollars?
Stifling these personality traits at work will only harm you in the
long run. Sure, to your higher-ups you might be known as the guy who
does a good enough job and stays out of the drama, but think about how
pleased your boss would be if you came to him with a money-saving idea
right about now.
Pick a boundary. Resolve to push it this year.
Have you morphed from warm and outgoing to rigid and back biting simply
because you think that's what the business world demands? Or have you
become bland and businesslike just because your boss operates that way?
If you've been hiding a part of yourself just to fit in -- whether it's
your flair for the dramatic, your offbeat sense of humor, or your
uncanny ability to get people to open up to you -- you should take a
hard look at what you're giving up to fit into the accepted mold and
make 2009 the year you break out of it.
If you're convinced you'd accomplish more by taking an active role with
customers rather than toiling behind the scenes, for example, approach
your boss with the idea. It may seem scary to make such a bold move in
tenuous times, but leaders will appreciate any innovation that will get
business moving right now.
Take your talents straight to the top.
Don't keep your ideas for the business within your department. Ask your
higher-ups for a chance to share them. Point out to them how your ideas
align with those aspects of the business they care about. And if you're
working for a stratified corporation, don't despair -- there are ways
for savvy employees to penetrate the boundaries of the organizational
chart.
Read the company website. Listen carefully to team pep talks from
higher-ups. If you can manage it, introduce yourself at company events
and ask at the appropriate juncture in your conversation, "What's
keeping you up at night?" The answer should reveal the challenge they
need to meet or the special project they want to put into motion. You
could be the person to support their efforts.
Speak the language of benefits.
It's easy to get so wrapped up in your own ideas that no one can relate
to you. It doesn't matter how clever you are if those in power don't
"get" what you're trying to do. As a fish out of water, it's your job
to find a common language that allows you to communicate your thoughts
and ideas. You must take the time to understand what's important to the
person you're trying to influence. It's all about preparation and
performance.
While there isn't exactly a wrong way to be at the office, there is a
wrong way to express your ideas. Sometimes an idea that seems perfectly
clear to you might not be so obvious to those around you. A successful
fearless fish will stand in the shoes of the person she is pitching and
explain with visual words and concrete examples how the idea will
benefit the business.
Don't wear a mask or manipulate.
When you unleash your inner fearless fish, make sure you're being the
real you and not wearing a mask or manipulating your personality in
order to steal attention or get along with everyone from Joe in the
mailroom to Bob the CEO.
Fearless fish are comfortable in their own skin and know that they
can't please everyone. And rather than avoiding or resenting those who
are different from them, they accept and even enjoy the differences.
If, in 2009, you use your own fearless fish nature to start nurturing
the unique qualities of everyone around you, I think you'll find that
at your office problems are solved more quickly and with better results
and that the general mood is lifted.
Let your style shine, not shock.
If you've deliberately adopted an unusual form of dress to stand out at
work, you may be coming across as contrived rather than unique. Instead
of wearing torn jeans in a workplace filled with tailored suits, simply
adapt your look for the most harmonious collaboration. Show your style
by the colors you choose and by how you accessorize. Something as small
as an interesting watch or a fashion-forward pair of shoes or tie can
say, "I'm so much more than what you think I am."
Dressing provocatively just to stand out isn't the proper course for a
fearless fish. People will see right through and will start thinking of
you as someone who is desperate for attention. It's not authentic, and
you're not fooling anyone.
Find (and be) a fearless advocate.
It helps to have someone around who "gets" you, especially when it's
someone you admire. Such people can help strengthen your trust in
yourself and show others you're someone to notice. If no one advocates
for you now, look for the person in your office or your field with whom
you can establish a connection. Communicate your interest and
admiration, and open yourself up to that individual. Both of you can
gain from it.
Once you've found an advocate, you should start advocating for someone
as well. Be a leader to the newly arriving fish out of water at your
office. Compassionate leadership benefits everyone. Learning from
younger or less experienced people spurs evolution and creates staying
power for the senior members of the team. For the fish out of water, an
added benefit is that by generously sharing your own expertise, you
become involved and integral.
Be different. Make a difference.
It's not the wallflower who's going to help a company go green, or the
conformist who will invent the new business model or product. As a fish
out of water, you can create change -- and be an inspiration -- because
you don't blend in, you do get noticed, and when you
put the tools for being a fearless fish into practice, you'll also be
heard.
Fearless fish out of water are nonconformists who are good at taking
the bull by the horns and creating positive change for themselves and
others. You can make a difference, while capitalizing on the power of
your company's brand and resources. Perceptions about you and your
corporation can change as you make them change.
Just like your company, you must change with the times. Whether
you were once the hot ticket whose star is now growing dim or you
simply want to keep up with new opportunities on the horizon, evolution
is essential. Remember, when you're a fish out of water, the light is
already shining on you. You're more visible and, therefore, more
closely scrutinized. If you slack off, it will be noticed.
You can't be like one of those reality show contestants who go under
the radar to stay in the game longer. You have to be the one who's
playing to win. To do this, you must keep growing, stretching, and
reinventing yourself. Don't be like a dinosaur and suffer career
extinction because you are unable or unwilling to adapt to a changing
marketplace.
Of course, all that said, you might still get laid off in 2009. It
happens. Or, you might decide you're no longer happy with the stifling
fishbowl you're working in and decide to head for the open seas of a
new career. Either way, an attitude of fearless authenticity will take
you far in life.
For fearless fish, there are plenty of options available, even in a bad
economy. It's just a matter of going for it. Become fearless by setting
your intention each day and finding something that brings you back to
what's positively different about you. Once you embrace your
authenticity, you'll be amazed at where it can take you.
Copyright ©2009 Robin Fisher-Roffer author of The
Fearless Fish Out of Water: How To Succeed When You're The Only One
Like You
Robin Fisher Roffer, author of The Fearless Fish Out of
Water: How To Succeed When You're The Only One Like You,
is CEO of Big Fish Marketing, one of the entertainment industry's
preeminent brand marketing and digital advertising agen-cies, with
clients such as A&E, Bravo, CNN, Comedy Central, FX, MTV, NBC
Universal, and Sony Pictures. For more information, please visit fearlessfishoutofwater.com
and www.robinfisherroffer.com.