The Guide to Being Bold at Work for the Fabulously Average

The Guide to Being Bold at Work for the Fabulously Average The reality is most managers and employees are not subject matter experts, leaders in their field, self-appointed visionaries, innovators or game changers. Not everyone can be or even wants to be. We need all kinds of people in the work force, including the fabulously average. These hard-working people go to work reliably, fix problems, anticipate needs to their clients and fellow co-workers, and receive positive performance reviews consistently. These people are fabulous, yet average. How is the fabulously average professional supposed to be bold in the workplace? Here is how: Be Kind A little kindness can go a very long way. While we know this to be true in our personal lives, its oftentimes overlooked in our careers. I was flying out of Las Vegas on United and I realized an hour before boarding that I lost my phone. I asked a United employee how much it would cost to move my flight to a later flight to look for my phone. To my wonderful surprise she changed my flight at no extra charge. This may not seem like a big deal, but it was in fact pretty bold on the employees part. Not only did I get to change my flight for free, I also found my phone. Thats the kind of customer service that keeps people coming back. Be Proactive You cant always wait for someone to tell you what to do. In fact, being proactive will help you shine at a job you may think is pretty average. For instance, lets say youre working in the accounting department. Your job mostly entails data entry or running reports. Pretty average, right? Suddenly you realize theres an error in the numbers. Perhaps its even something small like being off by a couple of dollars. Are you going to wait for someone else to notice before you address it? Of course not! You know very well that when it comes to a companys money you need to be as accurate as possible. Otherwise it will skew everything else. Use this moment to notify the proper personnel and get it fixed. It may just be another day on the job for you, but its a bold move on your part to notice something that could really cost a company. Be a Champion Depending on your field, sometimes your job may entail being a rock for your customers or team members. A good example is those in the medical field. If you or a family member have ever been in a hospital then you know when youre dealing with good doctors, nurses and specialists. Not only do they do their technical job, oftentimes they also provide emotional support for patients and their family members. It may be another day on the job for them, but it makes all the difference to the person being treated and the family members who are worried about them. Be Personal Adding a personal touch to situations not only creates a great customer service experience, it also yields results. In an age of ever evolving technology sometimes people want to know they are being helped by another person, not a machine. Think about it. Dont you get annoyed when you have to call your cable company only to be prompted by a machine that a) cannot possibly understand your frustration and b) probably cant fix your problem? Theres a good chance the most people feel that way, so when youre helping them make sure to just be a person trying to alleviate another persons frustration. Step up to the plate. Whats the number one way to be bold in an average job? Step up to the plate. Did a co-worker just bail without telling anyone? Take the reins and fill in. Is there some sort of fire that needs to be put out? Think on your feet and fix it. As a side note, stepping up to the plate is a great way to demonstrate your leadership skills. The moral of the story is simple: you can still be fabulous even if your job is pretty average. Be Well! Lisa Lisa