Work hard, put in the hours and you’ll be rewarded, right?
How many times have you seen someone be promoted or recognized for an award when you work harder and put in more hours? The answer is, they are better at self-promotion.
I’m not talking about boasting or bragging (no-one wants to be that guy/gal), I’m talking about looking for opportunities to help others AND getting recognized for the hard work you do.
As an IT professional, you already have a huge advantage. You already have technical expertise and you’ve seen how technology can help solve business problems so why not share that knowledge in a way that adds value and recognized? Self-promotion as an individual and on behalf of IT also builds better relationships with the business. This is my favorite role with my clients; finding ways to help builds bridges between IT and the business and results in a better long term outcome. This creates a solid foundation and initiatives for future growth or reducing cost are more effective.
But the business has to recognize that value so how do you get the recognition you deserve without showing off?
It’s a combination of being tech savvy (check!) and your ability to communicate (check?). Here are 5 ways I’ve used myself and when I coach IT professionals:
1) Don’t rely on certifications.
Delivering on your commitments is job #1 and if you are lacking in specific skills then training and certification is essential. But don’t assume extra letters after your name will get you recognized. Your manager and company will care most about how you add value. If you feel you need training, focus on skills that will enhance your presence in the workplace such as public speaking, emotional intelligence and personal productivity.
2) Be dynamic, not a mechanic.
Service uptime, infrastructure maintenance and technical delivery are important but you also need show awareness of bigger picture business challenges.
Have an opinion on how your industry is changing.
Where will your organization be in 5 years? What will IT departments look like in the future? What could IT do to better enable the business?
3) Know the problem not the technology.
Our IT industry is guilty of throwing technology at problems and hoping problems solve themselves. One of the ways you can show value is to demystify technology and talk business users in their language. Talk about APIs and people’s eyes will glaze over. Talk about a dashboard view of production across all your business units and you’ll get attention. Articulate business outcomes not implementation of technology.
4) Get out of your lane.
Where do you spend most of your time? With other IT folks? Research shows that you’re the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. Getting different perspectives opens up new opportunities and highlights new ways to solve old problems. Meet with other people in HR, SCM, Operations. Bounce ideas and collaborate on solutions. Successful IT professionals think across silos and are able to effectively leverage expertise from different teams and departments.
5) Be a self starter and speak up!
Finally, how will your manager know how great you are if you don’t ask for opportunities to show your value? Don’t take a backseat when it comes to your career. If want more responsibility or to work on a high profile project, ask for it. Sometimes the fear of rejection or failure holds us back from taking on new things. Focus on your strengths and abilities and look for ways you can help.
Technology is an accelerator for today’s organizations and IT professionals are uniquely positioned to help companies grow, save cost and become more dynamic. By not sharing your value, you’re not only holding back your potential, you’re doing others a disservice!
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