We're all looking for quick wins at work, but we often overlook the simplest ways to stand out. While perceived worth is typically expressed via charts and quantitative measures, it's important to remember that value is totally subjective and does not always require a tremendous lift in order to make an impact.
While there is no substitute for hard work and meeting basic expectations, quick alterations to our day-to-day activities in the office can go a long way. Does your boss keep mentioning a particular topic? Send him a relevant article about it. Is your coworker nervous about an upcoming presentation? Offer to lend a listening ear and provide suggestions.
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Doing the little things can add up to make a big difference.
Whether you're working towards securing that promotion or simply want to make a good impression, here are 5 easy ways to boost your reputation at work.
Send Thank You Emails & Handwritten Letters
One of the best pieces of advice I received from a mentor was the importance of sending a follow up email or handwritten letter, especially after an interview or networking event. It can be difficult to stand out amongst tens or even hundreds of applicants, but sometimes, a well-thought-out letter can make the difference.
Tip: Be specific, pick 1-2 things that stood out to you, but be concise. You don't need to write a novel to show that you care.
Remember Personal Information
It's so simple, but the occasional, "How was your son's soccer game?" or "Happy Birthday!" can show that you're listening and care about the people you work with. Regardless of the workload, people are still people, and hopefully, have real lives. Humanize the process.
Tip: Input birthdays or important office events into your calendar.
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Ask For Feedback
Do not wait until it's time to receive feedback from your quarterly performance review to learn for the first time that your team and/or supervisor has an issue with something that you're doing. This feedback-blindness can not only stunt your upward mobility prospects, but leave you with an inadequate amount of time to improve perceptions. While it can be uncomfortable to probe your boss regarding areas that you can improve, especially if they "act" like everything you do is great. Consistently requesting feedback shows initiative and provides you with receipts if you are confronted with unexpected negative feedback during your next performance review.
Tip: Request weekly or biweekly informal 15-minute "catch-ups" to check in and discuss your progress/performance.
Come to Work Early/Leave Late
While certainly the least glamorous suggestion, I was once told that as a more junior employee. you never arrive after or leave before your manager. Every workplace is different, but coming a few minutes early or leaving a few minutes later every day can underscore your dedication to your job and maybe even provide you with extra opportunities for facetime with your boss.
Tip: Get a good night's rest or drink caffeine – maybe even bring enough for two.
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Be Friendly to Everyone Regardless of Status
No one wants to be around a negative person, especially if you work in a high stress environment. Smiling and maintaining an authentic positive attitude can really make you stand out. That being said, it's important to be kind and treat everyone with respect, regardless of status. Your reputation is comprised of the holistic perceptions of those around you and you'll never know if someone you once managed could end up as your future boss. Relationships matter.
Tip: Smile!
As Maya Angelou once said, "People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
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Since it’s Stress Awareness Month, we caught up with Keanne Owens, LCSW, founder of Journey To Harmony Therapy Center, to talk about these triggers and what Black women can do to manage and cope.
Owens is an experienced South Florida-based counselor and social worker who offers her services via Grow Therapy, a therapy and medication management platform. She has worked with Black women professionals to unpack issues related to workplace stressors. “One is the pressure to perform–having to meet deadlines and deliverables. And a lot of times, these subtle stressors from performance are put upon ourselves as Black women. We want to make sure we’re doing our best. We don’t want to be critiqued in certain ways.”
Excessive micromanagement leading to fear of overly critical bosses is another subtle trigger that can negatively impact Black women in the workplace.
“Whenever something is done wrong, or we experience some type of injustice and have to report it, it’s the fear of retaliation–[fear that] we won’t be taken seriously or [our words] will be taken out of context because of being deemed as the ‘angry Black woman,’” she said.
Black Women And Workplace Stress Triggers
Her sentiments are backed by research. A recent report by Coqual found that 28% of Black women (compared to 17% of White men) say their supervisor uses “excessive control or attention to detail” when managing them. There’s more: A survey by the National Employment Law Project found that Black workers were “more likely to have concerns (80 percent) and twice as likely as white workers (18 percent) to have unresolved concerns at work, with 39 percent reporting they were “not satisfied with the employer’s response or did not raise concerns for fear of retaliation.”
The survey also found that 14 percent of Black respondents said they “avoided raising concerns to their employer for fear of retaliation—more than twice the average rate of 6 percent for all survey respondents.”
Owens pointed to the fact that these subtle stress triggers can negatively impact our physical health and our career advancement. “A lot of time it’ll affect our productivity,” Owens added. “We start to have negative thoughts of ourselves. The stressors can also cause fatigue. We’re no longer meeting or working up to our desired potential.” Other challenges as a result include insomnia and increased insolation, withdrawal, and lack of motivation to apply for jobs or promotions even when qualified.
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How To Manage Subtle Stress Triggers
While there are systemic issues at play for Black women at work that has less to do with us and more to do with major overhauls that must be addressed by the powers that be, there are steps we can take for the betterment of ourselves and our mental health. Owens offered the following tips:
Tap into a support system, whether it’s a coworker you trust, a family member, an organization, or an outlet like a hobby.
Create a good work-life balance before burnout even starts. “Having certain boundaries [is the goal] such as, for example, if you get off at 5, you get off at 5. If your job description is this, you don’t go above and beyond because that brings you to a lot of burnout,” Owens said.
Prioritize self-care, whatever that means for you. “If you don’t have a routine, create one. Practice mindfulness and even some meditation,” she added.
Create structure in your life outside of work. “Even if you have a family, applying some structure in your routine helps relieve stress,” she said.
Get into grounding techniques. “Do a real quick square breathing exercise, that’s literally 30 seconds, or you can do a grounding technique that’s less than two minutes, right there where you are. You don’t need any other materials. That’s something you can do with just yourself and your body.”
Ask for help. “As Black women, we don’t ask for help enough,” she said. “Find where you need to ask for help. A lot of times, people think that’s indicative of weakness, but we need to rewrite that narrative. It’s okay to ask for help where you see fit. [If] you’re a mom, [it could be] every Wednesday from 5 to 6, your children are with the dad. You have to carve out that time.”
For more information on Grow Therapy, visit their website. You can also find out more about Keanne Owens, LCSW, via BeginYourJourneyToHarmony.com.
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