How to “Kill It” at Your Job
Do you want to “kill it” at your job? Do you want to get recognized, promoted, and become a highly-sought after asset?
The secret is simple: Over-Deliver.
Over-delivering means...
Going to work everyday and being the best version of yourself.
Going to work everyday and blowing everybody’s mind.
Focusing, creating results, and consistently adding value.
You might think that when you work for others, you’re limited by what they want you to do, or limited by the responsibilities you were hired to do.
Wrong! You can go above and beyond those limits.
An exceptional employee never says, “That’s not in my job description.” Exceptional employees work outside the boundaries, and they forge ahead in their work. That doesn’t mean ignoring your tasks and responsibilities. Instead, it means finding ways to bring more of your best self into the workplace.
Always Add Value
You need to figure out how you add value to your workplace. Do you recognize when things are broken and fix them? Do you see a new opportunity and then come up with a way to implement it?
Exceptional employees don’t walk past problems, and they aren’t worried about putting in hard work to figure out something new. Whether it’s a broken printer or an inefficient process affecting the productivity or cash flow of the entire department, they never say “Meh, it’s been that way forever.”
Find Your Zone of Genius
You need to figure out what’s in your zone of genius. There are many different aspects of your position, and you’ll be better at some skills than at others. Your zone of genius defines those tasks you do that you really rock. They come to you naturally and utilize your top skills.
When you act in your zone of genius, you make a huge impact and do the task better than someone who’s only acting in their zone of excellence or zone of competence. Figure out your zone of genius and start putting it to work for you. That is where you’ll be able to make the biggest difference.
Leaving a Legacy at Your Job
What is a legacy? It’s what you want to be remembered for when you leave that job.
One of my proudest legacies was at Victoria’s Secret. I was at the company in 2006, long after all the photography had switched to digital. But there was no digital management system in place. My zone of genius is seeing the big picture. I don’t see the reasons why a change hasn’t been made; instead, I see the huge benefits the change will bring.
I set up a system that took all the photography to a searchable digital format by creating a digital asset management system. That meant taking 10 terabytes of Victoria's Secret super model images that were spread out amongst hard drives in office drawers, at photography studios, and at ad agencies, and I and put them all in one place so everyone had access to them by model name, season, year, or product type.
Of course, I didn’t single-handedly do all this physical work. That would have meant acting outside my zone of genius. I had the vision, the ability to sell my ideas, and the drive to implement the plan with the help of vendors and others in my department. The system I created is now used enterprise-wide and has more than 50 terabytes of active images.
Do you see the power of finding your own zone of genius and using it to leave a legacy?
Don’t be impatient. Your legacy isn’t going to happen overnight. But the reason I was in a position to pitch my big vision and delegate action to so many others was because I showed up everyday as someone who was ready to solve problems. I had proved myself by killing it everyday — not just on the day I had a grand vision for the company.
When you show up and kill it everyday, you’ll not only create more opportunity to be noticed and promoted, you’ll also find you have more job satisfaction. You’ll go home at the end of the day feeling accomplished.
My challenge to you is to stop showing up to work to make money, and to start showing up to kill it by solving problems, getting results, acting in your zone of genius, and creating a legacy.
Want to learn more about how to kill it and drive your career success? Schedule a complimentary session and let’s get started.