Seize Opportunities to Increase Your Professional ROI

Thanks to the Coronavirus, many organizations are spinning out of control amid the worst economic crisis most have ever experienced – with no end in sight. Perhaps your organization is even one of them.

Look around your work environment. Are you working from home or in the office? Are sales professionals glued to their chairs now trying to make connections via Zoom instead of out meeting with clients and prospects? Do frontline service professionals appear helpless as clients stay home in droves? And what about research and development? Is there a budget or appetite to bring anything new to market?

For some, the answers to these questions may lead to professional paralysis – an inability to deal with the situation. Time to sit back, wait and see where the chips fall, right?

Wrong. Most people fail to see hidden opportunities in economic downturns. But the fact is, savvy professionals will find a way to take advantage of opportunities and – no matter what the economic climate – improve their professional standing. When the tide turns, they are in a position to reap the return on investment that they’ve made while others simply sat on the sidelines.

Here are some simple ways to take charge of your professional ROI. 

1. Monitor your current position in the company. Not sure where you stand? Then it’s time to hook into the office grapevine and get the lay of the land. Can’t remember your last performance review? Schedule a check-in with your boss. Lost contact with your peers and colleagues inside and outside your company? Now is a great time to re-connect.
2. Maximize your value relative to your peers. For some, particularly women, this will feel uncomfortable. Women are hard-wired to be relational and society has groomed many to be less than competitive. However, keep in mind that being laid off along with 500 of your closest friends and colleagues in a job-scarce environment is uncomfortable too. Make sure you are clear on key deliverables, manage expectations, and whenever possible (and within reason) try to under-promise and overdeliver.
3. Market your achievements. Be sure that your results are measurable and make every effort to ensure that the right people know about your results. Now is not the time to be a wallflower. Develop a compelling communication strategy and make sure that your achievements land on the desks of those who need to know about them, not just your boss. Remember, it’s your responsibility to not only know, but also to influence the word on the street about you.

These simple actions may not protect you from being downsized. However, they will go a long way to ensuring that your professional ROI and your confidence skyrockets in a down market.

Regina
Speaker. Coach. Consultant.
“Dream Big. Take Action. Make It Happen.”
Founder, Women at the Top® (WATT®) Network