Staying Competitive in Your Organization

Here are 6 tips on how to stay competitive within your organization:

1. Play to your strengths
Look for opportunities to do what you do best. Utilize your strengths in your current role, through both the projects you are currently involved with and when you help out with something outside your scope of responsibility. Invest your time in further developing what you do best instead of trying to fix your deficits.
Exercise: Take a strengths inventory - quantify what you are best at so you can easily talk about how you can add value within your organization. Create a list of at least five strengths and describe how you apply them in your job to contribute to your organization.

2. Become an expert in something
Make yourself the ‘go-to' person on something. Your expertise can be a hard skill or soft skill. Know a specific technology, be the great conflict resolver or understand a process or protocol that is integral to your business. Remember to consider what adds to the bottom-line of the business. By making yourself the ‘go-to' person you become an integral and irreplaceable member of the team.
Exercise: Invest in your expertise - read literature, do research, attend training or take classes to further expand your area of knowledge. If you do not have an area of expertise yet, talk to colleagues and leaders in your organization to find a focus, then plan to become the subject matter expert.

3. Mentor others
Share your wisdom and experience to support and develop your coworkers. This expands your scope of impact and value. You look good when those around you look good. And, it doesn't hurt if a lot of people in your organization like you and turn to you for help and advice.
Exercise: Pay attention to your accessibility - are junior people in your organization comfortable approaching you? If not, how can you make yourself more approachable and available?

4. Know your field/industry, and be known
If you are seen as a contributor and leader to your profession, industry or field, beyond your organization, this makes you valuable to your organization. Making an impact beyond your company/firm means others know about you and the organization where you work. Get involved in professional associations, present at conferences and write articles for publication.
Exercise: Know your profession - research and join professional associations, attend and network at conferences and look for opportunities to write, present, lead, contribute and serve.

5. Take care of yourself
Being overwhelmed, overworked, always tired and/or stretched to capacity can backfire. Organizations want people who do their job well and fully without negatively impacting themselves or others. All work and no play will lessen your effectiveness, your energy and your enthusiasm.
Exercise: Develop a self-care plan - select at least two or three activities each week that enhance your personal wellbeing. Schedule them as deliberately as you would a business meeting. Keep the appointment with yourself!

6. Have a Plan B
Even if you are committed to your organization, it may not be committed to you.
Having other options, or at least knowing what you may do next, if necessary, can lessen your worry so you can focus on your current position. It also requires you to stay current in your field and connected to your network, which is positive for your current and future career aspirations.
Exercise: Create a Career Management Tool-Kit - keep your resume updated, stay connected with your network, have a professional profile on LinkedIn, stay on top of trends in your field, engage your own mentors and be aware of your current organization's competitors - they may be your future employer.

The above tips and exercises will not only keep you competitive in your current position and organization, they will help you manage your career successfully for the long-term!