10 Ways to Make an Impression at Work

With a little effort, it's not difficult to stand out among your peers.

by Chasity Kuttrus

Most women who get ahead do so because they go the extra mile. They are deliberate in their actions and activities and they stand out from other employees.

But how do they do that? Actually it’s not that difficult. In fact, it requires no extra skill sets, training or talents. Just a little bit of awareness and effort can go a long way.

Here are 10 easy ways to set yourself apart from your peers and make an impression on everyone around you.

1. Meet deadlines consistently. And if you can’t, let people know as far in advance as possible. Build a reputation for being reliable.

2. Make others look good. Pay someone a compliment in front of her boss. Give credit where credit’s due. Help put others’ good work in the forefront. People will remember this.

3. Take responsibility. Don’t throw people under the bus. You may think you’re saving your own behind….but at what cost? People don’t respect people who let others take the fall for them.

4. Be positive. Do I need to expand on this? Positive people are just more appealing and easier to be around. Period.

5. Respect people’s time. Don’t keep people waiting – whether it’s your boss, a client or even an intern – their time is just as valuable as yours. Start and end meetings on time. Give people plenty of notice when you need something from them.

6. Be polite. Say the magic words – “please” and “thank you.” There is nothing worse than someone who conveys an aura of entitlement….or rudeness. Show your appreciation in all circumstances.

7. Help others. When you have the time, help other people. They won’t forget it.

8. Do what you say you’re going to do…..and then exceed expectations. Don’t overpromise. It’s better to set expectations a little low and then consistently go above and beyond them. Become known as someone who always goes the extra mile.

9. Be organized. When you’re organized, you’re on top of things. And it shows. Establish foolproof systems for keeping things straight and then use them. If you need to do an organization system overhaul, it’s worth taking a day or two to do so. You’ll see immediate results and you’ll be amazed what a stress buster it can be.

10. Know how to do simple tasks. Even if you have an administrative assistant, learn how to do basic things that are critical to your job, like access the company server, change your voicemail message or enter data into a spreadsheet. This way, you are never at a loss if your admin is out of the office or unavailable.

The workplace is a complicated environment. It’s easy to get sucked into the politics and believe that’s where you need to focus to get ahead. No matter what point you are in your career, keep your eyes focused forward and consistently practice the strategies above and I promise, you’ll be leaps and bounds beyond most of your peers.