(Excerpt from The Globe and Mail, By Theresa Ebden, January 2005)
Join committees
The solution is to get involved with corporate tasks that aren’t part of your day-to-day duties, says Colleen Clarke, a career specialist and corporate trainer at Toronto-based Colleen Clarke & Associates.
“Companies don’t see what we can be suited for. They’ve pigeonholed us as the accountant, the marketing person or their human resources person,” she says.
Breaking out of your mould while still doing your regular duties requires some extra effort, Ms. Clarke says. For example, if you’re a good writers, volunteer to start a company newsletter.
“There might be a company annual meeting every year, a shareholders’ meeting, an annual conference or seminars or professional development days where hotels and speakers need to be booked, she says.
Join extra-curricular activities
You can bring another spark to your job by becoming more involved with those you work with. And that’s easier if you get involved in recreational events or charitable activities, Ms. Clarke says.
Talk to you boss
If you want to get ahead, you need to share some key goals with your boss. That means mustering up the courage to have a frank discussion with your supervisor, Ms. Clarke says.
“People are not assertive enough -they’re afraid [to] approach their managers for fear that they’ll be put on the blacklist,” Ms. Clarke says. “The very first thing is to put the problem on the table, not the emotion, but say ‘here’s the way I see it’ and offer solutions.”
In most cases, you should never go to your boss’s manager and say you’re dissatisfied with your boss, Ms. Clarke warned. People sometimes feel this approach will be easier, but your boss will very likely be put on the defensive and that can make your relationship even more difficult, Ms. Clarke says. It’s best to deal with the person head-on, in as positive a tone as you can muster.
