5 Steps to Overcome Being the World’s Okayest Employee
Shine bright — be the superstar you are!
I came across a coffee mug with “World’s Okayest Employee” on the side. Those words inspired me to think about our workplace culture today and how being just “okay” is not okay anymore. In today’s culture we have to be high performing super stars to succeed. Now we have to be an expert, competent, driven — basically we have to be “The Best!”
What Happened?
Over the last 15 years, the workplace culture has shifted, setting its vision on achieving “high performing” workplaces. A culture of “doing more with less.” Less money, less space and less employees — less everything!
It is not uncommon to experience team reductions by over 60% in staff. Divisions restructured and teams dissolved deemed as “no longer required.” As employees vacated the premises, the remaining work was divided among the poor workers who remained. These vacated positions were surrendered to the corporation as “savings.”
With resources at an all time low and workloads at an all time high, being an “okay” employee leaves you standing out like a black eye in the company staffing pool — and nobody wants a black eye right?!
Is Okay — Okay?
Being a high performing organization requires high performing employees. The cubicles for the “World’s Okayest Employees” are becoming a rarity. In years past, there was a place for a good, solid okay employee but those days are fading away.
In today’s hectic and high performance work environment, the “Okayest” employee is the new “poor performer.” We’ve become a society that can only afford high performing superstars.
Can We All Be Superstars? Why Not?!
Ask yourself, what happens to the mediocre? Where do they work? Do mediocre companies exist that are begging to hire the “World’s Okayest Employee” and welcome them and their coffee mug with open arms?
So if you are one of the “okayest” employees how do you protect yourself? How do you build that superstar quality? How do you gain the mo-jo to be the best.
Improving Your Superstar Mo-Jo
Stretch: Ask your manager for stretch assignments. Volunteer for tasks. Be seen as a go-getter not a slow-getter! Be sure that your manager will notice you taking the extra initiative and you’ll stand out above the rest.
Lift: Do some of the heavy lifting by showing leadership within your team. Exercise some autonomy by mentoring less experienced peers. Helping develop their skills and experience, strengthening the team.
Own It: Take ownership of your work assignments. Don’t use phrases like “it’s not my job” or “they don’t pay me enough too…” Take the bull by the horns and do whatever it takes to get the job done. Engage other corporate teams, clients, and peers to keep the task moving.
Educate Yourself: Realize that not all the responsibility for your continued education and training lies with your employer. Take some control over your own destiny by continuing your skill set growth and training via your own time and money. Be valuable and relevant to your employer.
Be Engaged: Someone once told me to never sit on my hands waiting for someone else to fix my problems. “You cannot control what others do but you can control your own two hands.” If you want to be a superstar — be the superstar! Don’t wait for someone else to make you a superstar.
Warning
Be mindful and strategic during your rise to super-stardom to manage your own limits/stress levels. In a culture where high performing superstars take on too much and work themselves until their brightness fades, you could find yourself burned out and discarded as the next “World Okayest Employee!”
Here’s a coffee mug and good luck on your future endeavors — shine bright superstar!
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Scott Kennie is a metro-redneck. He’s worked in corporate information technology management for over 15 years. He considers himself a sarcastic realist. He’s also a Dad. He lives with his wife, three dogs and his alter ego Bat Hubby who’s a racecar driver. His motto: live life and laugh all the way to the grave.
