5 Tips to be SUCCESSFUL in a Corporate WFH Job
Due to the pandemic many jobs have been forced to send their employees home. As we enter in the fourth quarter most companies will be having end of year reviews. I know many people are wondering how can I be successful at home, without being able to have face to face conversations with my coworkers. Having worked from home for almost 9 years I will be providing some tips that have helped me successfully work from home on a corporate environment. Disclaimer: In no way shape or form is this affiliated with my day job in anyway. These are strictly my personal opinion..
Do your job well consistently! - Your performance should speak for itself. It should be clear that you are adding value working from home or in the building. Although many people may not “know” you they will recognize your name based off of your brand of Killing it. Good performance is also the gateway to other opportunities, networking and new projects. People will reach out to you to find out what your secret sauce is. Upper leadership will want to see what else you can do to bring to the table. Good performance has led to so many great experiences in my career.
Be Approachable/Reachable - I did not say you had to be available, as that is something different. The key thing is to be approachable, no one should be scared to reach out to you. Be professional, open minded, and friendly. Reachable means that you shouldn’t be hard to find. Just like in the office someone could stop at your desk, someone should be able to reach out to you online and receive a response within a reasonable amount of time. You may not be available to speak at that time but you can redirect them or recommend they set up a meeting.
Have a clear understanding on your deliverables - If you are unclear on what work you are expected to complete, GET CLEAR! It is on you to ask questions to ensure you are spending time on the appropriate work. Trust me there is nothing worse than doing tons of work and finding out that you did not complete the scope of work that you were expected to. Asking questions and taking notes is smart! Don’t let anyone tell you different. Remember someone is paying you to complete work, it should be done correctly.
Own your career - Don’t you hate when people say that! It’s cliche, but it is true. No one cares more about your career path than you. Narrow down your focus and figure out where you are trying to go, get specific on the area of the business you are pursuing. Look for people that already work in that area, reach out to get their point of view on what skills you need to sharpen in order to move to that field. Mentorship is also huge! If your job has a program, when you are ready to do the work, sign up and get the guidance you need to get the career you want. Make sure your Manager/Supervisor is clear on your goals so that they can help find opportunities for you. A closed mouth does not get fed.
Report out - This happens to be my least favorite thing to do. However, you are working virtually so no one can actually see the work you are completing unless you are sharing it. Building out a project timeline can be extremely helpful. You can add in expected completion dates and update the status to show when things are in progress, on track, behind, or at risk. It is important that your stakeholders aren’t having to reach out and ask you a ton of questions. The goal should be to provide them relevant information so that they understand how your project progresses to completion. The more you do this, the easier it becomes. Dont hesitate to reach out for feedback as well. If you can pause and plan this will have a positive impact on your future projects and on building trust with your stakeholders.
These tips are things that I actively practice in the corporate world to remain successful. Please share in the comments any other tips that have helped you?
