Choose Yourself.

I would like to dive right in by asking some questions. Are you waiting for your peers to see you as that “go-to” person that people want to follow? Are you waiting for your performance to be noticed, recognized, and acknowledged by your boss? Are you waiting to be promoted or to be offered a raise?

In the workplace we have all been hungry to be “chosen”. It goes as far back as grade school when we wanted to be an early pick for the school yard kick-ball team at recess or even further back if you have siblings, you wanted Mom or Dad to pick you to sit in the front seat or to help them bake the cookies or paint a room, at least before the turbulent teenage years. As strange as this may seem, we carry this desire into our workplace.

Again, internally we yearn to be chosen. We Ask When will my peers see me as a valuable member of the team?

When will my boss acknowledge and recognize the work I do?

When will I be promoted?

When will I get a raise?

If you have yet to realize it, you are not a child anymore. You are a full-grown adult possibly raising children of your own. You likely drive a vehicle and participate in America’s political process. You make important choices daily. You make choices that significantly influence your future and the future of others. Just deciding to pay attention to the road while driving is a choice not to run a red light or go over the yellow line. You have chosen to secure the life of yourself and others sharing the road. Raising your children responsibly secures the future health and stability of our society decades to come.

Let’s consider turning a small portion of focus on our careers. You are where you want to be and you have the position you want to have. Either by your own design or your choice to neglect the former. Prior to your next day of work reposition your mindset. Don’t go in with your hand out waiting for someone to fill it, high five it, or shake it.

Do go in with your hand raised. Raise your hand to be chosen for all the positive outcomes you have been “wishing” for. But this time don’t wait to be chosen. Choose yourself!

Who will choose you if even you don’t find yourself worthy of your own time and attention?

Be the first to choose you!

If you want to have your peers recognize you as a valuable team member, ask yourself if you are. Bring a full hand to the table not an empty needy one. Bring value to your team. Improve your skills if you need to. Offer to help as often as you can. Provide support and guidance whenever possible.

So you want the boss to notice and acknowledge you? Your boss is likely juggling many responsibilities and stressors and he or she may not tell you this but keeping you satisfied is one of them. Don’t be one who requires constant praise even where little is warranted. Choose yourself to be an asset to your boss. Show that you can contribute in a meaningful way. Ask your boss how things are going for her. Believe me when I say this will make you stand out and reverse the roles momentarily. If you want to take it further share the ways you are working to contribute to the organizational goals. These goals are being repeatedly expressed by your boss across the organization. Again, how pleasant it will be for your boss to know that you “get it”. You have incorporated these goals and values into your work and there is nothing wrong with bringing it to your boss’s attention.

So you want to be promoted? Choose yourself. Take on additional responsibilities that are the most valuable to your boss. Have your boss’s back, so to speak. Who better to promote than someone who understands the organizational values, positively influences peers, and can effectively deliver on goals. After making this transition you would know that you have arrived. You are promotion ready. You may think that it is now your boss’s turn. That’s a “no”. The ball is still in your court. Let your boss know that you are ready to continue everything you have been doing on a higher level.

Your boss will either promote you give you a raise, mentor you , or all the above.

If you don’t get promoted or see a clear path to promotion don’t feel cheated or that it was all for nothing as you have prepared yourself for your next position.

If you have not figured it out yet, choosing yourself is the embracing of self-responsibility, being in hot pursuit of your career goals, and meeting opportunity with preparedness. So keep doing what you’re doing and keep an eye out for your next role. You have already positioned yourself for success. When the opportunity presents itself or when you see a way to create an opportunity for yourself don’t sit there waiting to be noticed. I challenge you to grab hold of it by choosing yourself!

Written by:

Fatima Sparks,

Medial Practice Growth and Development

Practice Administrator Ivy League Pediatrics