Where I Started

I remember the first time I was put in a box, to be moved out of the way for others. I felt unwelcomed, dismissed, and ignored. Like many others, I have experienced these not-so-fuzzy feelings. The value expected out of me was so low and so frustrating. 

Fast forward six years later to today, I learned a few things that help me navigate the workspace more successfully than earlier in my career. These are soft-skill things that helped me level up, and be a presence at work. They helped me build a brand around me and my work, leading to a healthy reputation where I’m sought out.

So, I’ve picked out six things anyone can start doing immediately to start crafting a larger presence in work the workplace; There are at least two for each category. I did my best to share the ones that are the most meaningful to me and I hope that they give you another lens that can be applied to your situation. Let me know in the comments what you think, or if you have any more to add for other readers to learn from too. We can all learn from each other on this one.

Lessons Learned

#1: Know Your Stuff

I learned very quickly that one of the biggest assets for anyone in any workplace is knowledge. Not only of the subject at hand but also contextual knowledge behind the “why”. For UX design, this might mean knowing how the tech stack that supports your UI work, how your design recommendation impacts the existing technical systems, why is this feature needed from a user and business perspective, etc.

Another aspect of knowing your stuff is being prepared. When sharing in-progress designs with stakeholders, I always bring more than one. At a minimum, I have three but depending on the problem, I might have more. The point is that you have an opinion ready if they want to pull back or move the needle forward. You want to inform decisions, and knowledge helps you do that well. 

The way I see it, this gives you the power to do two things:

• Disrupt assumptions that you aren’t a strong contributor; In fact, you’re showing that you understand needs. You’re also showing initiative by thinking ahead. This earns you brownie point and over time, people will remember this, and seek you out in discussions.

• Answer questions; You can build trust with your audience if you consistently deliver correct information or redirect others to where they can get it.

#2: Practice Restraint

I think this is my favorite lesson, and it’s one I learned from watching executives closely. There’s more than one way this applies:

• In conflict scenarios: If you’re young, or inexperienced, or whatever the case may be, chances are that you will get talked down to condescendingly. Practice restraint in being “the adult” in situations like these, and other forms of conflict. Keep your cool by practicing emotional intelligence to stop yourself from doing or saying something stupid. When this gets raised the management pole, your reaction will speak volumes of your maturity (or lack thereof).

• In presentations: When you’re in a meeting shepherding people through a deck or a presentation, be cautious of how much your audience can absorb at a time. Groups tend to think through things slower than individuals, so slow and steady wins this race. Speak firmly and articulate your words, and don’t use overcomplicated terms if you don’t need to.

• In conversations or meetings: It’s easy to get carried away and excitedly blab on too fast for others to keep up. When you’re talking to others, be mindful of how you’re doing your talking. If you’re a rambler, force yourself to stop and listen. Allow others to speak and step in. Listen and understand other perspectives. Don’t be afraid of awkward silences, and use them strategically: Let others fill them.

• In general: In most places, you’ll learn that there’s an unspoken game of how much information do different people need to know. In other words, who needs to know what, and when? After you figure out those secret rules, you need to figure out how to manage your piece of the puzzle. Knowledge can be power and currency.

#3: Play the Part

Doing the work is one thing but having the confidence that you can do it is another. In my book, the first piece is a physical thing, while the second is all mental.

What helps me get in the right mindset to “play the part”, is feeling good. If I don’t feel my best, then others aren’t going to get the best of me; Nobody wants that. So, I wear the blazers, the dress shoes, do my at-home manicures, and spend my money on my skincare. Of course, for you, it’s probably different and that’s perfect! Do what makes you feel good.

Playing the part also deals with controlling the narrative others have in their head about you. By playing the part, (and in my case, wearing the damn blazer) I’m nudging that narrative in my favor. You can do this too, to your comfort level.

Remember though, the point is to play the part your own way. You don’t need to be anyone you’re not. 

#4: Accept You & Others Don’t Know Everything 

Everyone has been afraid to feel dumb or to be thought of as dumb by others.

Well, when you get over this fear, there’s a wave of freedom that follows. There’s so much liberty in saying “I don’t know” without guilt. 

The truth is that none of us are robots so most of us don’t have perfect memory. It’s normal to not know everything. It’s also normal for those you work with and look up to, to also not know everything. 

So lean on each other to close the gaps. Rely on each other’s expertise, and trust their knowledge. Ask to go dense when you need to, and dive deep. Hear an acronym that’s new to you? Ask what it means. You’d be surprised at how often other people go, “oh! I didn’t know that either”. 

This one also means knowing when to take something with a grain of salt. Others may not be aware of their own blind spots. Pay attention and remember who leads you astray. 

#5: Do the Small Talk

This comes two-fold:

• Learn how to be an engaged professional. Make eye contact when someone’s speaking and display open body language. Get comfortable introducing yourself. Shake hands properly. Put your phone away. Do the pre-meeting and post-meeting chit-chat. Yes, you can do this on zoom too.

• When meeting people for the first time, make an impression. Be memorable. Be funny. Be relatable. Make people like you, and bookmark you in their mind. If there’s a cultural or regional difference, close the gap if you can. Ask them a question; It’s easy to talk about ourselves.

• I’m a huge, huge introvert. Somethings all I want to do is retreat and not do the chit-chat: That’s okay. My bonus tip here is to invest in making an impression and connecting when you first meet someone. Doing it often and in a meaningful way sets you up for when you need to conserve your energy.

#6: Take Up Space

I recently talked to my mom about this one. She didn’t want to buy a desk, because she was afraid to take up space in her house; She was forcing herself to work uncomfortably.

Hell nah! No one should be hesitant to take up space! Especially in their own house!

At work, it’ll be more complex than finding space for a desk in your home but the same spunk applies: Take up your space!

Know what are the edges of your responsibilities, and get comfortable playing in them. Not sure? Ask! You may find that you can stop asking for permission on some things. 

When working on a team, assess the team's strengths and weaknesses. Does your team have weaknesses in things you’re strong in? What about weakness in things you’d like to be strong in? 

If yes to either one of those questions, then there’s no time like the present to defining this niche and claiming it. When you do find your niche, truly camp out in it! Own it like no other, with all the pros and cons that come with it. This might look like: 

• Offering to take on work in that space, or help someone else working in that space.

• Creating resources for your team to leverage for this space.

• Connecting with partners to learn more about it, or stay up to date with current events in that space.

• Carving time out of your schedule to solve things in that space, without being told to.

• Requesting an opportunity to lead something in that space.

• Learning about the field that holds this space, and keeping up with news and articles.

Final Thoughts

My hope is that regardless of your story, there are a few lessons in here that can be applied to your situation. At a minimum, they can serve as thought-starters. If you do try anything, be sure let me know how it goes! Good or bad, we can all learn from each other.

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D