7 Successful Ways to Gain Recognition Before the Year Ends

With the holiday season approaching, the day-to-day grind will undoubtedly increase and your work drive must follow along with it. Deadlines will be tight and your boss will be busy managing a very heavy workload with all of the vacation days being used and the long breaks approaching. Organizations will need its employees to keep the office flowing— so who better than you?

As the end of the year nears, it is one of the best times to gain acknowledgment from your managers and supervisors. It’s important to stay proactive and receive recognition for your hard work. The following tips will assist with making your boss realize how deserving you are of a possible year-end bonus or even a promotion!

1. Remind your boss how important you are

During this time of the year, your boss will have a lot on their plate and it is unreasonable to assume that they will know what you’re doing at all times. Find a time to update your manager or supervisor on the progress you’ve made on a long-term project or suggest a solution to an incumbent problem between departments. This will help your boss recognize the hard work you’re putting in and consider your opinions more thoroughly. The goal is to make their lives easier and stress-free.

2. Provide concrete actions and results

It’s important to keep valuing your manager’s time. When presenting your accomplishments, you need to provide solid numbers, data, and figures that support them. To take it one step further, add solutions and goals, which will show that you have critically thought about the bigger picture and what to do next to increase results. You should not only suggest answers, but you should also keep track of all of your achievements throughout the year! All of the hard work you put in to generate successes should not go to waste. Keep a catalog of all of the clients you’ve landed or monitor your increase in sales as these are the numbers that demonstrate concrete actions and results you’ve produced.

3. Take initiative on projects

As the holiday season approaches, be sure give yourself additional responsibilities to take on. Again, the goal is to make your boss and fellow employees’ lives easier. Take the lead on a project or assignment to develop your own skill sets and show your manager how committed you are to the success of the organization. Don’t let the holiday slump get to you and prove you know how to be proactive. Go the extra mile and stay late to help a coworker with their workload or learn a new software skill that might be helpful in the next project. Any tangible actions that show you have taken the initiative to do more than what is expected will show that you have the drive to take on more responsibility and provide support to keep your organization thriving.

4. Be an active listener

Respond to your manager’s words and show that you are actively listening to their goals. After a meeting, make it a point to compile a to-do list that accomplishes at least one task discussed. These meetings are meant to be a reminder of what is needed to be done. When you react soon after a meeting has ended, it shows your forethought and dedication to be more than a passive member. You want to make sure that your manager knows you are listening to what they need and responding in an effective manner.

5. Know the needs of the office

As a proactive employee in your office, you need to know what needs to be done, what projects to prioritize, and what deadlines must be met. These are all integral to ensuring that work in the office will get done by the time it needs to be completed. Be helpful with tracking project due dates and maintaining important timelines. Not only will this show how aware you are of what is required at the time, but it also shows your boss how indispensable you are to the team.

6. Socialize with your coworkers

Even though this season is a time that employees may be taking longer vacations or time off, it’s still crucial to continue to get to know your coworkers. More often than not, your boss will get an impression of your work ethic from workplace talk and you want those comments to be positive. Always maintain a professional reputation among your colleagues and that will show your manager how much people respect you in the office. At the holiday party, try to strike up conversations with employees you may haven’t had the chance to get to know as well. This will increase your value to the organization and show that you have developed deeper relationships.

7. Show you’re ready for next year

One of the most important aspects about gaining recognition toward the end of the year is to keep moving forward! When the holiday season ends, a new year will approach and you will need to be prepared for the changes that may arise. Design thoughtful plans on how you will tackle the new tasks or responsibilities assigned. Also, set goals for yourself so that you are demonstrating how you want to improve in the next year and ensure your path towards success. Managers and supervisors are always looking for employees with a broad imagination and an awareness of the bigger picture.

Remember that while these are ways to help you earn a possible year-end bonus or promotion, these are also actions you should be engaging in all year-round. In order to continue to make a great impression within your organization, follow through with these steps and you will assuredly be a valued member in your office!

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