Outstanding But Not Standing Out?

Are you outstanding in your field??

Maybe so, but are you also 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 in your field?

I took the photo above while visiting the Annapolis Valley, NS, wine region.

It’s of an actual working red phone booth, a differentiating feature at Luckett Vineyards (and no doubt a major Instagram draw).

The scene got me thinking about the distinction being “being outstanding” and “standing out”.

 

I work with lots of smart, highly-skilled and accomplished clients.

And early in the coaching relationship, some talk about a sense of being over-looked, saying…

❌ that their manager is not appreciating their value

❌ that their day-to-day deliverables are taken for granted

❌ that people outside their own direct team don’t seem to know them

❌ that they are not appointed to high-profile projects outside their core responsibilities.

 

Clients with these sentiments might try to make this about what’s wrong with the boss or HR or the organization itself.

They often add, “𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐮𝐩” or play politics.

I say “𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞”.

Not only are you doing yourself a disservice if you have truly outstanding skills and have more to give–

It is frankly organizationally inefficient.

The company is being “robbed” of your full potential if you are outstanding but are not also 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐮𝐭 in your field

 

Are you volunteering for projects that are outside the scope of your job❓

This could be a tremendous opportunity to:

✅ Connect with others who don’t know you well

✅ Leverage an under-used skill-set that your core job doesn’t tap

✅ Have a positive impact on your company culture by modelling collaboration, innovation, community or environmental responsibility.

 

Are you having informal conversations with people outside your direct area of accountability ❓

This could:

🔸 Build greater profile

🔹 Broaden your understanding of the organization & how you might contribute

🔸 Deepen your emotional intelligence

🔹 Raise awareness of what you offer

 

Are you taking the opportunity to mentor others in areas where you have unique knowledge❓

This will:

✔ Strengthen the flexibility of skill-sets within the organization more broadly

✔ Raise the profile of your gifts

✔ Foster gratitude among others who might find your skills intimidating for them to learn (ie. technology)

 

There are a myriad of ways you can bring value to your organization by 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 for your 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 qualities and contributions.

Be a red phone booth… a working one! 🔥