PPB March 2020

Share Your Ideas It’s daunting to make a suggestion at work, especially if you’re not yet sure about how management reacts to new ideas. To make sure that my ideas are taken seriously, I take steps to ensure that the idea I have is unique, high-quality and relates to something that truly needs improvement. Focus a critical eye on the processes you’ve been taught or observed in your position and locate the pain points. Is there a process that could be simplified? Is there someone who has too much on their plate? Is there an issue that’s being ignored? Is there a task that everyone avoids doing because it’s time- consuming or difficult? If you identify anything that can be improved, come up with a few strategies and present them to your manager. Be respectful of your manager’s time and concisely communicate your ideas in terms of cost and hours needed to carry out your plan, versus profit gained and time saved. Ideally, management will adopt your idea, and you’ll have a feather in your cap for your review at the end of the year. Worst case scenario, you showed an interest in making things better and your ideas and opinions may be sought out next time. The answer is always “no” unless you ask. Be Your Best Self I take a hard look at myself at least once a year to ensure that I’m doing my best. I ask myself: do I have a positive attitude? Am I consistent? What have I accomplished this year? What could I have done better? I establish and write down achievable goals, share themwith friends and family, and hold myself accountable to them. By making a conscious effort to improve yourself year over year, you’ll ensure that you’re the best you can be, both professionally and personally. By focusing on your progress, you’ll be able to remind yourself of your accomplishments, feel like a valued part of your team and fight off that imposter syndrome. Kacie Brinner is the information services project supervisor and Prop 65 SME at industry business services provider SAGE and a volunteer leader with SPARK, the industry network for young professionals. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT 98 | MARCH 2020 | THINK