Job descriptions are often quite streamlined and focused. The hope is that professionals will have a clear sense of what is expected of them. That said, performing as expected doesn’t always impress superiors. Many people feel compelled to grow beyond the confines of their roles, desiring to be noticed and applauded for their abundance of initiative. Others may wish to mix things up and escape the routine monotony their current role offers. However, some people now claim that ‘a cult of overwork’ is taking form, as professionals in all industries test their boundaries and push themselves to new extremes. Going above and beyond in your job role is a noble ambition, but if you approach things in a toxic fashion, you’ll only incur career setbacks instead of progression. How can you navigate this side of your career without oversteering? Here’s how to go above and beyond the parameters of your job role. Refine Time Management Many workers are swamped in the workplace. Seemingly endless responsibilities demand their attention, making going above and beyond seem all but impossible. An improvement to your time management skills may be called for. It’s worth reviewing expert tips on the issue, such as using scheduling tech, breaking down large tasks, and honing and understanding the fluctuations in your productivity. Managing stress levels will also be worthwhile, enabling you to focus on tasks for longer without delay or distraction. Everything behind a successful career starts with time management. That being said, it’s important not to get overly ambitious, or you can risk burning yourself out. Discuss these matters with your colleagues and superiors and collaborate with them. What expectations can you set that are both realistic and aspirational? Remember, the goal is to optimise your workflow, not overextend yourself. Time management takes stamina and commitment as well. Once you find a rhythm of working that helps you excel, it’s important to maintain it. These efforts need to reframe your thinking and unlock your potential rather than provide you with bursts of energy at intermittent periods. Review KPIs Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) enable you to assess where your business is strongest and weakest. It’s important to be aware of this data to tailor your abilities appropriately and devote more time and resources to a particular area. Even the government has KPIs set for numerous parts of its operations, helping it measure the effectiveness of its most important contracts. Still, not all of this data may be made available to you, depending on where you rank in your firm. While more sensitive information may be reserved for the higher ups, you should still be able to access some KPI data, particularly that which pertains to you. Showing initiative in these circumstances can reflect positively on you. It highlights that you’re willing to take the initiative and delve deeper into your company’s affairs. You won’t be a passive presence in the business but a proactive problem-solver instead, digging beneath the surface of your role to right wrongs. It’s not just about improving your performance either. Reviewing KPIs will give you greater insights into how your company strategises and operates. Many firms have overseen enormous overhauls of key processes in recent times. If you can chart similar changes in your firm, you can then work in sync with each phase of your firm’s evolution, offer credible commentary, and showcase your aptitude. Build Your Skills Going above and beyond in your job role sometimes means exploring opportunities outside of it. Sourcing skills from multiple sources can help you evolve into a more well-rounded professional who can tap into many perspectives and strategies. Institutions like The London School of Economics and Political Science have online courses in managerial finance, data analysis for management and more. Upon completion, you’ll be better equipped to make more informed financial and managerial decisions. You’ll also have greater capabilities to analyse important reports, evaluate investment projects, and communicate findings and concerns. You can also register for a group booking on online courses. If you can enrol yourself and some colleagues into these programs, it showcases your proactive attitude. It may also indicate your leadership potential, showing that you’re interested in improving the business as a whole rather than getting ahead of your peers for more self-centred career advancement purposes. Going ‘above and beyond’ in a job role can often seem like a flowery statement. It’s important to have real, tangible results at the heart of what you’re trying to achieve here. These courses only last for 6 weeks for 8-12 hours per week, so paired with your improved time management skills, you should have a great deal to show for yourself once the period has elapsed. Make an Effort to Socialise Socialising can often feel counterintuitive to work. However, giving your professional life a personal touch can work in your favour, allowing you to integrate yourself more seamlessly into the fabric of the company culture. You should make an effort to attend any social events that your colleagues and superiors organise. These can be drinks after work, parties celebrating company milestones and birthdays, or festive gatherings. There may also be events for the departures of much-loved colleagues, which you should also try to attend. Of course, trying to be nice costs nothing. Social events are great for putting your best foot forward without behaving overly obsequiously to attract your boss’ favour. People perhaps like to know they’re working alongside relatable humans rather than soulless machines. It also highlights that you want to spend time with the business beyond your contracted hours and that you’re fond of those around you. Social events also enable you to establish better relationships with your colleagues that could later facilitate better teamwork in the workplace, working harder to make each other’s lives easier. You’ll also have plenty of anecdotes to discuss, helping you to continue building rapport. Listen to Your Colleagues The ability to listen is important when wishing to go above and beyond in your job role. You must be attentive to every word that’s spoken in the workplace. Some of your peers will be more prone to complaining than others. After all, job-related grievances are hardly uncommon, and many employees will have plenty of private grumbling about how things can be improved in the firm. Nobody likes listening to moaning. However, while some professionals will be bothered by those that complain, you should instead try to see each criticism as an opportunity – the same way one would with a poor customer review. For instance, workers may become irate when workplaces or communal areas are unclean. They may want better shifts to tend to personal matters. These are the circumstances where you can personally intervene, make a real difference, and get noticed, shouldering additional responsibilities for the betterment of those around you. Some complaints may be harder to address, especially if the worker wants to see more seismic changes take place in the company. Even if you can’t put these developments into motion yourself, you could always make polite suggestions to the higher-ups on the complainant’s behalf. That way, you can be seen as a mouthpiece for your colleagues and someone they will come to look to. Be flexible when going above and beyond the parameters of your job role, and embrace both personal and professional methods of fulfilling that goal.
