Be Stand-Out, Not Called Out

Calling on my many years of experience in both corporate-America and as the owner, President and CEO of a small to mid-sized business, there are a few simple workplace rules-of-thumb that remain constant for internal and external business meetings, no matter what size the company may be.

While, to most, these tips may appear to be second-nature, the minute an employee deems these best practices to be, “too obvious to take seriously,” management may begin to second-guess whether or not to take that individual seriously.

1. Be Prompt. Learned at an early stage in my career, “If you’re early you’re on time. If you’re on time, you’re late.” Abiding by this mantra in the workplace subconsciously communicates a message to management and other coworkers that you not only value their time, but also recognize the importance of the meetings intent.

2. Be Prepared. As lack of preparedness is oftentimes the biggest road-block to that of being prompt, keep in mind that management did not ask or tell you how to prepare, but instead to simply be prepared. While computer malfunctions, printer or traffic jams inevitably occur, the direction from management to be prepared encompasses planning ahead, especially for the unpredictable.

3. Be Precise. The suggestion to double and triple check your work is not simply a reminder out of courtesy, but instead a notice that should be permanently instilled. Taking a few extra minutes to ensure your grammar, arithmetic and strategy is on-point, will ultimately prevent management from finding a mistake—which can lead to years of doubting your accuracy on other assignments.

Remember: The purpose of meeting these expectations is not to have management applaud you for a job well done, but to instead, avoid being singled out for letting promptness, preparedness or accuracy slip through the cracks.

So, the next time your Outlook calendar prompts you to accept a meeting invite, keep these three tips in mind to ensure you will stand-out and avoid being called-out.