APU Careers Careers & Learning

Hyper-Awareness: Stay Tuned in to Your Work Environment

office-awarenessBy Adrienne Erin
Online Career Tips, Contributor

For some busy professionals, any advice that includes more knowledge about the local office or workplace just seems redundant. That said, it’s surprising how many of those who are part of a larger office or department structure don’t really take time to think about what’s going on around them, even though it’s for their own good.

A lot of today’s work is highly specialized. Even executives or top-level management pros each have their own specific jurisdictions and territories. Job responsibilities are neatly spelled out in advertised positions, and many workers come into their jobs knowing exactly what they were put there to do. However, that doesn’t mean all of us should robotically funnel all of our activities into one narrow band of objectives with a perspective that doesn’t include how our work affects others. Instead, those who try to cultivate a broader view of their position within a business can benefit quite a bit. Look at this guide from Mindtools to learn more about staying informed about a field.

The Advantages of Awareness

By staying more informed about every level of their company, someone at nearly any level can experience a range of advantages related to how most modern businesses work. One is the idea that more aware individuals can get fast-tracked for promotions or given additional responsibilities that will help their career paths. Other ‘soft benefits’ include more credibility and being perceived as more valuable by supervisors or those higher up the chain. It’s all part of being engaged and motivated to succeed, versus just coasting through a business.

Some quick tips for staying more aware about a company include:

  1. Delegating tasks well to lower staff levels and taking an interest in managing teams
  2. Keeping an eye on the board or other measurement of corporate success
  3. Staying knowledgeable about top-level management structures
  4. Knowing coworkers and their situations personally

All of these important kinds of informal research can help someone keep a job, or be more qualified for the next step of a career. No one works in a vacuum. Instead, each individual worker is part of a greater organization that can affect him or her in either positive or negative ways.

Taking these steps to interact with coworkers can make all the difference in the corporate future. No matter what the company is about, whether it’s an insurance or legal office, or an equipment business managing assets like government utility vehicles and used water trucks, individuals within the company should have a good understanding of how everything fits together.

This is necessary in order for employees to really shine at their jobs and prove themselves in their professional careers. While all of this might seem simple, it’s really part of a smart modus operandi for long term professionals who have gotten somewhere in a chosen field.

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