There Are Plenty of Ways to Shine, Even on the Bottom of the Totem Pole

Q About a year ago, I burned out at my high-stress, high-salary job and switched to a low-key public-sector position in the same field. I perform well at the new job but am not sure how to advance my career or grow professionally. I am not interested in a return to the people management, budget woes and extra hours. But it's important to me that I be recognized as a sophisticated and valuable contributor. Can you recommend strategies for raising my profile at work without choosing the management track?

A I have long objected to the commonly held belief that becoming a manager should be the ultimate objective of a successful career. Managing people is not something that we should assume every ambitious professional will be good at, or even like. The job demands a unique set of interpersonal and operational skills that few people inherently possess and fewer still will ever be able to successfully develop. Not to mention the stress factors that have driven you and many others away from the management track.

What, then, can a non-manager do to achieve recognition as a sophisticated and valuable contributor?

-- Become a maven. One surefire way to earn the reputation you seek is to make it your business to know as much as possible about your work and the business you are in. Become the go-to person for people at all levels of your organization who have complex or obscure questions. If you don't know the answer, find out. Be helpful to everyone who approaches you with issues, and you will soon attain senior status in the minds of your colleagues and leaders. Stay current on trade publications and online resources, and read everything that is published internally by your organization.

-- Fill the leadership vacuum. Your organizational chart is clear about who manages whom. What it does not tell you is who actually steps up to take responsibility when leadership is needed. When groups of people in different departments work on a project, they might formally reply on their managers to lead the effort. However, it is often a trusted team member who understands the perspectives of the different stakeholders who makes the most valuable contribution. Look for opportunities to be that person. Volunteer to lead committees, task forces and other ad hoc groups formed by your employer for the completion of finite and short-term projects.

-- Build your network. Too often, people focus on networking within their professional community to the exclusion of the people who work with them every day. Get to know your colleagues and leaders, and make sure that they know you. Ask people to lunch or coffee. Get them talking about what they are working on, their career path, where they plan to go next. Be a good listener, but also share a bit about yourself, your contributions and your aspirations.

-- Pursue degrees and certifications. A more labor-intensive, yet very effective, means of enhancing your professional profile is through education and certifications. Depending on your industry, a few choice letters after your name can often make the difference between being heard and being disregarded.

-- Exceed expectations. The simplest thing you can do to become recognized as a sophisticated and valuable contributor is to deliver work that exceeds your managers' expectations. This means doing not only what you are asked to do, but also anticipating and meeting needs. Think about why a task has been assigned and provide everything your manager might need.

Ironically, if you do all of the above, you will probably be identified as an ideal candidate for promotion to management.