By Leah Gradl, Kent Companies
A tried-and-true strategy for young professionals in specialty subcontracting.
I’ll never forget the way I felt when the board room door shut.
I was on the outside, and the entire management team was in a closed-door strategic planning session. I knew I deserved a seat at the table. So, when that door shut, I made the decision to change the way I worked to be more visible – and become the most valuable player on the team.
As a young professional, your path to promotion isn’t a guarantee; you need to carve it out yourself. Your success depends on how you build value on your team every single day. Here are five go-to strategies that you can start today.
MANAGE THE DETAILS
When you join a new team, it’s tempting to chase the grand slam – a big, game-changing idea or program right out of the gate. You probably spot a new software or app the team needs. But grand slams don’t win games…singles and doubles do.
Innovation is important, but buy-in to new ideas only comes with trust. As a young professional, you build that trust by managing the smallest project details with absolute precision every day.
Company leaders can always spot the team players who are meticulous and consistent. If you can manage the small details, you’re proving you can manage the bigger initiatives when they come.
MANAGE UP
Do you know your manager’s communication style and planning preferences?
When I was in a marketing manager role, the CEO often asked me if I had anything for his list when he traveled to meet with regional company executives. “The list” was the clue I needed. He wanted short bullet points so that he could make the most of his limited time in meetings with other leaders.
I changed the way I managed my own weekly time with the CEO by providing a hit list in advance. The hit list kept him informed of my key priorities, big wins and stucks. We spent less time on routine updates and more time on problem-solving and collaboration. It was a win on both sides.
Take some time to observe how your manager organizes their week, and how they run key meetings. Then, manage up. Be proactive and present updates in their mode of communication.
MAKE CONNECTIONS
Steve Jobs famously shared, “Great things in business are never done by one person; they are done by a team of people.” When new, high-profile initiatives emerge they need the coordination of multiple departments. Can you spot those opportunities at the start?
At Kent Companies, our conversion from traditional hard hats to modern climbing-style helmets needed coordination between field operations, safety, human resources and marketing. I spotted an opportunity to connect those departments with a collaborative, consolidated plan. The plan kept the subject matter experts in operations and safety at the forefront…and maintained a timeline for policy changes and communications.
If you see a new initiative on the horizon, find a way to be a part of the team. Take responsibility to make the connections needed to ensure the roll-out is great.
CREATE A VACUUM
As a young professional, it’s tempting to get distracted by what your peers are doing. Maybe you wonder how some colleagues are tapped for high profile assignments. This is when it’s critical to focus on your own lane and to execute your work at the highest level possible.
Create your own vacuum. In other words, build the best practice and gold standard on your own turf – even if it’s a routine process. If you build the gold standard, it becomes clear to company leadership very quickly. Your work begs the question: Why isn’t everyone else doing it this way?
When you approach every assignment – even the routine ones – with the highest level of care, you create a vacuum for others to follow.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
The only constant in the construction industry is change. Last minute change. Change orders. Weather changes. Site changes. Supply chain changes. In an industry where change happens every day…be the most steadfast, consistent player on the team.
When your team and company leaders know your work habits and cadence, you become a keystone player. Confidence surges because your work is trusted when it is needed most.
Consistency is your greatest advantage as you carve the path to being the most valuable player on the team.
About the Author:
Leah Gradl is the Chief Business Officer for Kent Companies, a top-10 concrete place and finish contractor. She created first-ever roles for herself at each stage of her 10+ year career in concrete construction.
