Five Tips For Staying In The Game Over The Holidays

It’s the end of the year and many organizations are evaluating their budget and staffing needs for the next year. During this time when every penny and every person is being assessed, how can you help make sure your job is safe from the year-end chopping block?

The Wall Street Journal’s Julie Steinberg offers five tips that we believe are invaluable for thriving and staying ahead, whether you're leading a team in a church, a nonprofit, or the corporate world.

Stay in the Front: Do you show up at work, take care of business and leave when the clock strikes five? If you’re spending all of your time at your desk and no time engaging with your coworkers and superiors, you may become a distant memory. Don’t go overboard trying to get attention, but do make an extra effort at sending updates, contributing to projects, and complimenting others’ jobs well done.

Teacher’s Pet: Let us say this first – don’t be inauthentic. Sometimes you can’t force a good relationship. However, creating a good and growing relationship with your boss is essential for staying in the game. Recently, an employee approached her manager because she knew her budget was getting cut and the department’s revenue was significantly less than planned. Because of the relationship she had with her boss over time and by always being consistent, he allowed her to have a six-month grace period to allow her extra time to realign her department. He clearly said he wouldn’t have offered it if it weren’t for their relationship.

Vacation Time: It’s easy to skip out of the office more frequently than usual during the holidays. If you’re relatively new at your company, simply take the time off you need to. When you’re out of the office, you’re out of peoples’ minds. It can be easy for others to lose sight of your contributions when you’re away. Without robbing your family of your time away, see if there are a few times you can check in should you take an extended leave.

Focus: Multitasking is required especially as companies downsize and people are left with a growing mountain of responsibility. However, as you work on your various projects, focus on one at a time. This will help you be more productive by completing your tasks with excellence and preventing do-overs for simple mistakes.

Assert Yourself: It may seem counter-intuitive to ask for more money during such an unstable economic time, but if you’ve earned it, ask. Your assertiveness will likely be looked on favorably and also show your manager that you have confidence about the direction the company is heading – and how you will be contributing.