Standing out at work is, honestly, not that difficult. The key is working hard. If you can do that, you got it! Hard work will get you noticed because most people are just not doing it. A lot of your coworkers are, more than likely, exerting the least amount of energy necessary to get a paycheck. If you do anymore than this, you will stand out where you work. 

Here are three practical ways to put yourself in a position for an upward trajectory.

• Urgency. We all know the old saying, “Haste makes waste.” Working with urgency is not that. Urgency means working with focused attention towards your tasks; it does not mean cutting corners. You should never lower your standards in order to deliver faster. Start with an urgent mindset by aligning your priorities with your superior’s. If the boss asks for something, make it your primary concern and deliver it quicker than expected. Likewise, when you are assigned a project, don’t wait to get started. And when possible, set your own more aggressive deadline. Never sit around waiting for someone to tell you what to do. Actively seek out ways to contribute. 
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• Responsibility. Take it. Own it. You will be noticed if you shift blame, but not the way you want. A manager doesn't want to know who is to blame. They want to know the problem is addressed, and the issue is solved. You might not be directly responsible for something, but if you own your part without blaming anyone else, you will stand out as a problem solver. Just do it. 
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• Be a learner. Don’t ever stop growing. Ask questions. Ask for feedback. Bosses love it when you ask for feedback by the way! It shows initiative, demonstrates you are teachable, and gives them the opportunity to share their wisdom - win/win. Read books. Do research. Don’t ever say things like, “I don’t know how,” or “I’ve never been trained on this,” or “no one ever taught me.” Don’t make excuses. If you don’t know how to do something, make it your own responsibility to figure it out, not someone else’s.

If you want to read more about standing out, Seth Godin’s book Linchpin is clutch. Impact Player by Liz Wiseman is also very insightful on this subject.

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