Office diva: obtenga el trato y el reconocimiento que se merece en el trabajo

Office Diva. Chica, ¿eres tú? ¡Abraza a la diva que eres! Aprenda a lograr el aplauso y el reconocimiento que merece por su talento y esfuerzo.

Titaillette, CC-BY-3.0, a través de Pixabay, modificado por FlourishAnyway

Chica, ¿qué tan impresionante eres?

Ardiente. Exigente. Alto mantenimiento. Y ese eres tú en un buen día en la oficina.

Chica, eres la Diva de la Oficina y has decidido abrazar a la diosa que eres. Deja que te llamen como quieran. (Todos sabemos que los que odian odiarán). Pero debes saber esto: cuando se trata de cómo haces tu trabajo, lo tienes todo. Y así sucesivamente.

Eres competente, confiado y educado. Eres elegante, atrevido y estás en la cima de tu juego. En realidad, hermana, eres dueña del juego.

Algunos han tratado de derribarte, pero novia, no te vas a enamorar. No, sigues recuperando, superando esas probabilidades. Ahora brillas tanto que el resto de los habitantes de los cubos necesitarán sombrillas.

Eso es porque nadie se acerca a ti, a menos que lo dejes.

La diva del pop Katy Perry: sonrisa internacional

No niegues tu Divadom

Ser la Office Diva es un arte. Hay imitadores, imitadores y muchos aspirantes. Pero usted… bueno, señora, es el verdadero negocio.

Vamos a aclarar la definición

Wikipedia define "diva" como una mujer de talento excepcional, que suele incluir celebridades como cantantes y actrices. Es una palabra italiana que se aplicó por primera vez a los cantantes de ópera.

Pero estamos ampliando esa definición a dínamos en cualquier ámbito laboral, como la política, los deportes y los medios de comunicación. También incluimos a esos empleados de gran potencia que son el cerebro y el talento detrás de las empresas, tanto grandes como pequeñas.

Ya sea que seas la diva de los datos, una diva de las ventas o la diosa de cualquier nicho intermedio… sabes quién eres.

Así es como definimos a Diva:

Intérprete dinamita que es

Definitivamente seguro de mí mismo

V ictorio contra todo pronóstico y un

Un experto en búsqueda de atención.

Encuesta de lectores: ¿Cómo está tu tiara?

Diva de la radiodifusión Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey consiguió un concierto local como copresentadora de las noticias de la noche a los 19 años. Ahora es multimillonaria, filántropa, coautora de muchos libros y lanzó su propia red de televisión y revista. Su cálido estilo personal promovió una cultura de autoconfesión.

Alan Light a través de Wikimedia Commons, CC-BY-SA 3.0

Regla 1: cultive la experiencia encontrando una necesidad y luego satisfaciéndola

Chica, sabes que eres excelente en tu trabajo, pero cuéntanos esto: ¿Cuál es tu experiencia ?

" Analizo datos para que las cifras comerciales cuenten una historia convincente " .
" Recluto a los mejores talentos en ventas para la empresa de productos de consumo más grande del mundo " .
" Ayudo a los fabricantes de alimentos a lograr el cumplimiento de USDA y FDA " .

Cuando la gente te pregunte qué haces, no los aburras con tu puesto de trabajo. Eso no significa nada. En su lugar, tómelo como una oportunidad para describir su experiencia.

La mayoría de la gente puede afirmar que tiene experiencia en algo , incluso si es muy limitado. Sin embargo, pueden no

darse cuenta
saber cómo empaquetarlo sucintamente para la comunicación
comprender cómo demostrar su relevancia y valor a quienes lo necesitan o
crecer y transformar su experiencia para seguir el ritmo del cambio.

Diva política Hillary Clinton

Diva Hillary Clinton came a long way in her journey from First Lady of Arkansas, to First Lady of the US, to New York Senator, to Presidential contender and Former Secretary of State. Although she wasn't elected President, she's still a Diva.

Chatham House via Flickr, CC-BY-SA 2.0

Expertise Requires Seasoning

Experts lay claim to a specific practice area. Others turn to them for answers and advice regarding their subject matter knowledge.

In many fields, it takes as long as 10,000 hours of deliberate practice— or about 10 years' experience—to be regarded as an expert.¹ Thus, becoming an expert and the Office Diva involves professional "seasoning."

The Office Diva finds her professional niche based on her experience, natural affinity for a specialty, and what talents are in demand. She finds a business need and then fills it. Strategic, the Office Diva carves out her niche based not only on what her employer needs but also on where her field or industry is going .

Whereas her specialty area might bore, overwhelm, or confuse others, the diva is delighted that it does, because that allows her the opportunity to shine more brightly. She acquires respect as she shares answers and solutions.

The Office Diva understands that finding a valued niche means that her reputation and credibility grow along with her knowledge. As her expertise becomes more well-known, she acquires more influence, power, and control.

As this occurs, the Office Diva discovers that she can increasingly name her price, her terms, and even have a voice in who she chooses to work with. Now, dahhling, that's the glory of Divadom!

Own Your Diva Status

There's nothing wrong with being phenomenally competent at what you do and promoting the talents that your offer the world.

Beyoncé Sings the Diva Anthem

Tell Your (Short) Story

The Office Diva has learned that it's not simply what she knows but how she markets her expertise—both inside and outside her company. Therefore, she takes the time to build her personal brand. She communicates mastery of her niche in 10 words or less. This expertise statement helps her answer the proverbial " What do you do ?" question.

Additionally, the Office Diva can succinctly explain to co-workers, clients, and executives why her expertise is relevant to the situation they face and what value (or results) she can deliver. She describes the problem then casts herself as the solution.

As an example, consider the Office Diva who proclaims, " I help federal contractors achieve OFCCP compliance. " She should be able to briefly articulate what a federal contractor is, offer a dollar estimate of the company's federal contracts (her relevance), and rattle off the impacts of not complying with regulations (her value).

When you've done that convincingly, heads turn and ears perk up. And then, Diva, the floor is yours!

Singing Diva Mariah Carey

Pop Diva Mariah Carey's voice ranges more than five octaves, and she writes most of her own songs. On the list of best-selling female artists of all time, she ranks #3.

Sgt. Michael Connors via Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain

Rule 2: Effectively Self-Promote

Girl, stop being so shy. There's nothing wrong with self-promotion when you have the expertise and authority to support your claims.

You don't have to be the world's premier expert at what you do—just expert enough . Stop waiting for someone to crown you an authority. If you're already there, you know it!

Reach Out to Others to Share Your Good News

An Office Diva actively engages other professionals both inside and outside the workplace. Whether it's in the lunch room, at a professional conference, or waiting for a client meeting to begin, she asks key questions then actively listens to the answers.

She understands that efficient self-promotion means determining who key players and decision makers are. She gets these people talking about their favorite topic—themselves.

The Diva knows her clients, her potential competition, and what factors drive their attitudes and decisions on key matters. She identifies and discusses the business problems that keep them up at night. She develops understanding of their challenges, opportunities, goals, and talents. In so doing, she also earns the right to share the same information about herself.

Even if you don't think their issues may be immediately relevant to you, your new learnings may allow you to create broader context and linkages that could prove valuable in the future.²

When you self-promote, consider ways you can help one another. Talk about your track record and connect the dots between your expertise and others' business problems.

Share what drives your expertise forward:

What results have you achieved in the past?
What problems have you solved?
What big learnings do you have to share?
How have you inspired others to achieve more?
What excites you?
What business issues do you foresee becoming more important in the future?

If you self-promote effectively, you'll find that others will begin to promote your personal brand for you through word-of-mouth.

Girl, if the tiara fits, wear it.

10 Self-Promotion Ideas For the Office Diva

Join the digital conversation. Use LinkedIn, Google+ circles, Twitter, and other social media platforms to gain recognition. Actively share with professionals inside and outside your company, field, and industry.
Ask for LinkedIn endorsements or written feedback from clients, co-workers, and others. Testimonials come in handy during performance evaluations and job hunting. Make sure to return the favor.
Attend and actively participate in industry and professional conferences.
Showcase your expertise by writing guest posts for blogs, creating a video tutorial, or giving a speech to a community or professional group.
Mentor a Diva-In-Training (or a divo , her male equivalent). She'll never forget you, and she'll sing your praises.
Be a people and expertise connector—the common link that introduces other experts, decision makers, and leaders to one another.
Enthusiastically express your admiration for people who are good at what they do. Inspire and encourage others experiencing temporary setbacks by sharing a personal story.
Set up "informational" lunch meetings with people in the organization you admire—influencers, experts, and leaders. Ask them how they got to be so awesome. (Just don't be weird about it.)
Volunteer to work on inter-departmental task forces and committees so you can expand your expertise and your connections.
Acquire additional training outside of your area of expertise. Stay connected to fellow trainees. Share what you've learned with people who need to know.

Diva, Don't Be Shy! Promote Your Talents

An Office Diva self-promotes her awesomeness. When asked, "What do you do?" she doesn't offer a job title. She summarizes her expertise in 10 words or less. That's impact!

Alexis3 via Pixabay, CC-BY-SA 3.0

Tip 3: Build an Entourage of Devoted Supporters

Office Divas know that no one succeeds alone. They build an entourage consisting of a committed circle of trusted supporters, or fans.

The diva's devotees provide mutual support and advice, facilitate connections with others who can help, and promote the diva's professional brand (i.e. , her expertise and reputation). In return, the Office Diva does the same for them. The diva knows that people feel compelled to help those who have helped them.

Diva How-To: Build A Fan Base

People like to be associated with winners, experts, and authorities. Thus, a diva begins to build her entourage as she shares her expertise, vision, and track record. Like-minded others are drawn to her success. They believe in her story and recognize that she may prove helpful to them.

Diva, strategically handpick your followers by providing them with

useful information,
assistance, or
a referral.

Make sure they know your story (and you, theirs). Ask for their feedback, assistance, or ideas on small issues at first. Genuinely compliment them. Show them that you

are action-oriented,
a risk-taker,
are willing and able to help them,
can withstand criticism, and
have big dreams.

And then let them bring other fans to you.

Publishing Diva J.K. Rowling

During the seven years that it took her to write the first Harry Potter book, J.K. Rowling faced divorce, her mother's death, and poverty. Her Harry Potter series launched her to superstardom. Harry Potter is the all-time best-selling book series.

Daniel Ogren via Wikimedia Commons, CC-BY-SA 2.0

Tip 4: Act the Part and Own the Room

For most people, meetings are the menace of office productivity. On average, employees spend 5.6 hours trapped in them. Knowledge workers and managers typically spend 25-80% of their time in meetings.³

But the Office Diva uses meetings as an opportunity to showcase

her good judgment
expertise
communication skills.

Let's face it: Meetings typically expose you to a broader variety of influencers from across your organization and even outside your company. This includes clients, executives, consultants, and people who work in other departments.

Each of them evaluates you by how you walk into the room, how you sit, how well you listen, comments you make, and who you seem to ally yourself with. You can influence their perceptions.

Inspirational Ted Talk: Fake It Until You Become It -- Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are

How to Make Your Best Impression

To make your best impression:

Make a Rock Star Entrance. Enter the room like you belong there. In only 1/10 of a second, people form impressions based on a stranger's face, and those impressions are difficult to change.⁴ Smile, and go in with a purpose. Studies show it affects the "emotional temperature" in the room.
Communicate With Confidence. You were included in the meeting for a reason, so share your experience and viewpoint. Ask questions to show engagement. Speak up so you're loud enough to be heard. Don't delve into too much detail. Be succinct and to-the-point.
Watch Your Nonverbals. Adopt great posture and a firm handshake. Keep your chin up, avoid slouching, and maintain eye contact to connect with others. Be aware of body language such as over-gesturing (e.g., repetitively tapping a pen) or turning away from people. And watch where you sit around the conference table.
Tune In. Focus on the social situation at hand. Almost 91% of employees in one study admitted to daydreaming in meetings, and 39% acknowledged sleeping.⁵ Be present mentally, rather than answering emails or thinking about where you're going for lunch.
Look the Part. Your "work uniform" should convey competence, confidence, and class. Watch skirt length, the amount of skin you show, and those shoes. I once worked with a diva wannabe who wore skirts so short that when she sat down and crossed her legs, others could look straight up her dress. That's the wrong impression, though a memorable one.

Tip 5: Know the Difference Between Diva and Difficult Employee

Diva, let's face it: You know that you're all that. But think before you act out.

Hissy fits, alienating co-workers, slamming things down when you don't get your way—these episodes of high drama are unbecoming of anyone. In addition, research shows that professional women who display anger are perceived as lower in status, more "out of control" and less competent.⁶

There's a Fine Line

If you don't have sufficient soft skills, you may cross the line between Office Diva and difficult employee. Trouble indeed.

Public Domain Pictures via Pixabay, CC-BY-SA 3.0

Although it's unfair— because angry men are not penalized in this way —remind yourself that such behavior is inconsistent with the image you want to project. Do you really want high drama to detract from your awesomeness?

Remember that "soft skills" such as getting along with team mates and being professional and courteous are just as important as your technical expertise . Somewhere there is a line between Office Diva and difficult employee.

Just make sure you know where that line is.

Olympic Divas Revel in the Spotlight

Downhill skiiers Tina Maze from Slovenia and Dominique Gisin from Switzerland tied for the Gold Medal in the 2014 Winter Olympics. Here, they share the spotlight with Bonze medal winner Lara Gut from Switzerland.

M. Smelter via Wikimedia Commons, CC-BY-SA 3.0

How NOT to Manage Divas and Other High Performers

Failure to treat an Office Diva right can bring consequences: frustration, lower productivity, job stress, and intent to turnover.

Management Mistake & Rationale	What It Does To High Performers	Potential Impact On Employers
The employer provides ever-changing priorities and business initiatives, believing it reflects the nature of the business environment they're in.	When new initiatives are like Baskin Robbins' Flavor-of-the Month, employees begin to feel jerked around. They sense that the organization has no clear sense of direction. They tune out.	According to a Gallup poll, 71% of American employees are "not engaged" or "actively disengaged" from their work. They are emotionally tuned out from their work, less likely to be productive, and more likely to turnover.
The employer claims to pay for performance but doesn't sizably differentiate rewards and recognition for high and low performers. Management believes employees should feel lucky to have a job.	High performers thrive on merit-based reward and recognition. Failure to differentiate levels of pay, career progression, bonuses, and awards creates deep dissatisfaction.	According to a 2014 survey by CareerBuilder, 45% of employees dissatisfied with advancement opportunities intended to leave.
Managers believe they don't have the luxury of allowing people to work on what they're good at.	Assigning a high performer tasks that anyone (less talented) could do will make them feel bored and disengaged.	39% of employees in CareerBuilder's survey reported feeling underemployed. One in five employees plan to change jobs in 2014.
Management demands employees "do more with less." They believe high performers can take on significantly higher workload without consequences.	Just because a high performer is capable of taking on mountains of extra work doesn't mean they don't feel the strain. They feel stress and need Work/Life Balance, too.	According to a poll by the non-profit Families and Work Institute, more than half of employees felt overworked and overwhelmed.

Summary: The 5 Rules Of Divadom

Cultivate Expertise by Finding a Need, Then Filling It
Effectively Self-Promote
Build an Entourage of Devoted Supporters
Act the Part and Own the Room
Know the Difference Between Diva and Difficult Employee

'70s Disco Diva Donna Summer: She Works Hard For the Money

Notes

¹Szalavitz, Maria. "10,000 Hours May Not Make a Master After All." TIME.com. Last modified May 20, 2013.

² Warrell, Margie. "Self-Promotion Is Not Crucial (Unless You Want To Get Ahead!)." Forbes. Last modified April 29, 2013.

³Oklahoma State University. "Meeting Analysis: Findings from Research and Practice." Last modified 2001.

⁴ Wargo, Eric. "¿Cuántos segundos para una primera impresión?" Asociación de Ciencias Psicológicas. Última modificación en julio de 2006.

⁵ INFOCOM. "Encuentros en América". Verizon. Última modificación en 2014.

⁶ Brescoll, Victoria L. y Eric L. Uhlmann. "¿Puede una mujer enojada salir adelante? Conferir estatus, género y expresión de emoción en el lugar de trabajo". Ciencia psicológica 19, no. 3 (2008): 268-275.