Workplace superpowers: How to make the most of your abilities – words Alexa Wang

When it comes to the workplace, there’s no doubt that relevant experience and qualifications are instrumental to getting the position you want. But did you know that there’s something else that’s particularly important to your success?

People skills or ‘soft-skills’ are essential if you want to rise through the ranks, and in fact, they’re so important that you can think of them as workplace superpowers.

Without them, you’ll have a harder time advancing your career as you’ll have to rely on the factual CV qualifications detailed in your employer’s human resources software alone, rather than using that little leg-up that comes with being a likeable character. See if you can identify your superpower from the examples below, and learn how to make the most of your abilities.

 

Persuasion

One of the most useful workplace superpowers is the power of persuasion. Harness this skill, and you’ll find that you’re able to land a sale or secure yourself a pay rise – or whatever else you want – without too much trouble at all. But, you can make the most of your ability by focusing your persuasive efforts for the maximum benefit of everyone, rather than just yourself. This might mean using your leadership superpower to persuade a client or customer to take a particular action, or to bring about an internal change for the better. As a result, you’ll find that people call on you when they need to tackle an intimidating issue or make an important pitch, quickly placing you in a position of responsibility and power.

Honesty

Another excellent superpower is the ability to be honest at all times. This is actually a lot harder than it might first seem, as we all tend to want to be liked more than we want to be honest. So, if directness or frankness is something you pride yourself on, make the most of your ability by taking on a mentoring role. Offering constructive feedback will position you as an honest and reliable person, and you’ll find that you provide unrivalled value to a business by helping to raise the skillset and output of everyone you come into contact with.

Action

If your life motto is “don’t put off until tomorrow what can be done today”, then one of your workplace superpowers is perhaps the ability to take action. Getting things done – rather than simply saying the right things and laying out the plans – is something that businesses value highly. That’s because many of us talk the talk, but far fewer ‘walk the walk’ by leading by example, following through and implementing ideas. So, make the most of this particularly special ability by taking on an innovator role. Listen to what people’s challenges are, see how you can marry that up with the business’s goals, and be the person who drives through the kinds of changes everyone wants. As a result, you’ll be instrumental in improving and maintaining morale, as well as efficiency, productivity, retention and perhaps even profitability.

Enthusiasm

It can be difficult to bounce into work with a smile every day, which is why a positive attitude is such a highly valued superpower. Knowledge is important of course, but an enthusiastic personality is what keeps teams banded together and connects with people on an emotional level. If this sounds like you, make the most of your talent by seeking out those who need a lift. People wants others to believe in them, regardless of how successful or unsuccessful they are – so show support, keep your team motivated and show yourself as being the source of positivity when times are particularly challenging. Colleagues of all levels will gravitate someone with high drive and energy, which can only be good news for your career.

Empathy

If you’re good at appreciating multiple perspectives, demonstrating compassion and sensitivity, and showing a genuine care for other people’s challenges, empathy is your superpower. This skill is a fundamental requirement of a good leader, and if you can display it to its fullest, you’ll find that people of all levels of seniority turn to you. You can make the most of this by using your skills to build strong relationships across all levels of an organisation, and to get to the root causes of problems.

For example, underperforming colleagues will trust you enough to share information you can use to change processes and help them improve and excel. So, don’t be surprised if you’re quickly promoted into people-management positions and similar positions of trust. People will come to see you as someone who’s a strong contextual thinker, a good listener, and an integral part of the ongoing improvement of the company: skills that are in high demand in any workplace.

Do you possess any of these workplace superpowers? And are you making the most of your abilities right now?

Workplace superpowers: How to make the most of your abilities – words Alexa Wang