Where can I contribute?
At first glance, this may seem obvious. Job descriptions map out responsibilities and requirements of the job and, often, serve as a contract between employee and employer about mutually shared expectations for the position. If you don’t know the answer to this question, look to conversations with your boss as part of your company’s performance evaluation process as the best place to start.
However, the new year provides a chance to reflect upon these responsibilities, separate and apart from your annual performance review. Consider how external factors may have impacted your job in a way that didn’t previously exist. For example, changing customer needs and economic and demographic factors and industry trends can result in an opportunity to make a positive contribution that didn’t exist before. Ongoing dialogue with your boss can help refine ideas into concrete contributions. Where can I go above and beyond? “Going above and beyond” can occur in both large and small ways, and means different things in different organisations. Your perspective will largely determine this — do I do the bare minimum in my job or do I consistently add value to a project, programme or initiative? What is it about your job that you’re most enthusiastic about and how can you contribute to a project or initiative that you haven’t contributed to in the past? As you consider your own perspective, also consider your co-