5 Ways to Take on More Responsibility at Work - The Muse

5 Ways to Take on More Responsibility at Work - The Muse5 Ways to Take on More Responsibility at WorkSo youre doing a good job at work. Your boss binnenseems happy. And now, youre ready to take on mora.Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone to take on more responsibility is a great way to grow personally and professionally. It can be uncomfortable and hard at times, but thats what will help you make real progress within an organization. So give yourself a challenge, and try these five ways to step up and have your colleagues see you shine1. Talk to Your BossGo to your supervisor and see if there are any additional projects you can work on. Make it a discussion rather than a direct question you can share your own career goals and talk about how you see yourself fitting into the companys future.Think about what skills or knowledge you want to develop, and see if theres an opportunity thatll let you do just that. If possible, have a few concrete ideas in mind so you can suggest areas where you may be able to get more involved.If you dont have regularly scheduled meetings with your supervisor, try to get time on his or her calendar for the conversation. But if thats a long way off, mention it in passing and follow up. A simple Hey, I think I am ready for more responsibility and would like to help the kollektiv may be just what he or she needs to know to give you the opportunity.2. Look for Busy, Stressed Out Co-workersLook for the people who need help, be it in other departments or in the cubicle next door, and offer to lend a hand. Make sure that you dont get taken advantage of, though, or become a victim of a credit hog those colleagues who will attempt to have you do their extra work, and then take all the credit. Learn to identify and avoid these people.Also, be sure not to overwhelm yourself with others work. If youre risking neglecting your own responsibilities, youre going too far.3. Become an ExpertAcquire new knowledge continuously and stay on top of tr ends or developments in your field. If youre seen as an expert in a particular subject, youre more likely to be needed for new projects coming up.One simple way set up a Google Alert for topics relevant to your industry, company, or teams area of responsibility. Pick your search terms, and any new articles featuring the terms youve chosen will be sent to your inbox in a daily update email. Another great option is to use Twitters news hashtags.When you find articles relevant to your teams work, send them out with a brief accompanying summary. Youll be helping all of your teammates look better and stay up-to-date on the latest industry news, which can gain you a lot of credibility as a team player. Remember though, when you send an article out to your team, make sure you anticipate any questions that may come up about what you sent.4. Be ProactiveSometimes you cant wait for someone else to give you the green light. Take initiative, and do what needs to be done before someone asks you (or someone else) to do it. Start by identifying tasks that are falling through the cracks and completing them. Your foresight will be appreciated.If part of your planned activity involves reaching out to clients or other external members of your company, make sure that you have approval to do this. Jenn, I thought that a press search would be helpful here, and I wanted to reach out to Erik on the PR team is a simple way of confirming your team is okay with you reaching out, and also of communicating what youre doing so it doesnt end up being done twice.5. Start With the Fun StuffLastly, some workplaces have extracurricular activities you can get involved in, be it the softball team or the sustainability initiative. Show your leadership skills there and get to know more people at work as a first step towards more official responsibility. Plus, it can be good for your co-workers to get to know you outside of your traditional professional environment.

New ASME President Charla Wise Highlights ASMEs Mission Vis...

New ASME President Charla Wise Highlights ASMEs Mission Vis... New ASME President Charla Wise Highlights ASMEs Mission Vis... New ASME President Charla Wise Highlights ASMEs Mission & Vision in Her Presidents Dinner AddressJune 30, 2107 ASME President Charla Wise became the 136th president of the Society during the ASME Annual Meeting in Newport Beach, Calif., earlier this month.During her inaugural address at the Presidents Dinner earlier this month at the ASME Annual Meeting, ASMEs new president, Charla K. Wise, discussed the Societys mission and imagination, as well as her hopes for ASMEs future as it continues with its strategic plan for becoming the go-to organization for addressing key technology-related issues.Wise, a consultant and an adjunct professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Michigan who had previously spent more than 25 years in high-profile positions at General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin, has been an active and dedicated supporter of the Society during her more than 10 years as an ASME member. A longtime member and former chair of the Industry Advisory Board, Wise has served in the Society in a variety of positions including member of the ASME Board of Governors, chair of the Strategic Growth Task Force, vice chair of the Committee on Honors, and member of the ASME Foundation Board.Given that history with ASME, Wise is naturally familiar with and committed to the Societys mission to serve diverse multinational communities by advancing, disseminating and applying engineering knowledge for improving the quality of life and communicating the excitement of engineering. ASMEs new President Charla Wise (left) with immediate Past President Keith Roe at the Presidents Dinner.Touching on the missions last point, Wise said, As quickly as our world is changing and advancing, we need to stimulate and inspire the minds and capture the hearts and souls of our existing engineers and technical professionals, as well as those of futu re generations of engineers to join us in accomplishing our mission to impact the world positively, through our solutions and technology.Wise also discussed ASMEs vision of being the essential resource for mechanical engineers and other technical professionals throughout the world for solutions that benefit humankind, noting that she shared this vision for the Society as well.Last year, when I ran for president, I told the Nominating Committee that my theme for this year would be Continuity, As We Move Forward, Together. And thats the beauty of the strategy that ASMEs Board of Governors has been working on over the past several years. It brings us continuity as we look to the future, especially over the next 10 years. It helps us move forward toward achieving our mission by having clear goals. It brings us all together we all have a common vision what I call a North Star for the Society. ASME immediate Past President Keith Roe reflected on his yearlong term as the Societys leader during his speech at the Presidents Dinner.Much like the North Star, which has been used throughout the ages as a navigational tool because it remains nearly immovable in the sky, the Societys vision holds steady in front of all of us, Wise said. We all can keep our eye on the North Star (our vision) as we move forward on our ASME paths as individuals, as sectors, as groups. We all see how our paths may be somewhat separate, yet we are connected and integrated, helping each other, and doing our part to lead us towards success.As her speech drew to a close, Wise, addressing her fellow ASME colleagues in the room, said, We are the leaders to make our vision a reality. We are members of such an incredible team. I am always impressed and energized when I look at the credentials, the commitment, the energy and the dedication of this team. You are, and we have on our team the best of the best and we can make it happen.Earlier in the program, immediate Past President Keith Roe looked bac k on his 12-month term and highlighted some of the major milestones of that year, which included the launching of the new Engineering Festivals (E-Fest) program for engineering students, the introduction of new International Working Groups for pressure technology standards development in Argentina and China, and the development of workshops, webinars, Congressional briefings and other programs concentrating on ASMEs five strategic technologies pressure technology, advanced manufacturing, robotics, bioengineering and clean energy.One year ago, I pointed out that ASME is in the process of transforming our Society and that our focus was to develop content-based ecosystems that will help engineers find solutions for the worlds most pressing needs and challenges, Roe said. This transformation we hope will energize both volunteers and staff, in its partnership as high-performance teams, to raise our expectations of ourselves and everyone who helps us meet these challenges.This kind of t ransformation requires fundamental changes in strategy, operations, and worldview the kind that pushes us to action, that moves us from exploration of opportunities to a radical shift that leads us from the chaos of discovery to order, he continued. I promised you I would do my best to lead you there, as president. You still have that promise, as I look forward to continuing this work with Charla Wise and the leadership team for our next fiscal year.

How to Spot a Bad Boss While Job Searching

How to Spot a Bad Boss While Job SearchingHow to Spot a Bad Boss While Job Searching6There are so many things to be concerned about while youre looking for a job. When will you find a job? Are you qualified enough for the punkt once you find it? Will you be able to make a good first impression? Do you know how to answer all those tricky job interview questions? Theres one question that many job seekers dont think about, but its a crucial one how can you spot a bad anfhrer while job searching?Even if you find a job that looks like it could be a good fit for you, youre qualified for the position, you made a great first impression, and you were able to answer all of those strange job interview questions, a bad boss can make that once-fabulous job a living hell. Luckily, you dont have to wait until youre hired to realize that your boss is a creep.Here are a few ways to spot a bad boss while youre job searching.Before the job interview.If you thought that you had to wait until meeting you r potential boss in person to determine if hes going to be a bad boss, think again. There are telltale clues that you can plek up on even before you face off in person. For example, how does he behave in email exchanges? Is he professional or impersonal? Is he friendly- or worse, overly friendly and crossing personal boundaries? Or maybe hes disorganized and doesnt respond to emails for a few days, leaving you wondering if you did or said something to offend him. Your gut instinct will let you know if something is amiss, so be sure to keep your eyes open for signs.During the job interview.If you already had an odd feeling about your prospective boss before meeting him, sitting down across from him during a job interview can confirm what youve been feeling all along. The first clue is his office. Is it super messy, with papers strewn everywhere? Thats a sign of not only a cluttered office, but a cluttered mind as well. Is he unprofessional, rude, or just downright mean and condescend ing? Its important to remember that the job interview is the opportunity for not only you to be on your best behavior, but your boss as well. (Thats why, in many ways, a job interview is like a first date.) If your boss feels comfortable enough to act like a jerk in front of you during the job interview, theres a very good chance that he will continue being one (or worse) after youre hired.After the job interview.After youve finished with your interview, you should see if you can confirm your sinking suspicions about your boss-to-be. As you walk through the hallways on your way out, try to pick up on the offices vibe. Does the atmosphere seem light, with colleagues laughing and talking with each other? Or is it like a tomb, with everyone sitting silently at their desks? Seeing how the office functions can speak volumes about how your boss is as a manager.And if youre interviewing for a telecommuting position, you can ask to speak with members of the team to see if you can glean any inside intel as to how the person is as a manager. In fact, Glassdoor has great anonymous employee reviews for larger companies so you can get a sense for what the companys management structure is like in general, including reviews of the CEO. It makes all the difference in realizing that you dont want the job after all.Its easy to overlook a potentially bad boss when youre trying to find a job. But if you gloss over potential clues into his bad character, you may end up accepting a position that youll later have to turn down. That can cause you to waste precious money and time. And keep in mind the old expression a leopard (or in this case, a bad boss) cant change its spots.Readers, have you ever experienced signs that a boss was bad before or during a job interview? What happened? Did you wind up accepting the job- or not? Let us know in the comments section below