According to Toni Newman, a catalyst for strategic innovation, improving your business incrementally year after year is no longer good enough to excel. Incremental improvements have now become status quo and you need to work on continuous improvement just to stay in the game of business. So what is necessary to thrive today in the business world? In a nutshell....being different.

Would this same logic apply to employees who are struggling to advance in their careers? I believe so. As a baby boomer, I grew up knowing that if I performed my job well, had a great attitude and worked harder than anyone else, I would get noticed and ultimately see greater success. This is still true today but it may not be enough.

So, if these great work attributes have become status quo, then what can a person do to get noticed in a positive way? Toni Newman recommends being strategic and not being different for the sake of being different. By being strategic you ask yourself what do you want your boss, co-workers and customers to think and feel and know about you?

• Share your passion- Toni Newman signs her Twitter messages with "Will work for chocolate". This is a great humorous way to get noticed and have people engage in conversation with her. Now, will your employer allow you to add a tagline to your email signature? I believe so if it is not offensive. For instance, I know of one employee who loves the Pittsburgh Steelers and would add a tag line to his email, "Go Steelers".
• Make your appearance standout. One worker wanted to stand out by the way he dressed. He chose to wear a different pocket handkerchief each week to show his flair and get noticed. A female could have a signature necklace, pin or earrings that can become a conversation piece with others.
• Change your voicemail message- what if part of your strategy to stand out is to be known for your expertise and so you want to share that expertise. Why not use your voicemail message as an opportunity to share with others the work you are doing or your department is doing? You will need to change this message frequently to stay fresh.
• Create a memorable business card-I realize that your company may have a policy about consistency in business cards but could you add a tag line to your card that would help you stand out? Could your card be made of a different material or a different size than your standard card?

Question for You:

Do you play it safe and hope that you will be noticed on your hard work alone? Do you want others to take notice about your abilities so that you have greater opportunities at work?

Answer for You:

You need to find a way to stand out amongst your peers who are working just as smart and hard as you are. What is different about you? Ask your close friends and co-workers what makes you different and use this knowledge to create a strategy that gets you noticed.

"Be a Fruit Loop in a bowl of Cheerios." 

Hussein Nishah