6 Ways to Effectively Bolster Your Autonomy at Work and Set Yourself Apart 

With Independence Day just moments in the past, it’s a good reminder of the importance of strength, confidence, and of course, independence in the workplace. Of course, you may wonder, “Isn’t every manager looking for a team player?” The answer is yes and no. Every manager needs strong players — team members who are self-motivated to maintain high productivity and achieve goals. Sometimes this means playing an important role on a team, but more often than you think, it means hunkering down and digging into a project or task alone.

So why the push for “team players”?  From a recruiting perspective, hiring managers look for team players because they know that candidates without the ability to collaborate on teams may quickly become reclusive and non-approachable, neither of which are desirable characteristics for 99% of the positions in the business world, maybe even 100%.  However, the concepts of team player and independent employee are not mutually exclusive. In other words, you can and should claim your independence in the workplace, which will in turn bolster your team and the entire company.

The type of independence that rings most true in a business setting is autonomy. Daniel Pink explains it well in Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us: “A sense of autonomy has a powerful effect on individual performance and attitude. According to a cluster of recent behavioral science studies, autonomous motivation promotes greater conceptual understanding, better grades, enhanced persistence at school and in sporting activities, higher productivity, less burnout, and greater levels of psychological well-being. Those effects carry over to the workplace.” But what do you do if you do not work in this type of environment or if your boss does not give you autonomy? You have to create it and claim it for yourself.  Here’s how:

6 Ways to Effectively Bolster Your Independence

Build your Confidence. Have you heard of the Superman pose? Amy Cuddy, Harvard psychologist, conducted a study about “power posing” that can be used in your daily lives. She says, “The acquisition of power causes individuals to feel more positive, in control, and optimistic about the future, and to become more goal-oriented and likely to take action.”

In her study, she sought to evaluate whether power poses would actually affect performance. “The high-power posers appeared to better maintain their composure, project more confidence, and present more captivating and enthusiastic speeches, in turn leading to higher overall performance evaluations.”

A high-power pose is an open and expansive posture for one full minute, such as the superman pose (see image). It is intended for high stakes social and business interactions. Try it! You may find yourself surprised by the results.

Communicate your Needs to your Manager. This is sometimes referred to as “Managing Up.” The responsibility is yours – no one can better promote your professional development than you.

Note: Hour-long meetings are not needed to plan your future with the company and discuss your career goals. Instead, just make it a point to request and follow through on five minutes of uninterrupted time with your manager. Your manager should be receptive to this, especially when s/he starts realizing that you are taking the responsibility on yourself. The first conversation could go something like this:

You: “Hey, I was hoping to snag just five minutes of your time today.”
Boss: “Okay, sure.”

If this is not the scenario, however, and your boss asks why, or is resistant in any way, try this:

You: “I’m hoping to get some quick clarity on my goals.”

This should seal the deal. Now, follow through! Either stop by again, later in the day, or put it on the calendar if that will help guarantee time.

Important Follow-up:

You: “Thanks for taking just a few minutes out of your busy day. I care about my job, this team, and the company, and I want to be sure my goals are in line with your expectations.”

With this sentiment, the floor is now open.  Take it to the next level using these types of suggestions:

You: “What can I do to earn my next promotion?”    – or –
“What do you think I could do to improve?”      – or –
“How would you rate my goal achievement on a scale of one to five?”

Just get the discussion rolling. Don’t worry if your boss doesn’t have an answer. Express your interest in understanding your career path at the company, and let him/her know that you would love to touch base again in a few weeks.  Again, follow through!

Sit Up and Speak Up! So you might not be the boss. You might, in fact, be the “lowest on the totem pole.” But that doesn’t mean you have no power. You are a contributor on this team and your efforts should be valued. Remind yourself of this before every big meeting.

First, be sure you are informed and prepared for the meeting (it wouldn’t even hurt to dress just slightly more professionally than you normally do). Once the meeting has started, stay engaged. Sit up straight. Now, speak up!

Make your comments mean something, but don’t be afraid to voice your opinion. Show that you are eager to participate. Perhaps the meeting ends with some action items, but you are not included. Ask what role you could play to help achieve this team goal.

Take a Break. It’s hard, and often feels impossible to do during the workday. But whether you are salaried or hourly (exempt or non-exempt), you deserve to take a break every single day. And in fact, you will not only feel better, you will be more productive and motivated. Several studies show the advantages of taking a variety of breaks throughout the day. Use what works for you, but don’t skip your breaks.

In fact, this goes for your vacation time as well. No matter what your company policy is, studies have shown how imperative it is to take several days or even weeks away from the office to promote more positive morale and productivity. If you cannot afford a lavish trip, stay home and find some great local activities, sleep in, go for walks, spend time being social, and try new things. Whatever you decide, just stop thinking about work for a while, and you will be guaranteed to come back rejuvenated.

Continue Learning. There are tons of resources; some are completely free while some pack a pretty hefty tuition (such as a certificate, bachelor’s or master’s program). Take advantage of whatever learning you can. Often, a company will foot the bill and allow shared access for all their employees.

If you have to pay for it yourself, consider Lynda.com (part of LinkedIn) and Star12 memberships, among others. Just a few of the subjects offered are on leadership, Microsoft Office, strategic thinking, communication, prioritization, grammar, email, productivity, design, development, and much more!

In addition, there are of course plenty of national and local associations that offer networking and educational opportunities in every field. Do the research and commit to continued learning. Talk to your manager about it – you might get a pat on the back, a company sponsorship, or even a promotion for the new skills you’re adding to your tool belt.

Take on the Next Challenge – Earn your Promotion by Pre-Emptively Doing It. Some managers will promote employees who do not ask for it; if you’re one of those lucky few, congratulations!  But if you’re like everyone else, try this:

Start taking on tasks that you feel would be part of that job description. Ask your boss for more work or cross-training. As long as you are getting your regular work done, there should be no pushback here. As previously stated, no one cares more about your career goals than you. So take an active role in your path, start doing the job, and you will have more leverage when you have that next check-in conversation with your manager.

Focusing on Autonomy

Case Scenario: “My Boss won’t Stop Checking in on a Project I’ve Done Time and Time Again”

Perhaps there is a project or task that is recurring on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, or even annual basis. Your boss knows you’ll be doing it, knows when it is due, knows the expectations, and so forth. This is not a new assignment.

However, in this example, your boss comes to you in advance of this assignment each and every time for a “touch base” – i.e. s/he wants to be sure you are on track to accomplish the goal. Because the boss is ultimately responsible for the outcome, there may be a perceived lack of trust in its accomplishment. Claim your independence and autonomy by doing a few things:

• Be Proactive. If a meeting with your manager has to occur, put it on the calendar yourself. Avoiding it will not benefit you.

• Create the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). If the procedure for this assignment is not already written, write it! You can tweak it each time it comes up, but this will be an excellent way to show your manager that you have everything under control and everything will be checked off the list. In fact, include a checklist with deadlines along the way, if you can.

• Communicate your Concerns Without Being Defensive. When your boss comes to you for the inevitable check-in, mention how you feel, but be sure not to get too “touchy-feely” in explaining  — you want a positive outcome here.

Instead, ask your boss if s/he worries you will not accomplish this task. If the answer is “yes,” ask why. You may get an answer you didn’t expect: perhaps your boss has someone breathing down his/her neck for the assignment. Maybe the expectations have previously not been met in a timely manner, but that was never indicated to you. In any case, try not to take it personally, but see it from your boss’s perspective for this conversation. The outcome may result in several changes.

These are some scenarios to consider:

• Maybe you agree to tighter deadlines to ease your boss’s concern.
• Perhaps you could share your SOP to be sure you are on the right track.
• You could even offer a shared document checklist that you both have access to. Google Docs is an excellent tool for this – you can create a checklist in a Google Doc, and each time you update it by checking something off, Google can notify your manager of the change. This way, you may receive fewer status inquiries.
• Suggest a quick wrap-up meeting after the task is accomplished. Talk about what went well, what needs improving, if the SOP or checklist could be altered, or if there are any questions or concerns.

Remember, a little bit of proactive communication can go a long way in assuring your boss that you understand the importance of regular contact — allowing him/her to be less stressed about this critical issue – with the helpful outcome that you can actually get more autonomy. In other words, you have shown that you realize the company’s goals are paramount, and that you can be responsible in achieving them. What boss wouldn’t like that, and relax a little in the process?