from the Winter Career Boost 2022 Keynote Speech
We asked Ashley Laporte, The Director at RALLY – an issue-driven communications consulting – to talk about being “Professional” while also being authentic to yourself and your values.
Her advice: while you need to show up on time, professionalism isn’t as much about what you wear or how you do your hair so much as it is about how you think, and how you communicate what you think.
Let that sink in for a minute. How you think. How you communicate what you think. This is what matters. This is how you can find ways to infuse your values and your point of view in to your day-to-day work.
Your point of view has value, so don’t leave it out. When the boss asks you to complete a task, complete the task AND then take a moment to reflect on the task at hand. What observation might you share / what point of view might you offer? Some analysis of the task that 1) demonstrates how you’ve engaged with it and 2) helps your boss take action.
Every task, no matter how small or large, presents an opportunity to add your perspective. For example, if tasked to collect the birthdays of everyone in the office, share back the spreadsheet of names & dates with the observation that most folks will be celebrating in the summer. If tasked with taking notes for a meeting in which a brainstorm of partners failed to include key organizations who work directly with populations the organization aims to serve, submit the meeting notes with the observation that organizations serving those populations should also be considered.
These points of view should include actionable insights (e.g., recommending the inclusion of specific organizations in the example above). Actionable insights drive change; they can hold organizations accountable to their good intents in concrete and meaningful ways. By providing your point of view and your good thinking, you can feel confident that you are being authentic to yourself and how you think. That is professional; that is what the world needs; and that is a recipe for success.
To hear more of her advice on topics such as making connections with like-minded people at work, separating work from your identity, leaving a company, and much more, watch the full keynote speech below: