Finding Your Niche at YRES

(Left to right: Krisanne Bautista, Dorothy Nediak)

On February 4, we celebrated two team members whose impact was felt across YRES. Dorothy and Krisanne were recognized as Employees of the Month for their exceptional dedication, initiative, and quality of work.

To share the insights behind their success, we’ve invited a special host to lead the conversation: Nova the Trailblazer, YRES’ mascot. Known for curiosity, initiative, and a drive to explore new frontiers, Nova sat down with Dorothy and Krisanne to learn what it truly means to excel at YRES, and how any team member can grow into an Employee of the Month.

Nova the Trailblazer:
As Employees of the Month, what makes a good employee? How does an employee excel?

Dorothy:
I think it’s important to find your passion within the company, and find something that you’re invested in. That will drive you to go above and beyond. It’s easy to say “take initiative,” but you need drive to really immerse yourself in your role. YRES is broad and open ended; you can get involved in a variety of projects. Depending on your position in the company, your tasks may vary, but finding that spark which drives you is always key.

Krisanne:
I think what is really important is to put care into your work. More specifically, I like to care about the people impacted by my work. When I think about the people who will read my documents, the people who receive my Slack messages, or the people who will use what I say for their own projects, I am more motivated to excel or to deliver a high quality performance because I want the best for their projects and their efforts. If they use my work, I want them to have something that is truly useful, something that a lot of care was put into.

Nova the Trailblazer:
What’s a good analogy for the work you do as an employee?

Dorothy:
Think of a building. What does a good building consist of? There is a foundation, a structural architecture, and an external appearance. As an employee, your foundation is your skills. Your structural architecture is the tasks you take on, combined with your drive to take initiative to excel. Your building’s external appearance is the final end product of your projects.

To construct your building without collapsing the foundation, it is essential to have an open mindset about improving your own skills. For me, an example was learning how to use trackers to stay organized, but for you, this may be learning something else. Bear in mind: developing skills that do not instantly show results, but “only” help you be more productive, is critical. This is the foundation underneath our good building, the foundation holding up a good employee. Even if you have the drive to create an outstanding structural architecture, you still need a rock-solid foundation to support that: your overall task management, communication, and teamwork skills, which empower you to succeed.

Krisanne:
I agree! You must also be discerning about the opportunities you choose to take on in YRES. I use the word “discerning” because it is very good to take on new opportunities, learn new things, experience new environments, and get out of your comfort zone in the company. This has indeed taught me many valuable lessons that I would not have learned otherwise, and has pushed me to become a better employee. However, you must discern whether you should decline other opportunities. Know your limits and know when you can’t take on more. Saying yes to absolutely anything and everything may overwork you. It decreases the amount of time you can spend on each individual project or task, which may decrease your work quality, and may overwhelm you. Prioritize quality over quantity. When you commit to a project, you are now expected to deliver good, high-quality results. Make sure that your commitment is kept well.

Dorothy:
To put it together, there is a balance between openness to new opportunities, versus knowing your limits. Taking on new opportunities teaches you valuable lessons as long as you have that open mindset about skill improvement. It’s important to have a drive for improvement and initiative. However, you cannot afford to tackle too much at once.

Nova the Trailblazer:
Thanks so much! You mentioned how it’s important to have a balance between taking on new opportunities, and knowing when to decline them. How do you know when you’re taking on too much?

Krisanne:
One concrete strategy I use to evaluate whether I’m taking on too much is if, by the end of the day, I have a lot of crucial, important things that I have left unfinished, things that are time-sensitive or that impact many stakeholders. When I recognize this, I know I should not take on more.

Dorothy:
In addition to knowing your limits, it’s really important to know how to rely on the people around you. Learn the strengths of your coworkers, especially when you do not have those strengths, and ask for their input. When you have a thought, if you initiate conversation, this starts the bouncing of ideas, and ultimately, starts new progress directions. Good teamwork also helps you avoid overburdening yourself because of not sharing your tasks with others.

Nova the Trailblazer:
And there you have it, YRES! Let’s all work together to inspire others in the community to learn and grow!