10 Subtle Things that Will Get You Noticed at Work, According to Managers

When you take ownership

From stepping up and taking the lead to accepting the faceplant when things go wrong, taking ownership is vital to bosses. “Does the employee understand what it means to ‘own’ something—a process, a piece of equipment, a customer relationship?” asks Matthew DiGeronimo, the vice president of operations for Veolia Energy North America and co-author of Extreme Operational Excellence. “It is a rare quality with invaluable worth when an employee takes responsibility for every aspect of a business process. This allows the boss to focus her attention elsewhere because she knows that the employee will take the necessary action, even if it’s outside their defined duties and responsibilities, to ensure success.” Here’s how to bounce back from a bad performance review.