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Employees at every level of an organization can influence and contribute to change within their company, including the most junior team members. Despite their relative lack of experience and lower position in the organization’s hierarchy, junior employees can still play a pivotal role in initiating and driving meaningful growth.
Below, 20 Forbes Coaches Council members share various ways even entry-level workers can start to make a lasting impact and catalyze change within their organizations. From building strong relationships with leadership to being proactive in their roles, these strategies and actions can empower junior employees to become valuable contributors and true change agents.
1. Leverage Your Curiosity And Ask Questions
We tend to equate influence with advocacy, speaking up and having a point of view. In a fast-changing world, asking questions and inquiring might be the more effective way to influence change. Questions are learning accelerators, as they use and reshuffle existing knowledge. Being a junior employee gives one the advantage of having a fresh mind—and curiosity. Use this curiosity to question, challenge and commit. - Katharina Schmidt, Inspiration & Discipline
2. Get Company Leaders Involved
There is great innovation happening with apprenticeships. It’s less about the senior person teaching the younger person how to do things and much more about two-way training. There’s an awareness of the value that the next generation can bring to upskill more senior team members in the agency. If your leaders set the stage correctly for bidirectional teaching, much can be achieved. - Nick Leighton, Exactly Where You Want to Be
3. Consider Your Unique Opportunities To Influence
Think, “What is the influence I can uniquely have?” Maybe you can empathize better with a segment of the customer base than the senior leadership can. Maybe you see important issues on the shop floor that others are too distant to see. First, figure out who you have to influence to bring the topic to people’s attention. Then, share what you see, and share what matters to you. Authenticity breeds impact. - Gary Crotaz, Gary Crotaz Ltd
4. Embrace The Role Of An Informal Leader
A very powerful and effective way for a junior employee to influence and contribute to change is by having the courage and self-confidence to step into the role of an informal leader (versus being a formal leader by title). By embracing this role in a genuine way and aligning intent with impact (doing it for the right purpose and reason), the informal leader can add true value to the team and organization. - Dr. Mike Smith, John Mattone Global
5. Stay Authentic, Confident And Curious
A junior employee can influence change by staying authentic and confident so that they can provide a different perspective on a topic by coming at it from a different angle. Another way is by staying curious and hungry for learning and asking questions. - Senem Anataca, 180UTC
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6. Communicate In An Empowering Way
Influencing starts with enlisting others, and we do that by communicating in a “we”-centric and empowering way. Engage others during the ideation process so that they are invested. Instead of offering ideas by saying, “I think” or, “I would like to,” try posing questions instead by asking, “How might we...?” or, “What would success look like for us?” When others feel included, they’re more likely to buy in. - Amy Wong, Always On Purpose
7. Become A Leader Within Your Team
Junior employees may not be able to make decisions about business strategy, but they can become leaders within their team or cohort. Change can happen from the ground up within an organization when enough employees take initiative or show support for a shift in direction. While junior employees should take care not to be insubordinate, they should not be afraid to ask questions and share ideas. - Michael Timmes, Insperity
8. Seek Support From Colleagues
Gather data and evidence that support the proposed change and present it to your superiors. Junior employees can also seek out support from other colleagues who share similar views and work together with them to make a case for change. Additionally, actively seek out feedback and suggestions to demonstrate commitment to improvement and foster a collaborative work culture. - Jonathan H. Westover, Ph.D, Human Capital Innovations, LLC
9. Always Ask ‘Why’
A great way a junior employee can influence change in their organization is to be curious, ask “why” about everything and not accept the simplistic answer, “It’s always been done like this.” Curiosity is not arrogance; it is rooted in a quest for understanding. By questioning the “status quo,” they kickstart a discovery process that often leads to different perspectives and new ideas. - JC Glick, Prodromos Leadership
10. Build Trust With Team Members At All Levels
Build trust with members of the organization at all levels. Be open, objective and vulnerable enough to share your thoughts so that you can build your confidence in being able to influence change. When you focus on providing ideas that are authentic, they will resonate with the leaders of the organization. Take ownership in building trust regardless of your seniority. - Bryan Powell, Executive Coaching Space
11. Show Up On Time And Step Up When Needed
Everybody, in their own right, is a leader. Come to work on time (or earlier), work hard, leave work on time (or later) and step up when needed—do not wait to be asked. Let’s face it, others will resent you, maybe even ostracize you. That is because they feel that you make them look bad. It is not true; they make themselves look bad. But others will take notice and follow you. Be a leader. - John Knotts, Crosscutter Enterprises
12. Proactively Identify Areas To Improve
Junior employees need to learn to be proactive and take the initiative in identifying areas that need improvement and proffering solutions. They can participate in companywide initiatives and contribute their ideas and perspectives in this setting. - Adaora Ayoade, EZ37 Solutions
13. Engage In A Community Of Practice
Engaging in a community of practice can be a valuable way for junior employees to influence change within their organization. A CoP is a group of people who come together to share knowledge, ideas and best practices. A junior employee can connect with colleagues who are passionate about the same topics and work together to identify areas for improvement and propose solutions. - Andre Shojaie, HumanLearn
14. Find A Senior Mentor To Advocate For You
For a junior employee to influence change within an organization, it is important to have someone who can advocate for them. Having a senior mentor with whom they have trust and understanding allows the more senior voice to support and echo the words of the junior employee, whose voice may otherwise get lost in a hierarchical organization. - Dr. Rakish Rana, The Clear Coach
15. Hone Your Relationship Versatility
The ability to influence change starts with honing the ability to influence others with integrity. Relationship versatility—the ability to adapt your behavior to suit others’ behavior—is a key skill for a junior employee to have to influence change. This is about building greater self-awareness and awareness of others’ behaviors in order to meet them on their level and “speak their language.” - Angela Sedran, The Business Growth Accelerator
16. Take Initiative To Gain More Experience
Junior employees should take initiative and be proactive in their roles. Not only can this help the organization, but it can also benefit the individual by allowing them to gain more experience and better understand how to work more efficiently. Therefore, don’t wait for someone else to take action; be willing to step up and offer solutions that could improve the organization. - Anna Tan, Coaching Go Where
17. Offer Out-Of-The-Box Thinking
More tenured employees have a tendency to do things the way they have always done them. However, a junior employee brings a fresh perspective to the company. Companies should encourage junior employees to present out-of-the-box thinking and a renewed perspective on behaviors. This way, companies can ensure there is constant adaptability to the new and not become governed by routine. - Karina Ochis, Prof. Dr. Karina Ochis
18. Speak Up
So often, employees stay silent when they have a great idea or a solution to a problem. If you have expertise in an area or a solution that’s worked elsewhere, let others know. It’s okay if they don’t implement your suggested change immediately, but you’ll start to be seen as a leader in the organization and will be called upon next time. - Michelle Rockwood, Unscripted Sales
19. Get Clear On Your ‘Inner Game’ And Develop Your ‘Outer’ Game
There’s space for acts of leadership at all levels of an organization, regardless of title or tenure. Get clear on your beliefs, values, purpose and identity—the “inner game—and advocate for those. Practice telling those stories and inquiring about others’ thoughts. Build relationships and your support network. Develop your skills and capabilities and learn successful behaviors—the “outer game.” - Duncan Skelton, Duncan Skelton Coaching Ltd
20. Practice Self-Leadership And Personal Responsibility
As a junior employee, practicing self-leadership and personal responsibility can be a powerful way to influence change within your organization. By taking ownership of your work and being proactive in identifying areas in need of improvement, you can demonstrate leadership qualities that inspire others to do the same. Building trust and credibility will help you gain influence and support for your ideas. - Anna Barnhill, Barnhill Group Consulting, Inc
