Talk about a direct report's stretch goals and plans with your supervisor. Your supervisor may be able to offer recommendations that you have not considered.

Take time to learn and identify the formal and informal structures that exist in your unit: who wields power, who controls work flow, who makes decisions and who carries them out.

Take time to actively listen to stakeholders, pausing before responding.

Take present state of affairs and project into the future where the system may break down (e.g., material archiving, data breaches).

Take ownership of the learning opportunities that you engage in at U-M and keep a record to show your supervisor.

Take ownership of a change implementation plan by translating and setting clear goals, communicating clearly, delegating responsibilities, and holding stakeholders accountable.

Take on a leadership priority where you will be charting a new opportunity involving conducting research, collecting and analyzing data, and making recommendations to senior leadership.

Take on a task working with team members in a different country, requiring you to communicate across borders, cultures, and time zones.

Take note of a colleague or senior leader who provides excellent feedback and note what is said and how it is presented. Try to emulate one or two of the behaviors or skills that you witnessed.

Take a good look at your workload and determine what tasks and responsibilities you can designate to others.