The Dos and Don't's for the Have and Have-Nots' in a growing competitive work environment.
Every crisply dressed working woman will tell you that corporate competition is not only about delivering more than you promise, or beating your deadlines or maintaining a perfect code of conduct. All of the above is mandatory, and be sure your competitor is already doing all this and more. Here are some brisk pointers to your way on top.
# Be professional. Professionals are honest to the act (work) and not the person behind the act. Do not confuse people with their decisions. To achieve that – build your own level of clarity within your personality.
# Do not judge. Use the oldest and the wisest trick in the book – ‘Watch and learn’. You’ll go farther than you desire.
# Do not forgive nastiness from any point. Do not encourage others to do what you would think twice about. Do not make scapegoats of others. You won’t climb higher if you are habituated to pulling people down.
# Do not compare and contrast. You may take longer initially to rise, but use the time to build the ladder. Identify people who can influence decisions in the company. Identify their and your areas of interests and strengths. Work on them!
# Reserve your opinions and suggestions for friends and family. Everyone seeks an alternative opinion – only to reconfirm theirs. However do not ignore a genuine need.
# Appeal to the mind and not just the heart, ‘a bad decision made for a good cause is still a bad decision’. Logic goes a long way.
# Do not shoulder responsibilities or a colleague’s crisis. Listen and pat the back – do not empathize. Do not let their ‘words’ color your mind and outlook.
# Colleagues can be friends, and friends can become foes. Start by treating your colleagues with silent respect. Let time decide your friendship.
# Stay away from a gossiping colleague. And farther away from a ‘friendly’ colleague who warns you against others. And farthest from ‘the teams’ at your place of work.
# Irrespective of how you feel towards the organization – put your interests forth. Personal growth fosters professional growth. If you go disillusioned to work, your skill will suffer, and you may never deliver your best.
# Switch Off post work. Treat it like a part of your life. Not your life. This works as a deadline – it will help you effectively manage time.
# Set realistic goals, and leave a margin for mistakes. Remember you are only human! Do not let anyone else forget that either.
# Do not push people, and do not let people push you. Deadlines are excellent to out-perform other colleagues but they are catalysts in burning you out.
# Inspire your colleagues, do not belittle or under play their efforts in a joint project.
# Appreciate every person for the good qualities they have. Harness those and build your work related to them. Your colleagues will not only respond to you as a person on priority but also their overall performance will be better.
# Restrict criticism, instead start ‘critically appreciating’ your and others work.
# Know your job well, but also the periphery. Multitasking is the key today, but do not let it be your habit. This will tempt you to interfere in your colleague's task, also you will become a bait for all the work someone else did not turn-up to do! Have the knowledge, apply it only during crises.
# Choose and decide your ‘character’ when at work and stick to it! If the ‘silent, demure kind’ works better for you than the ‘friendly, chirpy kind’ then work at ameliorating it. Often a fluctuating persona confuse people, retain honesty in your role.
# God is definitely in the details, but never compromise on the bigger picture for the details. No one appreciates the skill of a knit picker – Not even you! It affects in the long run – do not be persnickety.
# Finally, assess your goals like the company asses the KRA. Are you heading in the right direction? If not, return, revisit your challenges and restructure your approach.
# Your aim should always be you, then the firm and then the clients and then the work force. That way, you will always be in the ‘game’.
The first thing to do starting now is to create a table of ‘retain, remove, resolve’
Retain the qualities you have.
Remove the one that you believe may hamper your growth.
Resolve to incorporate the ones you aspire.
See the list every day and figure where you are at the end of every week!
Btw... this shit works wonders! I have tried it.... time to try it again!
