Success At Work

You landed your dream job. Congratulations!

Now what?

Career development doesn’t end the day you land a job and it shouldn’t start again only when you decide to look for your next role. Taking ownership of your personal development will only help you carve out the career you desire.

Being successful and productive at your job requires more than just participation – it requires being proactive about your own performance and success. How you are doing your job is just as important as what you are doing.

A successful organisation is one in which individuals are growing, learning and contributing to its overall goals. Fostering continual improvement through ongoing communication, information sharing, assessments and rewards can help both individuals and organisations progress towards their goals.

If you’re having trouble figuring out how you can improve at your workplace, ask a close co-worker or your manager for some honest feedback. Be prepared to hear the truth. Feedback will provide you with valuable ideas about what people expect from you, any weak areas, and what you need to work on first.

Here is our list of traits that highly successful employees have, that require zero training or talent:

1. Punctuality – Be on time, not only to work, but for deadlines as well
2. Work ethic and professionalism – aim high, conduct yourself in a way that you can be proud of every day
3. Effort – The most successful people pitch in—so they’re always right there where the action is.
4. Body Language – be confident and positive. Most of what we say is not with words
5. Energy – is high and uplifting. This motivates others around you
6. A positive attitude – be the one to offer the solution, not the problem
7. Passion for what you do. Love what you do every day.
8. Being Coachable – take feedback on board and use it to learn and develop yourself
9. Take the initiative – go the extra mile, above and beyond
10. Give people your full attention – Giving people undivided attention, helping them feel motivated and energized, and showing them that you care about their thoughts and opinions is more powerful than you know.
11. Being prepared – organise yourself, plan your tasks and focus your energy on the important ones first. Work efficiently in power hours, minimise distractions and interruptions.
12. Stretch yourself – Stretch opportunities are tasks or projects that are slightly beyond your current skill or knowledge level and therefore allow you to ‘stretch’ by improving your capabilities. By stepping outside your comfort zone and committing to your professional development you not only grow your skills but you become a more valued employee. When the time comes, you also have additional skills that help you stand out in the job market.

Most companies realise that developing their staff is not just a valued employee benefit but one that aids staff retention and builds a high-performance culture. So don’t be afraid to have an open conversation with your boss about how you can ‘stretch’ your skills.

If you know in which direction you are headed, you can determine the training options, work opportunities, technical skills and systems you need to learn or pursue. Aim high, but be realistic and don’t be afraid to set long-term goals. They can always be amended as your aspirations or values change over time.

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