10 awesome work habits for a great career; here is how to succeed at your job
To succeed at a workplace, it is ideal to develop good work habits that could increase your productivity and job satisfaction.
By Saravanavasan K S
To succeed at a workplace, it is ideal to develop good work habits that could increase your productivity and job satisfaction. Though most habits that need to be inculcated are obvious, we tend to forget the basics. Therefore, it’s essential to get accustomed to these habits well enough to remember them.
1. Pick the job you love
Your job will fill a large part of your adulthood. The only way to be happy and to excel in your career is for you to love what you do. If you are passionate about your job, you’re likely to learn every aspect of the business and take active interest in the development. No matter what stage of your career you are in, be it the mid senior level or the very end, it is better late than never to pick what you desire for a job and pursue it.
2. Set goals based on vision
You would have perhaps spent some time thinking about your professional goals. If you haven’t done that already, I would suggest you set aside some time to chart out your short-term and long-term goals. The key to having a short-term goal is to have realistic ideas that you can achieve in the near future. Draft them based on your strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, current/future lifestyle needs etc. Analyze your passion and develop a plan that excites and motivates you. Your long-term goals usually involve a five-to ten-year plan. It should be more about identifying and advancing core skills, and ensure you are aware of all industry changes as the market demand changes rapidly.
3. Be receptive to learning new things
There is always something we could learn that will help us do our work better. It is an integral part of every position in business. Discussions with colleagues or subordinates can open our minds only if we are open to learning new things. In a very volatile and competitive business environment we are required to be innovative and constantly improve our work. Hence it is crucial to upgrade your skills to cope up with the rapid development in the industry. Technology developments have turned us into exquisite gatherers of information. Skill upgrading and certification training gives you the edge over others.
4. Be a good mentor & coach
A key role of a good executive is to coach, mentor and develop people. You are perceived to be only as good as the people around you. By sharing knowledge, the one who shares is benefited by building people around him. It helps us grow and excel at higher levels. Spend time with your team to understand how work is processed. You will see the change in dynamics within the team and also discover new ways to enhance knowledge.
5. Adapt to change
Adaptability is one of the key skills that every management expects of its employees. Change is constant at the workplace, be it in management, Technology, policy etc. Unwillingness to adapt to changes at work may derail growth at work. Be versatile and demonstrate your flexibility. The result of change could be better knowledge and skillsets. The more easily you adapt the more successful, happy and encouraged you will be.
6. Be a good people person
Managing a team isn’t a smooth sail. As you grow in your career, you will be assigned with the responsibility to manage a team. To be a good leader you have to be a people person. You will be responsible for encouraging your team and giving constructive feedback. Not everyone will be easy to work with. There will be a lot of challenges coming your way. It is crucial that you set good examples for your team. Build positive work relationships and acknowledge good work.
7. Risk Taker
In today’s rapidly-changing and challenging business environment, to remain competitive it requires the business to have a good risk appetite. Start practicing the skill of risk taking at an early stage of your career. As you progress higher up the corporate ladder taking on leadership roles, risk taking becomes a critical skill. Risk is about pushing yourself to operate outside the comfort zone taking on challenging tasks where the outcomes are uncertain/unknown. Risk taking is required for senior leaders to help their businesses achieve success.
8. Accountability vs. ownership
Taking ownership of tasks is yet another quality that managements look out for while creating future leaders. In taking ownership one defines metrics and timelines for a given task, exposes problems and seeks help when required. Accountability is working on a set of tasks as per defined guidelines where oftentimes one shies away from seeking help and flagging issues. Ownership is about taking initiatives and treating the business as your own. Taking ownership and stepping forward to do additional tasks highlights your managerial abilities increasing your likelihood to be considered for a plethora of opportunities that are present in your organization.
9. Collaboration
Collaboration is yet another key skill that companies are actively encouraging in order to achieve the bigger organization goals. Collaboration results in learning and exchange of information and ideas. This will also help you increase your creativity and be more innovative. This might require working outside your job description with people from across the organization. Not only does collaboration help the business grow, it will also help you grow presenting you with the opportunity to learn new things. A collaborative nature is a must to navigate your career and achieve greater success.
10. Personal development balanced with professional development
To be effective and engaged at work, one also requires to take time for personal development. While professional development will help us progress in our career, it is necessary to constantly improve and build ourselves as individuals. Taking vocational courses, hobby classes, attending workshops on soft skills and the like, will certainly help you grow as an individual. This will prevent you from stagnating, remain focused and reinvent yourself.
Being effective at workplace is a personal choice. While there are innumerable skills and habits that can be listed, practicing them should arise from within. The desire to succeed and be the best at your work will automatically trigger the necessity to practice these. The happiest professionals are those who understand what it takes to do a good job. Trust your gut, take some career development risks, take a deep breath now and then, everything will fall in place!
The Author:
Saravanavasan K S
Senior Director
Learning & Development,
Omega Healthcare Management services Pvt Ltd
