Work Ethic
A valuable characteristic an employee can
possess in any working environment is a good strong work ethic. If you're
wondering what defines work ethic, one such qualifier is making sure you're
where you need to be on time and for the duration of the time of which you're
being compensated. Other qualifiers are discussed below.
Most of us who work hard value this trait and
are sometimes affected by co-employees who have a differing view of their role
with a company. Attitudes might develop towards the employee who doesn't value
work ethic. This creates hard feelings especially when a lack of work ethic
isn't noticed or addressed.
We have to remember that we have to tune out
matters which are not relevant to what our own personal job performance is
based on. If someone else's lack of work ethic becomes an annoyance that begins
to affect the quality of your performance, then the subject should be taken up
with the appropriate individual at your place of employment.
Integrity
I can't think of an employer who won't place
value on an honest employee especially if you're working with a lot of material
that is strictly confidential. Plus, you want to be trusted and trust is very
important in any relationship, working or otherwise. Integrity will begin by
not providing false information on your application.
Positive Attitude
There is nothing like coming into the office on
a Monday morning and hearing a bunch of crabby people telling you how awful
their weekend was, and how already they can't wait until it's Friday. Talk
about wishing your life away--if any job is that bad, try to find another one.
This negativity makes you want to climb back on the elevator, doesn't it?
A very effective influence in the working
environment is a consistently positive
attitude. You know you have to learn to work with different personalities, so
treat them all the same. Avoid the person you will never be able to influence
to smile and stop asking the negative employee how he or she is doing because
you will hear about it for possibly 30 minutes of your working schedule. Your
positive attitude will be reflected in
your evaluation. You weren't hired to complain. If you have a concern, there is
an appropriate way to express it as well as the right go-to person.
Self-Motivation
If you have 10 piles of work on your desk, map
out a plan to get that work accomplished and moved off your desk. Don't wait
for someone to come tell you what to do. If you have a question, ask someone to
help you find the answer or go to the appropriate person in your office for
suggestions or guidance. Do not just sit at your desk drinking coffee while you
send out text messages. You're paid to work. Be a go-getter, be proactive. If you
want a good review and a good working reputation, ask yourself what you can be
doing to make your company or your supervisor look better because that's
another factor that will lend itself towards positive feedback in your
direction.
Strong Systematic and Organizational
Abilities
Let's say you have an office in a long hallway,
or a cubicle, if you want to attract attention, then keep piling debris on your
desk. If you want positive attention, do something with the debris because the
message you send out is that you're just not that organized. Employers like to
know their employees are organized and have generated some type of system to
make their job run smoothly. If you generate a system to organize materials
required to perform your job responsibilities, then you will actually be able
to find things when you need them quickly!
Good Listener
Whether you're starting a new job or you've
been at one for a long time, practice and practice being a good listener. Be a
good observer too. When you're given instructions for a new project, if you're
not paying attention, which essentially means listening to details, then you're
setting yourself up to make a mistake. It's also embarrassing to go back with
questions when the answers were probably presented already, but you didn't
LISTEN. Take pride in being a good listener because that is a huge problem with
the vast majority of people. Listening is also a part of reading material
provided to you or reading an e-mail--reading can be included with listening if
it relates to an important communication.
Detail Oriented
Who wants to hire an employee who will never
listen to details? I work in a law firm and I can assure you details are
extremely important. If you're a perfectionist like I am, then you're going to
want to know ahead of time what details you need to be aware of that will make
your job easier the next day or the next week for that matter. This is an
ongoing behaviour. It's also another
qualifier for your evaluation. For example, if it is part of your job to make
coffee every day and you forgot to order
coffee for the following week, this is a reminder to better manage details
involved with that coffee ordering skill!
Meeting Expectations
When you start a new role with a company, make
sure you sit down with your supervisor to discuss what will be expected of you
on a routine basis. Ask questions also.
You want to be able to cover all bases mostly so you know what it is that you
are expected to accomplish. As you meet those expectations, you might also come
up with ideas that make your job easier. Discover ideas that are more
productive and suggest them to your employer. If you see a co-worker struggling
to meet a deadline and you have yours completed, use some of that team player
attribute to help that person meet an expectation.
Adapts to Change
Imagine the person that went from an IBM Selectric Typewriter and then all of a
sudden, that person saw a reflection on a
computer monitor. Frightening, but as it turned out, the change was good and
the employee adapted. Every year, most likely something whether small or large
is going to occur within your employment and if it is relevant to your role,
then it will be necessary for you to adapt to changes. Some of these changes
might help you perform your job more efficiently. Some of these changes are
going to cause negative responses, but you're going to want to maintain your
positive attitude. So many changes are good ones, so embrace them and learn to
adapt to the ones you may not love. If it is an absolutely awful change and you
simply cannot adapt to it, remember it is always better to look for another job
while you still have one.
Experienced Communicator
Practice the kindergarten lesson of thinking
about how you're going to communicate a thought or reaction before words leave
your mouth. You want to leave your listener with the idea that you can
articulate your thoughts or presentations well.
The influence of your style of communication
begins with your job interview and into your job performance. You want to be
able to set yourself up to provide meaningful responses, not damaging ones that
can damage and alter your role in your job. An important element involved in
being a strong communicator is being a good listener and observer.
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