How To Succeed At Work

HOW TO SUCCEED AT

WORK

1. RADIATE PASSION ● Treat and care for your organization as if it

were your own company.

● Enthusiastically give your best work then give some more - go the extra mile.

● Great passion inspires others and collectively the team’s performance becomes greater.

2. GO THE SECOND MILE ● Take control of your career by expanding your

knowledge. Read something new every day.

● Think of solutions instead of problems. Anticipate your boss’ requests, prepare ahead.

● Develop resources to help others e.g. manuals, flowcharts and standard operating procedures.

3. DO SELF EVALUATIONS● Do periodic self-analysis to measure your

progress and identify gaps in your plans.

● What stage are you at in your career path? What is your ultimate destination career-wise?

● Ask yourself how am I improving the company? What is my contribution? What can I do better?

4. LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES● You can learn a lot of lessons from mistakes

and failure.

● Admitting mistakes is not always easy to do. It is the hallmark of maturity to admit a mistake.

● Come up with solutions for how to avoid the mistake from happening again in the future.

5. MAKE YOUR BOSS LOOK GOOD● Learn your boss’ working style, preferences,

strengths, weaknesses and blind spots.

● Support your boss’ strengths, turn weaknesses to strengths or mitigate the weakness.

● Keep your boss regularly informed and updated. Ask for your boss’ guidance when you need it.

6. BOOST YOUR HORSEPOWER● How much work output can you do compared

to others in similar roles as yourself?

● What was your average productivity one year ago? Is your output increasing or decreasing?

● Aim to become a top performer in your team. One who produces fast and accurate results.

7. HAVE VISION● Think long-term like a CEO at work. Enhance

your foresight and visioning skills.

● Think of unique ways to improve the company. Write down ideas and present to your boss.

● Visualize 5-10 years: What will the business environment look like? How will we cope?

8. LEARN FROM OTHERS● One great way to increase your knowledge and

skills is by learning from your work colleagues.

● Some work colleagues are ‘human libraries’ with vast knowledge and many years of experience.

● Keep the learning cycle moving by training others in turn as well.

9. VOLUNTEER TO LEAD● Leadership skills are very valuable for anyone

who aspires to rise in their career.

● Test-drive your leadership skills by leading meetings, events & oral presentations.

● This sharpens skills e.g. managing, negotiating, decision-making and conflict resolution.

10. BE HUMBLE AND EMPATHETIC ● No-one likes to work with an arrogant, proud or

boastful person. Cultivate a pleasant attitude.

● Being humble helps in solidifying your character and how you interact with colleagues.

● Cultivate empathy by learning to see things from other people’s point of view.

11. FIND A MENTOR ● A mentor can identify your blind spots and

help you to navigate your career and office politics.

● A mentor will help you think critically, challenge your assumptions and push you to think bigger.

● An ideal mentor should have time for you and encourages you to ask them questions.

12. LISTEN ATTENTIVELY ● Attentive listening is a critical skill in

succeeding in your job and your personal life too.

● Many people are guilty of talking too much. Please listen keenly. Ask for clarification.

● Genuinely engage in conversations, repeat back in your own words and ask open ended questions.

13. HAVE SELF DRIVE

● You will likely face challenges at work including self-doubt, anxiety, low confidence and fear.

● When you fall down, pick yourself up, bounce back up like a ball, and don’t give up.

● Establish a reputation as a go-to person who perseveres and solves problems.

14. SPEAK UP ● Learn the art of making your voice heard;

tactfully speak up and ask questions respectfully.

● Confidently share ideas and opinions with your team in an objective and respectful manner.

● When you don’t speak up your voice, ideas and opinions will be not be known and heard.

15. EMBRACE CHANGE

● Change is a constant feature in many organizations.

● Learn to quickly analyze why changes have been introduced and what new benefits they offer.

● Become an early adopter who will in turn guide and train others in embracing change.

16. SEEK AND GIVE FEEDBACK ● Practice the habit of seeking feedback for

continuous growth and improvement.

● For feedback to be most effective it needs to be given in a timely manner.

● It is advisable to always give sensitive feedback in private.

17. BE ORGANIZED● Plan your day, every day. Know what activities

you want to accomplish on a specific day.

● Prioritize tasks in order of importance and do the difficult tasks at the beginning of the day.

● At the end of each day, reflect on what you did during day, and then plan for the next day.

18. TOOT YOUR HORN, SMARTLY● Email a one page summary of your major

monthly achievements to your boss.

● Participate in meetings or surveys, offer good ideas that can positively impact the company.

● Organize brown bag meetings and share your skills and train others on helpful tips and tricks.

19. UNPLUG AND RECHARGE● If you push yourself too hard and do not

include some downtime, you risk fatigue and burnout.

● Take advantage of vacation time and holidays to unplug and refresh your body and mind.

● Before going for vacation, work a plan with your boss to ensure work continuity in your absence.

20. DEALING WITH AMBIGUITY● It’s unlikely have all the information that you

need 100% of the time to perform your duties.

● There is always a degree of uncertainty and vagueness that you will encounter in your job.

● There are last minute requests, emergencies and uncertainties. Be flexible to meet deadlines.

21. ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET

● Thinking like an entrepreneur is a useful skill for becoming successful at your job.

● Adopt a laser-focused commitment to excellence in everything you do - big or small.

● Seek ways to expand your current role. Identify new tasks that need to be done.

22. RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

● True success is the result of working with and through others. People help people.

● To grow, actively seek opposites. Seek company of people who think different from you.

● Help others. Offer sincere praise. Celebrate others successes. Remember people’s names.

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