Professional success comes when we are exceptional at what we do. So, if you want to be highly successful at your job, you can’t simply do the bare minimum. Instead, you have to do far more than your average coworker. And that requires having great work habits.
Realize that great work habits don’t just benefit your employer. They benefit you! Superior work habits allow you to excel at your job. And once you’ve developed great work habits, you can use them in the future, when you get promoted, or at your next, even higher paying job.
Below are some simple, but critical, work habits that will set you apart from your peers and will put you on the path to success. Sadly, most people don’t have these work habits. Don’t be like most folks. Adopt these habits and watch your career move forward in ways that you could not have imagined.
Strive for Perfect Attendance
One of the most important work habits that you can adopt is to have perfect (or nearly perfect) attendance. No employer wants to deal with an employee who is regularly, unexpectedly absent. Unplanned absences make you seem unreliable to both your employer and your colleagues.
Typically, unplanned absences occur when employees get sick or their children get sick. So, part of being a good employee is being healthy and keeping your kids healthy. Do everything you can in this regard. Take vitamins. Get your flu shot. Eat healthy foods and exercise. And make sure that your kids do the same. Staying healthy is part of your job as a good employee.
Another reason that people are unexpectedly absent from work is transportation. If you are dependent on public transportation, or if your vehicle is unreliable, try to find a job near where you live. You want to have the option of walking or biking to work, when necessary. Being absent because you missed your bus or your car broke down sends a clear message to your employer that you don’t have your act together.
Know that when you have perfect attendance, it improves your reputation. Your employer may not say anything to you, but trust me, he or she notices. Perfect attendance makes you stand out from the pack. When everyone else is calling out for minor matters, your employer will know that you are the one employee who can be counted on to be at work, come rain or come shine.
Respect Your Supervisor
Over the years, I’ve had supervisors who weren’t very good at their jobs. They either didn’t have sufficient experience to be in a management position, or they didn’t have good people skills. So, I know that it can be frustrating to have a poor supervisor.
However, regardless of whether your supervisor is good or bad at his or her job, your job is to be as pleasant and as accommodating to that person as possible. Realize that your employer has chosen to put your supervisor in a management position. Whether or not that was a good decision is none of your concern. Your only concern is to get along with that person. So, because your supervisor is in his or her position, he or she deserves your deference, your good attitude and your kindness.
The key is to be selfish in how you approach your job. So, don’t worry about whether your supervisor is doing a good job. Why does it matter to you? Your only concern is to be the best employee possible so that you can advance in your career. That is your only goal.
Now if you are working for someone who is a nut, and that person is making your work life miserable, then you have only one choice: Dust off your resume, and get a new job. Don’t spend your time bad mouthing your supervisor to anyone who will listen. Worse yet, don’t go over your supervisor’s head and try to get him or her fired. Remember, your professional reputation is extremely important.
So, adopt the great work habit of always respecting your supervisor. Be sure to have a reputation as a top-notch employee, not as a troublemaker.
Don’t Worry About Your Job Description
Over the years, I’ve had to do all kinds of nutty things for my jobs that were well outside my job description. When I first started out, I had to fetch a cup of coffee and a muffin each day for my boss before I got to work in the morning. For another job, I had to drop mail off at the Post Office. At another job, I pitched in to help wrap presents for a fundraiser. None of those were tasks that I envisioned doing after graduating from college and law school.
However, I am a big believer in humility. And the way to stay humble is to recognize that you are not too good for any task. No one is too good to make a pot of coffee in the office kitchen. No employee is too important to fix the office photocopier. And at home, no one is too important to clean a bathroom, cook a meal or make a bed. As soon as you think that you are too good to do any of those things, you lose your humility and step into the world of delusional arrogance.
Realize that when you approach your job with humility, people will notice. They will say, “She is amazing at her job, and she isn’t arrogant at all!” But if you have a haughty attitude, no matter how great you are at your job, no one will care. They only will notice your arrogance.
So, adopt the great work habit of being a team player. Don’t worry about your job description. Instead, be willing to help with even the most menial tasks, so that your employer and co-workers know that you are a person of high character and great humility.
Help Your Co-Workers Succeed
People often mistakenly think that they are in competition with their co-workers. Nothing could be further from the truth. Your colleagues are your allies! Get in the habit of helping them. The more you help them, the more successful you will be in your career.
When you are helpful at work, you develop a reputation for being knowledgeable. If you can help others, that means that you know a thing or two! And having a reputation for being helpful, knowledgeable and capable is worth its weight in gold.
Being helpful also is a leadership skill. Leaders help and train. They impart knowledge so that the organization operates at the highest level. So, if you want people to view as a potential leader, you need to be the kind of person who is always helping and encouraging their colleagues.
Having good work habits is the key to professional success. The funny thing about these habits is that they aren’t difficult to do. Yet surprisingly, most people don’t adopt them. So, put yourself ahead of your peers. Adopt good work habits and watch your career take off!
(To read more about adopting great habits, click here.)
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