A strong, focused personality can really make the
professional career of a person go places. Over my sixteen years of experience
as a corporate skill trainer, I have seen the careers of many otherwise
talented, qualified youngsters stutter and falter – simply because their mental
set-up was not attuned to performance excellence in a business environment.
Developing the right personality for a workplace can be easy, if you follow the
tips given below:
- Know your role well – Often, I have come across employees who were rather unsure about their exact responsibilities in the teams they were a part of. Unless you are fully aware of the task(s) that you are supposed to perform, even the most sophisticated behavioral and corporate training is not likely to be of much value. At the time of joining an office, find out from your seniors/peers about the precise nature of your day-to-day work.
- Never let work-pressure get to you – The process of personality development, at times, takes a hit – when an employee gets bogged down by tasks that are (at least according to him/her) ‘too tough’. Never let such pessimistic thought processes engulf you, and always be on the lookout to learn how to perform the assigned tasks in the best possible manner. Having an analytic mindset would help you lots in this regard.
- Take the help of others – No employee can be aware of everything – and no one at your office would expect you to be an exception either. If you are well-versed in vertical and horizontal communication training techniques, you won’t face much difficulty in consulting your team-leader/organizational head – to resolve queries that you might have. Do not escalate every other doubt though – and try to find a solution to them on your own first.
- Be involved in what you are doing – Always remember, if an organization prospers, your chances of acquiring professional growth in it gets a boost too. I am literally taken aback by the sheer number of people who have low levels of self-motivation – and treat their jobs as nothing more than money-minting, mechanical processes. Care for your organization, be responsible for what you are doing, and help your personality grow.
- Are you in the right job? – Well, this is a query you need to answer to yourself at the very outset of your career. If you take up a position simply due to the fat paycheck it promises (without considering whether you actually are interested, or have a knack for, that particular line of work), even regular sessions of expert employee training are not likely to help. You need to feel comfortable at a job, to be able to perform at your best.
- Face challenges confidently – Do not simply assume that taking tricky decisions is the sole responsibility of corporate leaders. Most leadership training institutes recommend a participative decision-making model for business firms – and according to it, even junior employees can be asked for suggestions and recommendations. If your company is facing a (financial or otherwise) roadblock, try to come up with smart, viable solutions. If your ideas catch the fancy of your seniors, your chances of a promotion would increase, and your personality would benefit from the appreciation as well!
- Don’t shy away from taking up extra responsibilities – And no, I am not talking about slogging overtime – simply to catch the eye of your seniors. You should always be on the hunt for showcasing your multi-tasking talents, by volunteering for extra assignments that you feel confident about performing. Excelling in a business organization is all about having the courage of venturing beyond your comfort zone – and you need to have this in generous amounts.
- Maintain your deadlines – Throughout my career, I have witnessed many employees being severely rebuked (often, in the presence of other workers) for not being able to complete projects/tasks within the scheduled deadline. Apart from behavioral and efficiency-enhancing techniques, a course on soft skill training would also make you more adept at prioritizing tasks – so that you never miss deadlines. Of course, if the deadline seems to be too stiff, have a chat with your leader/senior.
- Pay attention to your consistency – Many people are of the opinion that, a week of serious hard work automatically entitles them to slack off for the rest of the month. Nothing, however, can be further from the truth – and organizational leaders typically value consistent performance much more than ‘once in a blue moon’ outstanding performances. Have a work-standard for yourself, and make sure that you meet it everyday.
During employeetraining sessions, never be afraid to pose questions to the trainer. Such
sessions are planned to familiarize all new recruits with the work-processes –
and the onus is on you to take the maximum benefits out of them. Do not be
unduly afraid of the risks of making mistakes. Maintain a strong personality at
all times, and let your professional excellence shine through!
