Behaviour To Climb The Stepping Stones To Career Success

The heading of this article could just as well have been "How to position yourself for promotion" or "How to position yourself for career advancement" or "How to climb the success ladder" or something similar.

What behaviour will improve your chances for success? Behaviour which can be described as good work ethics.

The answer on how to cultivate good work ethics is simple. Make yourself one of the linking pins in your organisation.A linking pin is someone to whom everybody turns to, to get information and advice from. It is also someone who can link persons, sections and departments for better co-operation. But most important of all, it is someone who can exert influence upwards, downwards and sideways in the organisation structure. In other words you must be able to influence people around you to carry out the wishes, policies and strategies of top management, by earning respect through your display of expertise and thoroughness. You must also be able to represent the valid wishes and needs of lower levels to top management. You can become a linking pin by striving to attain the following traits:

1. Cloak yourself with expert knowledge in your technical field of operation.

If you are an electrician, do not only be satisfied with your qualification. Try to gain more in depth expertise in this technical field of yours, to distinguish yourself from other electricians.

If you are an accountant, avail yourself of in depth knowledge about bookkeeping practices by studying or reading up on subjects pertinent for your field of technical expertise.

You can bluff your way during interviews, but once you have been appointed, people expect from you to perform. This is where the cookie crumbles or you succeed. The point is you must not only perform at an average level, but you must display exceptional or above average expertise, so that others can start to rely on your opinions and advice.

2. Produce accurate work.

Cultivate a habit to carry out your work correctly with a minimum of mistakes. Sloppiness or tardiness must definitely not be present in your attitude, personal appearance or any of your work outputs, be it notes, memo's, letters, spreadsheets, conversations or anything related to your work.

Imagine what will happen if debits and credits are being processed the wrong way around in a financial department. It will have disastrous consequences. Strive for professionalism in what you do.

3. Be quicker than most.

This is one of the best ways to demonstrate your superiority and efficiency. By executing duties and tasks speedily, you are being more productive and can entice more important tasks your way and thereby not only increase your merit ratings, but also your ultimate job rating. If you can perform your duties speedily, do not wait and stay idle, but present yourself to your superior for more work. Find a balance to be both quick and accurate.

4. Display awareness of productivity.

This must start with your own self-evaluation. Ask yourself constantly if you are giving more back to the organisation in value, than what you are being paid every month. Although not easy to calculate, just thinking about it may have enough of an impact. Just imagine for a moment if your organisation were to be solely dependant for profit on the output of human beings only. In other words nothing to sell or produce but labour output.

If you can do more, it reflects directly on profit. Luckily a lot of organisations have machines that make up in productivity for what is lost by unproductive employees. But being more productive in what you do as a human being, can contribute significantly to the profits of any organisation. As salaries are one of the highest cost elements in any organisation, this is one of the first cost elements that come under scrutiny during times of cost reduction efforts. You have to show your worth in order not to be included in downscaling of the labour force. But more positively, you have to show your worth to be counted in for consideration for promotion.

5. Get rid of time wasters.

Arriving late for work, stretching of tea and lunch breaks and elongated private conversations on the phone, are not only wasting your valuable time, but are a reflection of your poor awareness of productivity. Private conversations on the telephone are one of the most abused methods of stealth stealing from your employer. If you cannot be trusted on the use of the telephone, what else can you be trusted with? Are you a role model for getting rid of these time wasters or for abusing it? Are you earning respect for your ethical conduct in eradicating time wasters or are you just one of the crowd? If you discipline yourself and others around you on the economical use of time, you are on your way to earn a respected leadership role. Others must detect a sense of urgency in your execution of duties to begin to respect and follow your example. Do you want to be a follower or a leader? Do you want to stay obscured in the crowd for the rest of your life or do you want to be recognised? There is such a thing as telephone ethics, you know. If you are prepared to pay for your use of the employer telephone, you are not abusing it. Do you really know what you are costing your employer for using the phone? You are not supposed to use it for private purposes in the first place. It is a privileged instrument entrusted to you to help you in your work and not to cause financial loss to you employer.

6. Be open-minded and ready for organisational changes.

Whenever changes are announced, be positive and display a leadership role in executing the new policies and strategies. If you participated in the planning of the changes, then you were forewarned. But even if you experience unexpected changes, be first to look out for positive reasons for such changes and to influence others around you to accept it with positive attitudes. Defending superiors and higher management will increase your leadership status and trustworthiness. In a political sense it will display your role as siding with management against the disgruntled crowd.

7. Arrange and organise your paperwork.

A good filing system allows you to retrieve required documents and information fast for own use or for use by other parties. It is a reflection of your efficiency and your ability for sound logic thinking. If you surround yourself with paperwork to impress on others how busy you are, you are making the mistake of your life. It can be interpreted in many different ways, like you cannot cope with the workload, you cannot delegate, you spend too much on time wasters, you are too slow and worst of all you cannot manage yourself or others. If you cannot get rid of papers, you will not find the time to attend to the needs and development of your subordinates. You will also not find the time to liase with colleagues or to discipline your section or department. You will be a walk over and ripe for being misused by subordinates not respecting you. Rather be a reliable source of information with the time for training your subordinates and others. Clean up your desk to make time for others.

8. Read up on the principles of supervision and management.

Familiarise yourself with the knowledge on how to be a good supervisor or manager. If you can display management capabilities, you will sooner be identified for promotion. It is better to be promoted for your managerial capabilities than for your technical proficiency. It will allow you to perform your managerial duties better. Apart from being technically proficient, prepare yourself in advance for possible promotion. Make yourself ready and available for your employer and the future needs of your organisation.

9. Confidential information.

Your treatment of confidential information is going to be a good gauge of your character. You only have to make one mistake in this area, not to be trusted ever again. If you have a problem in this area, rectify it quickly. Your superiors and employer have to trust and rely on your discretion with confidential information. Some information must be kept confidential or secret until it is time for disclosure. You must proof your ability for discretion with this type of information, so that they know they can trust and rely on you. Let them know and understand that you are part and parcel of management.

10. Show initiative.

Make suggestions to improve methods of work and systems. See problems as opportunities for improvement. Do not just report problems, but analyse it wisely and make recommendations for improvement. Recognise opportunities for improvement and development and utilise it.

11. Be honest, open and direct.

Harboring a secretive attitude of slyness with hidden agenda's, will not remain a secret for long. Other persons will eventually detect it and despise you for it. You can just as well fire yourself, because that is where you will end up. Nobody will trust you after you have been exposed. Be open and direct in your communications and handling of conflict situations. Do not be afraid to air your opinions, as long as it is genuine and true. Truthful mistakes can always be remedied later on.

Summary:

Life is ever so short that nobody can really afford to remain average in the obscured crowd of nobodies. Make yourself stand out as someone with strong principles and work ethics, so that others can rely on your strengths. Qualifications alone, without work ethics, are totally worthless.

Make the following words part of your life and your philosophy on your outlook of work:

Tenacity ? keep on trying

Conscientious ? keep on thinking about ways to finalise and improve your work

Humorous ? make life bearable and enjoyable

Urgency ? you must finalise your work with speed and accuracy

Trustworthiness ? proof yourself to be a reliable and dependable person

Openness and honesty ? be a person of honour and proud of yourself.

Pierre du Plessis, CEO of Leaders Circle Educational Centre, specialising in Management and Leadership issues. http://www.careeradvancementcentre.com/

---

Handing in Your Resignation and Serving Notice

Have you made the right choice? Before deciding to resign... Read More

Reinvent Yourself in a New Career

Some people reserve the word "vocation" for religious calling. Contemporary... Read More

Negotiate Better Job Offers with This Twelve-Point Checklist

You've been through an employer's interview process successfully and have... Read More

Just a Series of Choices

Steve's a pretty regular guy ? wife, 4 kids in... Read More

Fun At Work Leads to More Success

Common sense at work: Such qualities as loyalty, energy, intelligence... Read More

Necessary Psychological Skills When Working in the Executive Protection Field

The "hard" skills necessary for an executive protection specialist (EPS)... Read More

Business Dress for Women: Making Impact

Buying a suit can be an important investment when you... Read More

18 Career Enhancement Caveats

Core value investing in your careerMany people walk through their... Read More

Top Career Advice ... More Choices and A Better Way of Life

Why Career Advice Is So ImportantChoosing a career presents a... Read More

Career Moves: Take Charge of Your Life

Every day millions of people let their inner fears stop... Read More

Personal Grooming: 8 Top Reasons Why You Can?t Take It For Granted In Your Career

Most people when they landed "the dream job" after an... Read More

Getting Past Fear

Have you gotten tons of career advice, solicited and unsolicited?... Read More

Are You In A Groove Or A Rut?

Ruts: the routines in our work and lives that have... Read More

How To Get More Interviews In Your Job Search

Richard Bolles, job search guru and author of What Color... Read More

Formal Business Attire is Making a Comeback

The dot com boom of 1990s brought with it a... Read More

Surviving Office Politics

It's your first month in a new position and it's... Read More

Troubleshooting Your Job Search

OK. You've posted your resume online. You've sent out a... Read More

Job Hunting Tips: Staying Active

Unemployment is depressing: financial pressures stress you out, looking for... Read More

Writing A Resume That Gets You Noticed

As the old saying goes, "you never get a second... Read More

Finally The First Online Job Agency in Mauritius

Mauritius is a small island in the Indian Ocean with... Read More

Job Interviews: Plan Your Appearance to Make a Great First Impression

Your personal appearance is a critical component of that all-important... Read More

Recovering From a Career Crisis

If you have ever experienced any of the following, you... Read More

Job Interviews: What to Wear

It takes between seven and seventeen seconds for a person... Read More

Avoiding 10 Deadly Interview Mistakes

Too many job seekers set themselves up for failure before... Read More

Avoiding Tire Kickers as Job Seekers

With the economy heating up and employment prospects opening up... Read More

Knowing and Guessing

The line between average and exceptional work performance is dotted... Read More

Which Half Are You?

When more than half of Americans were identified as overweight,... Read More

How to Close Your Interview and Leave a Lasting Positive Impression

Closing the InterviewKnowing how to successfully close an interview can... Read More

What is My Calling?

"What is my calling?" Do any of us really have... Read More

Your Interview Questions Are a Serious Matter

Of course interviews are mainly about you answering the questions... Read More

Get Inspired About Your Career

Get Inspired about Your CareerDo you linger in bed long... Read More

Offer Letter Limbo

Recently we concluded the placement of a Senior Sales Representative... Read More

What to Ask During the Interview

Don't just sit there and bob your head, waiting to... Read More