| Who are you at work? |
|
"Nothing will work unless you do" ~ Maya Angelou "The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today" ~ Elbert Hubbard "It seems the harder I work, the more luck I have" ~ Thomas Jefferson Human beings love work, we need work. Work gives us meaning and purpose as well as income. Think of the women after the end of World War II who didn't want to return to being housewives after the new roles they'd had during the war, while men were engaged in fighting or supporting the war effort. They'd found something more meaningful and useful to do with their time. For many people work is something that fills Monday to Friday and pays the bills. Do you recognise the signs? - You live for the weekend. - You do the minimum you need to do to get by. - While you're at work you 'shut down' parts of you that energise you and avoid getting involved. If those are familiar to you, what does that cost you? Here are 3 simple tips to get more from your work (that anyone can benefit from!): 1. Be yourself Obvious, yes, but if you are not participating fully in what you do, you are not being yourself! - Learn about yourself. Find out what your strengths are, what your colleagues think of what you do and what they value you for. - Find like-minded colleagues who keep you positive. - Keep track of your achievements and successes as you go, together with any feedback you get from clients, sponsors or colleagues. It's much easier to have that information to hand when it's performance review time. 2. Stand out - in a positive way - look for positives. Speak up in meetings, to support as well as challenge. If you don't ask questions, you may not be able to see the full picture. - be open to possibilities - you never know where they might lead. Look out for any training available, new tasks or projects to volunteer for to stretch yourself. Getting in at the beginning can create opportunities later on by being in the right place at the right time. - put forward your ideas and suggestions for doing something new or differently. Even though they may not always be taken up, you will be seen as making a positive contribution. 3. Do your best - Find your own style. Whether it's your work routine, what you wear or a new way to do something. - Be consistent in what you do. Consistency enables people to know what you stand for and builds your influence. - Seek out allies - people you can learn from, who will sponsor or support you. Try these out for yourself and notice what a difference they to how you feel about your work.
|
