Being a great employee that demonstrates good characteristics and quality attributes just may deliver a promotion or perhaps a new job and being dedicated to your professional development is critical to your success. By developing good characteristics, you become a valued employee that management wants to be around, and they will respect your loyalty and dedication to the business and your role. The bonus is that you will be a positive force employees will gravitate to for guidance. Before you know it, you are in leadership mentoring, coaching, and training others. Talk about reaping the rewards and setting a good example!
It may be a big distraction like people that take up too much time at the water cooler or stop by your desk for a conversation that needed to end after one minute, and now it’s 20 minutes, and you can’t get them away from your desk. If you get easily distracted, begin keeping notes on who and what are the patterns of breaking your focus. After doing this for a few days, you’ll quickly learn how to eliminate those distractions, which will set you on a better path to success.
You also set a good example by taking control of your work while staying focused. It could be a simple task that involves a pen and paper or an excel spreadsheet if you avoid paper accumulation and despise your handwriting. First, write down or log all the work you need to get done. Categorize them before the deadline and then sort them in a way that makes sense to you and helps you create a plan to get things under control. It will become a routine habit if you make it a daily or weekly commitment. Once you do this enough, you will form a habit, and that is a good habit.
However, this is not the representation you want to display, and it’s most certainly not benefiting the team morale, and the image others will have on you. This may prevent unnecessary tension, anger, and disruption of a team. We all know everyone has a different opinion but making it our practice to have open communication and remain open to other’s ideas makes us great employees that people will enjoy talking with and learning from. Be the person that others want to talk to and engage with.
When you’re in constant growth mode and refining your skills as often as you’re capable, you are more likely to stay engaged in your position. When you stop, you being to lose interest, lose focus, and lose sight of being a great employee. Make it a point to always know what your drivers and desires are. This will ensure you’re always happy, eager to learn, and always expanding your skillset. Sharing your knowledge also speaks volumes about who you are as a person. In team meetings, share your recent learnings, and speak up about your growth. It is critical to stay up on the trends in technology and business and what you get in return is you keep things interesting, and your tools are always sharp. Others may be inspired by you and look up to you as a leader. If you’re seeking an internal position, the value of lifelong learning will quickly be noticed.
If something isn’t running efficiently, they share their thoughts and suggestions. If something isn’t as effective as it could be stand up and raise the concern. Don’t be afraid to rock the boat because, in the end, you may be the driver of change. Change for the better, change that saves the organization money and time and improves a process, is a must. We have a voice for a reason, so use it and stand out amongst the others that don’t. If you are innovative and have great ideas, share them to improve the way the organization runs. Make sure that when you make suggestions you have facts ready to back up your suggestions, think through strategically how it will impact others, and be ready to defend your idea. This also brings an opportunity to collaborate with others, bring teams together to improve something, and this is a great employee.
They show up at the start of their shift, do their job, don’t ask any questions, or share their opinion, and then they go home when their shift ends. Don’t let this be you!
When you invest in your personal development, you will be satisfied with the results and satisfied with the employee you become. Having the drive as an individual to be your best is your best route. Being goal-oriented and setting individual goals will help you set the stage for owning your development plan. Embracing those goals and overcoming obstacles when challenges are presented shows your resiliency to be a great employee. Handling constructive criticism effectively and truly learning from each situation will help you display the great employee you are. By putting your best foot forward, you are setting an example and improving your performance as an individual and a leader. Feeling connected to what you do will help you stay motivated to continue this excellence of being a great employee. You’ll feel more connected, engaged, satisfied, and it will be worth your while.
Always Remain Focused
Being a great employee is what all managers and employers search for, and a focused employee is necessary for successful teams. Avoid distractions and know what distractions derail your focus. It could be simple distractions like a reminder to pick up your laundry via your phone notification or a text coming through while you’re at work. It may be a big distraction like people that take up too much time at the water cooler or stop by your desk for a conversation that needed to end after one minute, and now it’s 20 minutes, and you can’t get them away from your desk. If you get easily distracted, begin keeping notes on who and what are the patterns of breaking your focus. After doing this for a few days, you’ll quickly learn how to eliminate those distractions, which will set you on a better path to success.
Prioritize Your Workload
Our workloads are our big culprits of losing focus. Some are stretched too thin, some have minimal support, and some are not managing their workloads correctly. Learning to prioritize at a high level and being exceptionally organized with your workload is critical to your success.You also set a good example by taking control of your work while staying focused. It could be a simple task that involves a pen and paper or an excel spreadsheet if you avoid paper accumulation and despise your handwriting. First, write down or log all the work you need to get done. Categorize them before the deadline and then sort them in a way that makes sense to you and helps you create a plan to get things under control. It will become a routine habit if you make it a daily or weekly commitment. Once you do this enough, you will form a habit, and that is a good habit.
Respect Yourself and Others
A great employee is respected and respects others. They are honest, enthusiastic, and have a strong work ethic. In times of stress, it’s easy to lose sight of respect when pressure is high, and the business demands more work from you. Keeping in mind how you react and treat others through this time is noticed by others, especially when it’s handled negatively on your part. However, this is not the representation you want to display, and it’s most certainly not benefiting the team morale, and the image others will have on you. This may prevent unnecessary tension, anger, and disruption of a team. We all know everyone has a different opinion but making it our practice to have open communication and remain open to other’s ideas makes us great employees that people will enjoy talking with and learning from. Be the person that others want to talk to and engage with.
Become A Lifelong Learner and Leader
Being a lifelong learner is within us and often built within our values, and when it’s not, you need to apply yourself a little more as it doesn’t come naturally. It’s taking an interest in your personal growth and development.When you’re in constant growth mode and refining your skills as often as you’re capable, you are more likely to stay engaged in your position. When you stop, you being to lose interest, lose focus, and lose sight of being a great employee. Make it a point to always know what your drivers and desires are. This will ensure you’re always happy, eager to learn, and always expanding your skillset. Sharing your knowledge also speaks volumes about who you are as a person. In team meetings, share your recent learnings, and speak up about your growth. It is critical to stay up on the trends in technology and business and what you get in return is you keep things interesting, and your tools are always sharp. Others may be inspired by you and look up to you as a leader. If you’re seeking an internal position, the value of lifelong learning will quickly be noticed.
Think Outside the Box
Today, employers are searching for talented individuals that aren’t afraid to question the way things are done and who share suggestions when they think something could be done differently. When something doesn’t look right, they speak up.If something isn’t running efficiently, they share their thoughts and suggestions. If something isn’t as effective as it could be stand up and raise the concern. Don’t be afraid to rock the boat because, in the end, you may be the driver of change. Change for the better, change that saves the organization money and time and improves a process, is a must. We have a voice for a reason, so use it and stand out amongst the others that don’t. If you are innovative and have great ideas, share them to improve the way the organization runs. Make sure that when you make suggestions you have facts ready to back up your suggestions, think through strategically how it will impact others, and be ready to defend your idea. This also brings an opportunity to collaborate with others, bring teams together to improve something, and this is a great employee.
Be Committed
Being a committed employee takes dedication, initiative, desire, and holding yourself accountable, day in, day out. There are many employees in the workforce who get by, by doing the minimum or taking the easy route.They show up at the start of their shift, do their job, don’t ask any questions, or share their opinion, and then they go home when their shift ends. Don’t let this be you!
When you invest in your personal development, you will be satisfied with the results and satisfied with the employee you become. Having the drive as an individual to be your best is your best route. Being goal-oriented and setting individual goals will help you set the stage for owning your development plan. Embracing those goals and overcoming obstacles when challenges are presented shows your resiliency to be a great employee. Handling constructive criticism effectively and truly learning from each situation will help you display the great employee you are. By putting your best foot forward, you are setting an example and improving your performance as an individual and a leader. Feeling connected to what you do will help you stay motivated to continue this excellence of being a great employee. You’ll feel more connected, engaged, satisfied, and it will be worth your while. We only have one life, so invest in making your life your best life!
~ Tonia Martinez~
