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Reflections
72 | FireFlyz
Donot becontent tobeaverageor overlookedat theoffice. Followthese tips toensure
you can succeed at work andmake your professional dreams a reality.
King Of The Hill
A
chieving
al l that
you strive for at work
is challenging, but
the path to success
is made up of small,
influential steps that
help establish you in
the workplace and ensure you can and
will succeed.
People skills
Don’t make the mistake of thinking you
only have to be nice to the boss to get
ahead. People skills are critical in the
workplace, and this means being patient
with, empathising with and trusting
your colleagues. Try to understand them
as individuals and find their positive
attributes, even if you don’t like them!
Remember: the nicer you are to people,
the more they will support you profes-
sionally.
Communication
It is simple. If people don’t understand
what you are trying to tell them, it will
not get done and they will not appreciate
how great your ideas are. Practice clear
and articulate communication both
in emails and when speaking on the
phone or face to face. Take care to pick
the best words to convey your message
and find different ways of explaining
topics to those who struggle to grasp
your meaning.
Get digital
There is no doubt that whatever your
job and industry, the digital world is
integral and you will only succeed if
you understand and embrace all that
it entails. Don’t resist social media and
technology but get involved! Try to
view digital as the new frontier, not as a
complicated distraction.
Improve yourself
It is good to have confidence in your
abilities, but you also need to identify
your areas of weakness or lack of knowl-
edge and seek opportunities to improve
yourself. This can be as simple as asking
a colleague to teach you a new skill or
reading around your topic to arm yourself
with information. Your boss may even
cover the cost of a suitable course, and
will be impressed that you are proactive
in self-enhancement.
Efficiency
The number of hours you spend at work
is meaningless. What matters is your
productivity and efficiency, and how
much you achieve in the time you are
in the office. Make lists, organise your
time and have clear goals and aims for
every task you undertake. If something
is unclear, ask for help rather than
potentially making an error and wasting
time. Build in times for breaks so you
don’t burn out, and switch to different
tasks if you feel you are getting bored.
Look after yourself
Do not work yourself to exhaustion or
let stress and anxiety consume you. It is
good to be committed, but you can only
perform at work if your body and mind
are in optimum condition. Ensure you
get enough sleep, proper nutrition and
regular exercise.