Successful Employees – We all want to have a successful career and climb the professional ladder. But ambition isn’t always enough. Here are 25 habits that you can adopt to foster your professional growth. The good news is you can get started right away!
1. Go meet the higher ups
Staying at your desk won’t get you a promotion. Take advantage of opportunities to interact with your superiors, be they casual or less so.
2. Suggest solutions
Don’t wait for someone to bring you the solutions to all your problems on a silver platter! If you are independent and perceptive, your company will see the future manager within you.
3. Don’t let the manager throw you off
The manager’s presence can shake your confidence. Be yourself and engage them in conversation with assurance, but don’t impose.
4. Speak up in meetings
Don’t just listen during meetings. Asking questions and sharing your point of view will make the dialogue more constructive.
5. Be determined
Obstacles and lack of motivation are often part of the journey to professional success. Tackle difficulties as they come to keep moving forward with your career.
6. Stay positive
Success smiles on those who seize the day. Evaluate your progress one day at a time and don’t let yourself be discouraged by how far you still have to go.
7. Build your skills
Don’t wait for the position you seek to become available to enrol in continuing education. Anticipate your future needs so you can be up and running immediately throughout your career.
8. Take advantage of leadership opportunities
Do you dream of taking on more responsibility to give your career a boost? Mentoring interns or managing a team are ways to work on your leadership skills.
9. Conduct yourself with professionalism
Why would anyone promote you if you disrespect your colleagues? Be rigorous both in your work and in how you relate to others. This is your greatest strength.
10. Be punctual
Employers appreciate punctuality. Being on time helps your superiors trust you and allows you to start your day with your mind at ease.
11. Be a good listener
Good listening skills are essential when supervising a team. Being attentive to your colleagues’ expectations is a way to support and motivate them.
12. Think like a leader
If you want a promotion, think like a manager and commit to your work without counting the minutes and help your colleagues if necessary.
13. List your successes
If you want to be able to advocate for yourself, create a document where you list your greatest accomplishments, like rave reviews from clients or major projects in your career.
14. Learn from your mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes. Don’t think of these setbacks as failures, but rather as stepping stones for improvement.
15. Ask for help
Don’t be embarrassed if you need to ask for help. That just means that you understand your skills and your limits.
16. Think in terms of results
To stay on the path to success, focus on tangible results, not what you’ve done to get there or how much time you’ve invested.
17. Don’t compare yourself with others
There’s no use in complaining because your colleague got the promotion you wanted. Focus on your goals and keep working on making them a reality.
18. Invest in the whole company
Don’t limit yourself to simply doing your job. Become an employee representative or take charge of training new employees on the computer system. This is the perfect way to demonstrate your versatility.
19. Analyse feedback
Feedback on your work is a valuable tool for improvement. Correct your mistakes and fill in any gaps in your knowledge to get access to promotions.
20. Take the initiative
Be proactive if you see issues in your company. Submit your ideas with a bit of humility so as not to appear presumptuous.
21. Be informed about your company
If you want to perform well, you should know the ins and outs of your company and its history. You should also be familiar with trends in your field.
22. Network
The more you interact with your superiors, the better they will know what you are capable of. That means not skimping on hours and working overtime.
23. Master your body language
Body language is an important part of communication. Learn what messages you are sending with your body. To appear more confident, for example, open your shoulders and take up space instead of huddling in your chair.
24. Manage stress
Stress is the number one enemy of success. Get out of your comfort zone and regularly put yourself in stressful situations to get used to handling it.
25. Stay organised
Plan each day and set priority goals. This is a great way to stay focused and not get behind on your work.
