Posted by Vertical growth is no longer relevant in today’s workplace, a promotion does not come as a default recognition for your years of service in a company. Those who demonstrate a positive attitude at work are proven to advance quickly. So if you don’t approach your career proactively, you will get left behind by your peers.
Read this article to make sure you have what it takes to reach greater heights, no matter where you stand right now.
Treat everything you do with enthusiasm
Having a 9-5 job is like dating. You’ll have your lovey-dovey phase at the beginning and over time, that sentiment will slowly fade away. And the relationship would have been over even before you realise it.
However, if you truly love someone, or in this case, your job, it’s really not that hard to trigger a fresh sense of passion every time you face another day at work. Successful people believe in what they do and that purpose is what keeps their job fascinating despite the passage of time.
When you do something full of dedication and enthusiasm, you’ll be able to push yourself to achieve more than what is expected of you. So learn to set a clear goal or create a sense of purpose whenever you have a new assignment. It can either be to figure out a way to get things done more efficiently or simply to prepare yourself for the next big task. The key is to connect passion with your job at all times, rather than just following the boss’ orders.
Keep on hustling
In any company, there are always people who volunteer to take up a new project and there are those who refuse to get out of their comfort zone. If you belong to the less active group, you maybe missing out on many opportunities to learn and grow.
Proactiveness is among the top qualities of all top performers. Not only does it make room for personal development, it also opens up a new door for future career exploration. How would your manager realise your potential if you don’t have a platform to utilise your skills? So don’t hesitate to seize all the opportunities coming your way or better yet, create them!
Tip: Assess your skills first to identify your strengths and weaknesses and evaluate your current workload before saying yes to anything.
On the same note, never allow yourself to have the mentality of “It’s not my job” when you are asked to help with something. You are a part of a team, hence you are expected to support one another as much as you reasonably can.
Related: 6 Ways to Spread Good Vibes at Work
Respect people (and also yourself)Â Â Â
You will either have doubt in your own capability or in others’, but try not to lean towards any of the extreme ends within the self-assurance spectrum. It’s equally important to stay humble as well as to acknowledge someone else’s good work.
It is common to feel incompetent when you are new in the company. While that mindset implies the lack of confidence, it essentially gives you the incentive to push harder to achieve the mutual goals and excel in your job. So the right attitude is: “everyone here is super talented, I’ve got to learn fast!“.
Vice versa, bringing people down doesn’t make you a better team player in any way. It also doesn’t matter if you are the top employee, you will only sabotage your own career when you show disrespect towards your peers.
Show your commitment
The main catalyst that enables positive attitudes at work is the genuine interest in your role. And it includes a high level of commitment to your employer as well. You can’t force positive emotions if you hate your job. The only thing that you can do is to find a new one or to change your attitude.
Commitment to work doesn’t necessary mean you have to stay back late or take on extra responsibilities. It’s all about trust. Do you trust in your manager’s decisions? Do you trust in your team’s effort? Do you trust in the future growth of the company? Only when you have established that foundation of trust, you’ll feel the excitement about what you do. And that’s what will motivate you to contribute to the company more profoundly. Which company doesn’t trust a dedicated individual to take the lead of their team?
Furthermore, you’ll know if your career is on the right track when you are proud to tell everyone about your company! That’s one of the many ways to infuse positivity to your job.
There will always be new things to learn
The world of work is changing rapidly, you’ll get lost in the career jungle the moment you stop developing yourself. When technology is already disrupting the way we work, it’s only crucial to keep up with the industry advancements or be the innovator yourself!
Positive attitudes in the workplace revolve around your determination to become better. So the most important trait is, of course, your eagerness to acquire knowledge. Some people are born geniuses and there are some who train themselves to become one. You just have to identify which areas where you need improvement and set your priorities straight. Don’t try to master everything at once. You can even conduct a weekly knowledge sharing session with your team so that everyone can learn from each other.
Tip: Allocate at least half an hour of your daily schedule to learn a new skill. And make sure that it won’t distract you from your main duties at work.
Stress may get the better of you at any point and you may face career doubts every now and then. That’s why it’s imperative to develop a positive attitude from day one so that you won’t lose sight of what important to your career.