Habits are reminiscent of addictions. But minus the typical association with destructive behaviors like smoking.
When it comes to habits that transform lives, Steven Covey's bestseller 7 Habits of Highly Successful People outlines systematic steps that all of us can implement today at home and in the workplace. He wrote the book almost 30 years ago and it still is relevant today.
With that, one should ask these questions. Am I pursuing healthy habits or bad ones? Will they make me a productive person or could they lead to something worse, like losing my job?
Think about workplace ethics and codes of conduct, part of which constitute habits and routines. Perhaps you would want to do things the same way as a highly-ranked workmate, but will it materialize into personal motivation and achievements? In this post, I'll take you through the eight habits of highly successful employees.
But first things first,
Who is a successful employee?
Human labor is an integral part of the economy. The more productive, efficient, effective and dependable an individual is at their workplace, the higher his or her chances of earning a well-deserved promotion and thus, more income. For many people, workplace success means earning more money at the end of the week, month or year. While others seem to enjoy working selflessly for the good of an organization.
The truth is: the amount of money you take home on payday is only part of it. Therefore, employees who want to succeed should, first of all, understand the following aspects of personal development:
Someone with good management skills.
Sounds more of a managerial duty than that a junior staff, right? Well, one of the questions that people who want to succeed in the workplace should ask is: can I fit into the manager’s shoes? Most people aspire to ultimately become leaders, but it is only possible through manifest managerial skills, leadership skills and having a sense of responsibility.
Someone who can run a meeting.
Meetings are part and parcel of everyday workplace activities. But the question is; what if you are to run one in the absence of your supervisor or manager? Are you able to preside over workplace discussions and achieve meaningful ends?
An employee who can run a meeting is one who is not only conscious of time but is also able to manage groups. There is always a tendency of people veering off issues of the day during meetings, in which case, it takes a true team leader to bring everyone back to focus.
The Habits & Qualities
If you’ve already read Covey's habit book, you have a clue about some of the things people do to achieve more. In case you haven't or perhaps just need a refresher, here is a rundown on the habits that build a successful individual:
1. Highly Motivated
Self-motivation is one thing that distinguishes a selfless employee from one who only works for the money. A successful employee is not only that. He is always out there trying to build a company’s reputation at dinner meetings and promotional events. Most of all, he knows when personal ambitions should come before that of an organization and vice versa.
2. Highly Responsible
While an organization’s success is a product of collective actions, would you blame everyone when deadlines are not met or when clients complain about poor service delivery? Not if you are a successful employee. They always own up to their mistakes and show remorse for it. But, most of all, a desire to improve is something they keep striving for.
3. Assertive
Come to think about it. An employee who never turns down projects because he or she fears it might lead to job loss. The point here is that it is important to know your limits. If a new task is going to be overbearing, there is no point to being overly ambitious if it ultimately is detrimental to you. Those who set realistic goals know when to say "no".
4. Positive-Minded
The workplace can often be high-pressure, high stakes mine field of responsibilities. But the question is; will doing way too much in a day’s time bring down your morale or motivation? It is imperative to cultivate an inner environment of optimism amidst all the tight deadlines. That way, you can equally help create a working environment that is conducive.
5. Uses Criticism for Self-Improvement
Laxity and comfort zones are some of the things that rob many of a desire to improve in the workplace. You may be satisfied with good pay, but that’s not an end in and of itself. It is important that one takes on more challenging tasks as well as being open to explore new opportunities. And when it comes to criticism, success only comes to those that turn mistakes around for self-improvement.
6. Highly Professional
Most people think professionalism is all about work experience and earning more, but that’s a misconception. If you have demonstrable dignity, respect for workmates, good communication ethics and report to work on time, including meeting deadlines, you are on the way to the top of the success ladder.
7. Creative and Innovative
Tech companies emphasize creativity when recruiting developers. Are you able to do things differently, thereby bring about change in an organization? Also, are you able to adapt to change? Employees who harbor creative and innovative habits become successful in no time.
8. Problem-Solving Skills
Being able to solve a problem at critical moments makes one equal to the task of leading others. And if you can do so intuitively, taking the lead notwithstanding, excellence is nothing to worry you.
In a nutshell, success comes to those whose ambitions at the workplace are guided by habits that make amends with experience, skills, and knowledge. They know when to say no and how to blend with others with the aim of creating a wonderful team.
About the Author: Sandra Hayward is a freelance blogger and a professional writer at EduBirdie. She has a Master’s degree in English language and currently is working on her Ph.D. dissertation. Sandra is a mother of two boys aged seven and four. Her hobbies beyond writing include photography, traveling, and cooking.
