Success In The Workplace Is All About Attitude And Approach
Whether you're just entering the workforce or have been
entrenched for many years or are creating your own business, the
world of work is an intrinsic part of all of our lives. And for
a relative few, it's not all about the money.
Our lives in the work world can take many transitions:
As a teenager just entering the work world, it may be to earn
enough money to buy a car, clothes, afford dates and for some,
earn tuition into college. And along the way, discover if the
type of work is one that appeals enough to continue, or
indicates the need to try something else.
For others, who have taken a chosen path through college and are
preparing to enter the work world, their focus will be following
their path into positions for which they've studied. Although
it's just as possible that along the way, they may discover a
penchant for something entirely different.
For those who have been entrenched in the work world for many
years, it's quite possible that their initial position(s) and
intention(s) may have been shaped or even curtailed by the need
to earn enough money to support a lifestyle that may include a
spouse and maybe children and a mortgage.
For others, it's not a rare occurrence that they have taken the
lowliest, "entry", position and worked their way up through the
workplace and achieved all they desired in terms of personal
accomplishment, respect within the workplace and garnered the
wealth they need to support whatever their lifestyle.
For those who are creating their own business, it's rare that
it's done right out of school, but more often a result of
experience already gained working for someone else and in the
belief that they can earn enough money to support an
idea/product/service of their own, as well as support
themselves. And hopefully, when it comes to hiring others to
support this new business, experience has also been gained as to
how to treat employees to get the best from them.
Whatever your position in relation to the world of work, one
thing is clear - Your attitude towards work and/so how you
approach it makes all the difference in how well you succeed.
You know the old saying about how there are no small parts, only
small actors? It's like that in the work world. There are no
small positions, only small minds.
Regardless your position in the work world, there is always
opportunity to improve your lot. So if you foster an attitude
that you are not limited to your position, and approach each
work day with an open mind and pay attention, you will discover
ways that you can go from a sales clerk to store manager in just
a few months.
Now if you're thinking this sounds a bit like those commercials
on tv that are suggesting you can go from a size 22 to a size 10
in a few months with their weight loss product and you think to
yourself it sounds too good to be true, perhaps you didn't pay
attention to the part, "combined with exercise and a sensible
diet".
Which is to say, that whether it's losing weight or achieving
success in the work world, you will have to pay attention to
everything that is going on around you, what you are doing and
make a concerted effort to integrate yourself. In other words -
You will have to work at it.
Right now there's a tv commercial touting how you can work at
home and buy a new home or earn $7,000 a month in your spare
time ... Which does sound exciting, but - NOT ONE WORD is said
about HOW you can do any of this. Only that there's a website
that will show you.
If you've been enticed by such "come ons", it's understandable -
Everyone one would like to be able to buy a new house or earn
lots of money, and there are those who have achieved financial
independence and monetary success via the Internet. So if you've
gone to this or any other website seeking your fortune, that's
nothing to be ashamed about. But if you were believing that such
sources would be THE answer to your success, 'time for an
attitude adjustment.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS OVER NIGHT SUCCESS
The only way to achieve success is by planning your work and
working your plan. And that's much easier said than done. On and
off the Internet.
Don't believe the hype that it's "easy", to achieve financial
independence and monetary success via the Internet. It's not. In
fact, it may very well be even more difficult to make a
successful go of it on the Internet as opposed to in the "real",
world. Mostly because doing business on the Internet is still a
relatively unknown quantity. Whereas in the "real", world there
are established ways of building a business and even well
established businesses built upon helping others build a
business.
Sure there are scores of websites designed to encourage you to
start building your own business on the Internet, but - There
are so many different attitudes and approaches towards doing so
that it's quite overwhelming and hard to know which ones really
work.
There have been many people who have lost everything because of
following a certain "guaranteed", path of creating a successful
business on the Internet.
Best advice - Don't spend one thin dime or even attempt to start
your own business on the Internet until you've taken a good deal
of time and done extensive research of what's being presented as
THE way to achieve success on the Internet.
And if you do achieve a state where you believe that you know
what will work for you - Be prepared to work, work, work.
Establishing and maintaining a viable business on the Internet
is no free or easy ride.
And if you work in the "real" world, here's the real deal -
To achieve success from/with/in any position, the first steps
you can take are to be at work every day, on time and to agree,
without question, to do whatever is asked of you.
Of course, you shouldn't do anything unethical, but in today's
work world, it's very rare that an employer would even suggest
such. Too much corruption and unethical behavior has been
exposed and too many organizations have been established to
protect people in the workplace for this to be a common
occurrence.
A key example of practicing a positive attitude and approach
regarding your work position: Consider your employer, all the
way to the top position, as a person instead of, "THE MAN". A
person, just like you, who had to start somewhere, learn the
ropes and make the climb to where they are.
Then, take a look at the big picture and ask yourself just how
much you know to be able to run a company with all its
complexities, right down to the process of hiring you.
If you consider your superiors as people who have not only
earned their positions, but as people who have to continue to
earn their positions, which involves a great deal more than your
position, you'll find that your attitude and approach towards
them and consequently, the experience of working with them, will
improve exponentially.
So what we're talking about here is learning to adjust your own
attitude and approach to become an asset to your workplace,
which will naturally benefit you. And by being an asset, those
who are in positions to help you advance within the workplace
will be more likely to do so.
If you add to this mix a willingness to go the extra step, by
volunteering at least your enthusiasm to learn more, do more,
then you really will get noticed and yes, promoted, to the level
of your incompetence, as the joke goes.
See, most people become their own worst enemy within the
workplace because of their lackluster attitude and approach.
Instead of looking for ways that they can keep their days at
work at least interesting, if not exciting, which just naturally
leads to advancements, they start watching the clock, goofing
off, calling off sick and generally start seeing their position
as a dead end job.
That's not to say that there aren't times when work positions
truly are dead ends, but again, with a better attitude and
approach, one can at least make the best of it, and begin
looking for another position that may be more satisfying.
There are several important benefits of making the most of your
current work position while seeking another:
1) It's a fact that it's much easier to find new employment when
you're already employed.
And -
2) It will allow you to give a two week notice, which is
regarded as a common courtesy within the work world. Doing so
will allow you to leave one position with a positive reference,
and prove to your new employer that your attitude and approach
is about doing the right thing.
NO ONE NEED BELIEVE THEY ARE STUCK IN A DEAD END JOB
Even if you're someone who has been at the same workplace
without feeling like you're on the "fast track", to improving
your lot, but you believe it's better to have a steady job than
risk unemployment because you do have responsibilities - Take a
good, hard, long look at your attitude and approach towards your
work position and start thinking in terms of what YOU can do to
improve it, instead of lamenting how it's lacking.
But, if your efforts do not improve your position, start sending
out resumes. Believe it or not, employers of other companies,
especially if they're in competition with your current employer,
love to "steal", away a long time employee. Such a transition
usually is just what you need to achieve the advancements you
had been seeking.
Then we have the relatively rare individual whose attitude and
approach has been to actively participate within their workplace
while "absorbing", everything they could until they achieve a
state of self confidence that leads them to believe they have
what it takes to strike out on their own.
It may be with an improved product/service based on their
previous work experience, or it may be based on solid research
of an idea for a product/service they have happened upon for
which they believe there is a need and one they believe they can
market.
These individuals have definitely chosen the road less traveled
- If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.
For those of us on the sidelines, all we can do is support them
however we can, to help them achieve success.
Whatever path you're on with regards to the world of work,
bottom line - Success doesn't discriminate. It's equally
available to everyone, regardless of age or sex. You have only
to cultivate and practice the hard won lessons learned by those
before you and always be looking for opportunities to improve.
If you're serious about achieving success in your workplace, as
an employer, an employee or as someone who is self employed, do
a little research and discover the resource specifically created
to help you understand the work world and how it works, from all
sides.