“Eighty-five percent of the reason you get a job, keep that job, and move ahead in that job has to do with your people skills and people knowledge.” – Cavett Robert

In tough economic times, it is not a good thing to be unemployed. And if you are lucky enough to have a job, you don’t want to do anything that jeopardises it. It is always better to have a job than not. Work is a major part of your time; it takes up a third of your life and half of the time that you are awake.

Fact: Most people don’t lose their jobs through incompetence or even poor job performance, but rather because of personality conflicts with the boss, supervisor or colleagues. Poor interpersonal and social skills are the biggest reason for failure in the workplace and in relationships than any other factor. Try hard to leave your ‘eccentric’ character flaws at home. 

While at work remember that it is always through good teamwork that your company succeeds. Always look for ways you can cooperate and help other colleagues. Assist them with things you may be better skilled at doing like writing reports, computer work, crunching numbers, setting up more efficient systems, improving administration or dealing with angry customers. Always remember – the team always gets more done as a whole, than any individuals can alone.

An individual with a good attitude towards colleagues, a desire to always do more than what is expected of them and a positive mindset towards the company is worth their weight in gold. These are the people who will always be employed.

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” – Confucius

“If you have time to whine and complain about something, then you have the time to do something about it.” – Anthony J. D’Angelo 

Are you a moaner and groaner? Do you have one on your team?

Every company has its prima donnas. Are you that person for your team or company? Do you constantly whine about your duties? Your long hours? Your poor salary?

I can guarantee you one thing. It doesn’t make you happier. It certainly won’t get you the opportunities, success and rewards that you aspire to. If you want to succeed in these challenging times then you must have respect for your company, your boss, your colleagues and your job.

Your number one goal in the workplace today is to be a TEAM PLAYER. If you want to succeed as a team player, then don’t ever say:

1. “That’s not my job”. These words are guaranteed to hold you back. If you don’t understand why you’ve been asked to do a certain task, carefully examine why your boss wants you to do it. The chances are likely that she or he has a good reason.

2. “It’s not my problem”. If your team or company faces a crisis then this is not smart to say or even think. Ask “how may I help?”. If you don’t have anything constructive to say, rather say nothing.

3. “It’s not my fault”. If there’s a problem, fix it, it doesn’t matter who’s to blame. Nothing displays a better team attitude than ferociously helping during a crisis.

4. “I am overqualified for this job”. Maybe you are, but the fact is that this is the job you have. You agreed to take it on. And while you may now regret that decision, it’s still your job and your source of income. Complaining that you’re too good for it displays a poor attitude. Let your actions, not your gripes, show that you are ready for more challenging work.

5. “I can only do one thing at a time”. Sometimes we can get overwhelmed but is essential that you learn how to multi-task. Stating that you cannot handle pressure will simply hinder your prospects. Flexibility is a key quality that your boss is searching for.

6. “It can’t be done” or “That doesn’t work around here”. These are just self-fulfilling prophesies and proof that you lack confidence, initiative and adaptability. Your job is to solve problems not to whine about them. Take the challenge and search for ways to make it happen.
It’s easy to come up with excuses and rationalise why you are not moving up the ladder at work.

Three valuable rules of work are:

Moaning is pointless. It is unproductive and achieves nothing.
It is almost impossible to be successful or to get promoted if you don’t set big goals.
When you walk through the office first thing in the morning there should be a spring in your step.
Your crucial role at work is to ensure that you fit into the team. We are all team players, we have to be. If you want to be a superstar, start behaving like one.

Article by John Lloyd