How to be a Better Executive

Executive

As an effective executive, you are able to manage yourself, manage others, manage your work, and chart your future.


Personal management

• Self-development: What you have learned is not enough to cope with your work. You need to be on the lookout for new ideas to do things more efficiently and effectively. The only way to survive in the corporate world is to adopt an attitude of continuous learning.

• Emotions: Are you able to manage your emotions? Know your mood and act accordingly. Generate more positive emotions such as cheerfulness, appreciation, and confidence at work.

• Grooming: Dress appropriately and smartly, you will feel good about yourself. Others will perceive you as a meticulous person.

• Self-care: Self-care means looking after your well-being. Be physically active and follow a balanced diet. Get sufficient sleep and know how to manage stress,

• Personal traits: Develop yourself into a trusted brand by acquiring such traits as honesty, punctuality, promptness, alertness, and attention to detail.


Manage others

• Manage your boss: Treat your boss with respect. Support him or her as much as he or she has supported you. Don’t go to your boss with just problems, go with solutions as well. Complete and deliver assignments in a timely fashion. When you are not sure, do not assume, clarify with your boss before getting things done.

• Manage your co-workers: Work as a team, cooperate with other department heads to achieve the goals of the company.

• Manage your subordinates: The best thing that you can do is to set good examples. They are watching to see you really do what you have preached. Be direct and honest with them. Catch them doing something right and praise them. Show your appreciation for jobs done well. Be impartial with all staff, and do not show favoritism. Communicate clearly, precisely, and fully and get feedback from the staff. Know how to get things done through delegation. You must be able to offer constructive criticism without demoralizing the staff.


Manage your work

• Getting organized: Always carry with you a to-do list for the day. Get the most important things done when your energy is at your peak. Listen to your body rhythm; are you a morning person or an afternoon person? Avoid clutter at your workstation. Maintain proper filing for easy retrieval of documents

• Time management: Time management actually works management. Learn to do less but achieve more within a limited time

• Deadlines: Aim to complete an assignment earlier than expected. In case changes are required you will not fall into an emergency situation.

• Creativity: Look at problems as challenges. Be resourceful to come up with solutions. Problem-solving will eventually become a useful habit. at work


Manage your future

• Set goals: Do you know where you are going in 10 years down the road? Without direction, you will waste valuable time and effort in the long-term.

• Aim high: Reach for the moon; even if you don’t get there you are among the stars.

• Put in writing: Are you serious about your ambition? Written goals are powerful motivator because it inspires you to focus on your objectives every day

• Daily effort: Your goals are achieved on a daily basis and accumulate over time. Make it a daily habit to work on them.

Executive effectiveness is about looking after oneself, getting along with others, getting things done with limited available time, and working towards one’s future diligently.