10 Effective Skills to be Successful at Work

A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals.-Larry Bird

To be successful at work is to be able to perform effectively and productively. What are the skills and personal traits essential for you to build a sustainable career?

1.     Technical skills: You are hired because of what you can do with the specialized knowledge you possessed. A marketable skill is the prerequisite to get a job. What are the top technical skills in demand now?  Skills in mathematics and IT-related are highly sought after in the job market. However, technical skill is not enough to do a job well. You need other skills and personal traits to complement your technical know-how.

2.     Ability to work in a team: As a team member, you must get to know others well and listen to their ideas. In a team trust, respect, and support for one another is important to function.

3.     Confidence: It is the ability to stay cool when confronted with problems. You must be able to seek help or find ways to solve a problem. When you are working under pressure you are able to decide, organize, prioritize and do the most important tasks. Bear in mind that you are hired to solve problems.

4.     Leadership potential: You must be able to demonstrate that you can work effectively and productively to get things done within deadlines. It is your time management skill.

5.     Business acumen: According to Wikipedia, an individual who has the following five abilities could be described as  someone  having a strong sense of business acumen:

 See the “big picture” of your organization—how the key drivers of your business relate to each other, work together to produce profitable growth, and relate to the job you do each day

 Understand important company communications and data, including financial statements

 Use your knowledge to make good decisions

 Understand how your actions and decisions impact key company measures and the objectives of your company’s leadership

Effectively communicate your ideas to other employees, managers, executives, and the public

6.     Communicate: The ability to express yourself clearly is an important skill at work. The ability to influence and persuade others in a presentation or negotiation is another vital skill. Fluency in written reports is definitely an essential skill.

      Intelligence, knowledge, or experience are important and might get you a job, but strong communication skills are what will get you promoted.-Mireille Guiliano

7.     IT skills: The ability to use software programs such as Word, Excel PowerPoint, One Note and Outlook are essential to survive at work. Understand operating systems such as Windows 7 & 8 and possess basic HTML knowledge. Know how to upload documents to an email and store files in a cloud server. Take advantage of online applications to organize your work productively.    

8.     Analytical skills: Know where to get the right information and digest it well. Be able to analyze and interpret figures and make important decisions.

9.      Attitude: Your core values determine your attitude. Positive values such as honesty, integrity, and trust are some of the good examples. You need to be, among other things, punctual, dependable, and responsible at work.  A committed staff who is willing to do more and go the extra mile is highly valued.   

10    Lifelong learning: It is necessary to update your skills in this ever changing world. Learn new things and employ new ways of doing things and be more effective and productive. 

What other skills do you need to be successful at work?

Getting from Intention to Attention and Work Productively with Energy Every Day

It is not good enough for things to be planned - they still have to be done; for the intention to become a reality, energy has to be launched into operation. ~ Walt Kelly

 Every day you are busy because it is filled with activities. The question is: Are you doing the right things to get what you want on a daily basis? What you need to focus on are:


Intention

Attention

Energy


Intention

 It is your goal. What do you want to achieve? The best thing to do is to plan ahead in the evening for the following day. Find out the few important things that you want to do. Prepare a to-do list in the order of importance. It takes only a few minutes but you will be productive. Writing a list in a way is to confirm your resolve to get things done. With the help of a list, you will get things done smoothly with the least stress. Are your daily tasks challenging and interesting? Are the tasks linked to your long-term goals? At the end of the day, you will be satisfied to note that it has been a great day because you have achieved what you have intended to do.

To be productive is to know what you intend to do and plan ahead of time.

Our intention creates our reality. ~ Wayne Dyer


Attention

When you know what you want to do and have organized in advance, it is now for you to work your plan. Start right away according to the first item in your to-do list with concentration and without distractions Get into the process of doing the work mindfully. You work productively when you get into the flow of what you are doing. Your mind is here and now and you are not thinking of something else.

To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work. ~Mary Oliver


 Energy

The other productive factor in getting things done is your eagerness and enthusiasm. When you are interested in what you do and you are passionate about it, there is energy in you to perform and to meet challenges. Your activities must be goal-driven so that you are motivated to work with energy.

Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you. ~Oprah Winfrey

Plan ahead with intention, work with attention and energy to achieve productivity daily.

Are You Getting Career Well-Being?

Well-being is more than just about happiness; it is also about satisfaction, comfort, and health. What is the level of your career well-being?

1.       Are you doing what you like: Are you a square peg in a round hole or your job is what you enjoy doing?  Career well-being is doing a job that you are interested in and good at.

2.       Are you contributing: Do you find your job meaningful? Do you think what you do is important for the well-being of the establishment? It is essential to create value for what you do.

3.       Are you learning continuously: Continuous learning is a way to keep yourself updated and be aware of changes that are taking place around you.  Getting new knowledge and acquiring more skills is the way to sustain career growth.

4.       Are you working in a healthy environment: Is your office in a cubicle with four-wall around you?  You will be happier if you are sitting beside a window.  A pot of plants on your desk is also an effective way to uplift your mood. A conducive working environment such as fewer distractions, a well-lit office, and a tidy workstation are all contributing to your career well-being.

5.       Are you being rewarded according to your performance: Do you think you are underpaid? It is time to do your homework and present your case to justify your request for a raise from your boss. When you want something you ask for it. Perhaps your boss is busy working and has overlooked this matter.  Career well-being is also about being appropriately rewarded.

6.       Are you getting career advancement: Are there rooms at the top for you to advance your career? You do not want to be stagnant in the same old position for long. Getting promoted is making progress and meeting new challenges which are a part of career growth.       

7.       Are you a trusted brand: Trust is an important factor. You must be competent in the field of your expertise to deliver what is expected of you in a timely fashion. Trust can only be earned, be committed to honor your promises. Satisfaction is knowing that you are a person that can be depended on. 

8.       Are you creative: Creativity differentiates you from others. You are able to get things done in your unique way in less time and no less thoroughly. Happiness is getting ahead and staying ahead in your career path.   

9.       Are you getting along with others well: Be interested in the people around you. Offer help whenever possible. It is easier to be interested in others than to get others to be interested in you. What you do will be appreciated and be noticed. You will then be able to get things done through others easily. Career satisfaction is working hand in hand with others to achieve the goals of the company.   

To find a career to which you are adapted by nature, and then to work hard at it, is about as near to a formula for success and happiness as the world provides. One of the fortunate aspects of this formula is that granted the right career has been found, the hard work takes care of itself. Then hard work is not hard work at all. ~ Mark Sullivan

Smart Ways to be Successful at Work

Success is a ladder you cannot climb with your hands in your pockets. Working hard and smart is the way to achieve success at work

1.       Productive: To be productive is to work smart and get more things done in less time. At work, it is your ability to perform that counts. Working effectively is doing the right thing and working efficiently is getting things done right. At the workplace, it is what you can do and how you do it that determines your success.

2.       Total commitment: Be confident and have the interest of the company at heart. Avoid distractions and be mindful at work. Doing one thing at a time and be focus on the tasks at hand.

3.       Time management:  Starting a new day early is to start work enthusiastically. Be punctual in meetings and appointments to show your care and concern. To manage time effectively is to plan and organize ahead. Carrying a to-do list is to go through a day and get things done smoothly with less stress. 

4.       Help your colleagues: Be interested in others  and solve their problems, they will appreciate what you have done  and will gladly extend a helping hand when you need it 

5.       Support your boss: Work closely with your boss to achieve the goals of the company. Your personal success depends largely on the success of the establishment. 

6.       Team member: A company succeeds because of the cooperative and cohesive operation of a team. The united effort of a team is stronger than the individual output. Be part of a team for mutual benefits.

7.       Improve: An effective way to be successful is to take a risk and make changes. Making changes is to seek improvement and progress. It is even more urgent to change in order to perform better and avoid being stagnant in your comfort zone.

8.       Mistakes and problems: Your willingness to take responsibility and not to blame others is a sign of a positive attitude and character. Facing a problem squarely and finding ways to overcome it is another positive sign at work.

9.       Evaluation:  Review from time to time to check your performance for further improvement. Fortifying your strengths and replacing your bad habits with good ones are the ways to go. 

10.   Attitude: Take care of your appearance. Your image is a good indication of how you take care of your work. Look at things positively with an optimistic outlook in life. Inspire others with a positive self-image

11.   Build trust: The key to being successful is to build the trust of others in you  Trust is your ability to perform as expected and to deliver what you have promised in a timely fashion the first time and every time.  When you are trusted, it is easy for you to get what you want.

12.   Competence: You are employed in the area of your expertise. Show others what you can do to build the confidence of others in you.  Acquiring more skills is to be more valuable and be more resourceful at work and be able to contribute more effectively. Update yourself to be ahead and stay ahead, 

13.   Get noticed: Keep your boss posted about your progress at work. If you do not tell, you will not get noticed. Go to your boss and inform him or her how you have solved a problem and not go to him or her with a problem unsolved. You are employed to get things done. 

The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.  Vince Lombardi

Work Smart Be Effective

Working smart is working less and getting more things done. It is about advance planning and working effectively on the most important tasks and nothing else.

• Plan ahead: Take time to plan your work ahead. This is time well spent to organize the tasks. Work gets done smoothly without wasting time.

• Do the most important tasks of the day: Check your to-do list and do the one or two tasks which matter the most to you. As soon as the tasks are done, the rest of the day can be used to do jobs which are not demanding.  

• Start early: Be an early riser and start the day earlier than others. Get things done with a fresh mind and full of energy with no disturbances.

• Mindful at work: Pay full attention to the task at hand. Do not allow the mind to wonder about. The most important thing is not to allow unsolved problems to disturb your peace of mind and concentration.

• Take deserving breaks: Being productive is not working non-stop. Take breaks to work better and produce more. A deserving break allows you to relax, clear the clutter in your mind and to renew your energy.

• Be adaptable to changes: Make changes to work more efficiently and effectively. Making use of advancements in technology to make your life easier.

• Learn from past mistakes: Be wiser and smarter by avoiding making the same mistakes.

• One job at a time: Your mind can only focus on one thing at a time. If you keep changing from one job to another, your brain will get tired easily and cannot concentrate. You make more mistakes by multitasking and it is more stressful.

Working smart is an effective way to be productive

Are You Performing at Work?

In every organization, there is an annual appraisal and review to assess your performance at work. As an effective executive, you should take a proactive approach to do a self-assessment of your own performance from time to time.  Here are the pointers to help you do an effective personal appraisal:

Performance

• Do you deliver reports on a timely fashion?

To deliver reports on the dot is to avoid causing inconvenience to others. Ad hoc assignments should be completed on agreed dates to honor your promise and build the trust of others in you.

• Do you have an effective filing system?

When a document is not properly filed it is as good as lost. Proper filing means you are able to retrieve a document quickly and easily.

• Do you possess a creative mental attitude?

Things may be running smoothly in the office, but it is crucial to think ahead and see how you can get things done more efficiently and effectively.

• Do you know what is expected of you?

You are hired for what you are good at to complement the strengths of your boss. Get things done without being told and do better than expected.

• Are you a trusted and valued employee:

Trust can only be built over time. However, it can be destroyed instantly. Go to work on time and be punctual for meetings. Promise to deliver and deliver as promised.

• Are you knowledgeable?

Be ready with information and knowledge at your fingertips to answer questions and discuss issues with your boss.

Self-development

• Do you exercise every day?

Your health and physical fitness play a key role in your daily performance. Exercise such as jogging promotes energy, calmness and concentration in you. You will be more alert to perform under stressful situations,

• Do you dress your best?

People may be wearing the same clothing but it is how you carry yourself that makes the difference. Dress smartly and walk energetically and look straight ahead. Let others perceive you as a meticulous and confident person,

• Are you learning new skills?

Companies of different sizes have learnt a lesson from the financial crisis. Now they are looking for people with multiple skills to be more cost-effective. See what are the additional skills required at the workplace and see what you can do to acquire the skills to complement your area of expertise.

• Are you keeping  up with your own area of expertise:

Always renew and update your knowledge in your particular area of work.

People Skills

• Are you friendly and approachable?

Wear a smile and greet people you meet. Pay full attention when someone is talking to you. The point is to talk less and listen more.

• Are you supportive of your boss?

The most important thing is to get the trust of your boss. Be sincere and frank and do not hide or cheat. Work closely with your boss to achieve his and the company’s goals.

• Are you able to work with others?

Be interested in others so that they will in return pay attention to you. Things get done easily through others when they have a positive image of you.

• Are you able to control your emotions?

Don’t show your anger or rudeness at work. You must be able to control your negative emotions. Don’t displace your ugliness in front of other staff.

Be smart to capitalize on your strengths and replace your bad habits with good ones. These are critical steps to get ahead in the corporate world. 

Working Positively and Successfully

Your success in the workplace is measured by your performance. How well you can perform is measured by your preparedness for the job and how effective you get things done. Check out the following to work positively and successfully:  

• Ready to work: Do you like your job? Are you mindful at work? Are you fit and full of energy to perform your best? Dress smartly to project a positive image of yourself and to boost your confidence. Smile at people you meet, look at things on the bright side and be sure of yourself to get things done. When you are ready to work, you work at your best.

• Be organized: Always plan ahead and carry your to-do list in your shirt pocket. Be on top of things to execute from one task to another smoothly. Do less to achieve more by doing the most important job that gives you the most results.

• Productive: To be productive you need to be efficient and effective. Work performance is about  getting things done in less time but no less thoroughly

• Solution provider:  Employers are looking for people who can solve ongoing problems at work. Be creative and innovative to give practical ideas that work.

• Deliver timely, fully and precisely: Do a complete job and deliver as promised in a timely fashion to the satisfaction of your employer every time. Secure the trust of your boss in you.

• Continuous learning: To be effective you have to update yourself with the latest news, trends in technology and in the area of your expertise. Be ready to absorb the impact of events that are affecting you and make the necessary changes in the way you work for the better.

• A team player: Do not judge others but look for the best in others and work closely with other departments to achieve the goals of the establishment. Unity is strength.

Working effectively and successfully is working proactively to be ahead and stay ahead of the competition. 

How to be a Successful Executive

  

Success at work is about performance and how valuable you are in the eyes of your employer. Here are the things that you can do to be ahead and stay ahead of the competition. 

• Set goals: Having a goal is to focus your attention and direct your energy in getting the right things done. There is room at the top to achieve your career goals so that you are able to go where you want to go and do what you want to do. 

·        Plan and organize: Getting things done smoothly can be achieved with proper planning and organization. On a daily basis always prepare a to-do list in advance to execute your daily tasks.

• High EQ and people skills: Know your mood and be able to control your negative emotions such as anger, resentment and hatred. Understand the feelings of others and know the right time to approach them and get things done. 

• Continuous learning: Be well-informed to stay up-to-date. Get connected with the right people to understand the current topics. Catch up with the latest events that are happening around you and find out how these events are impacting you.  

• Creative: Work better by thinking of smart ways to do things. Your unique ideas will get you ahead of others.
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• A trusted and valued employee: What can you contribute? Can you reduce expenses, boost revenue, increase productivity or promote a better image of the establishment? Provide value and get things done and deliver more than expected on time. Build yourself into a trusted brand.    

• Positive self-image: When you dress smartly and appropriately, you tell others that you care about yourself and it is an indication of how you get things done. Always wear a smile and greet people to acknowledge their presence.

• Do more: Productivity is about more efficient and effective in getting things done in less time. People with multi-skilled are highly sought after by employers. It is because you can take on more jobs normally done by more than one person. Take courses or attend classes to acquire other essential skills.

• Peak Performance: To perform at your best is to focus and mindful at work. You take deserving breaks instead of working non-stop to avoid unnecessary stress. You exercise regularly and eat nutritiously to boost your energy.

• Problem-solving: Your job is also measured by how creative you are in solving problems. The best approach is to take proactive action and preventive measures to avoid getting into troubles in the first place.

To be successful is to get the right things done relentlessly and continuously. It is your performance that counts.  

Be a Valued Employee and Secure Your Job

According to a recent article, Unemployed find old jobs now require more skills, job openings in their old fields exist. Yet they no longer qualify for their old positions because companies are becoming more productive by doing more with fewer workers. They are asked to take on a broader array of duties—duties that used to be spread among multiple jobs. Accountants must do financial analysis to find ways to cut costs and factory assembly workers need to program computers to run machinery. How do you secure your job at your workplace? Consider the following:


1. Be more productive: Productivity is about efficiency and effectiveness. The key is to get more things done in less time. An effective to-do list is one important tool to get things done in the shortest possible time.

2. Broaden your skills: More and more employers are looking for multi-skilled employees. It is a wise move to acquire additional skills relating to your expertise. While you are a business analyst can you be a system analyst as well? Can you take on the role of a human resource position while you are doing accounting? Look for additional skills to increase your value and productivity.

3. Be creative and innovative: The only way to get ahead and stay ahead is to be creative and innovative. Don’t be complacent about doing things the same old way. Try new ways to get things done with better results.

4. Create value for the company: What can you contribute? Think of ways to increase revenue, reduce costs or make the company more efficient.

5. Be a trusted brand: Can you deliver in a timely fashion? Do not break the trust of others in you. Promise to deliver and deliver as promised the first time and every time.

6. Enhance your people skills: Be in the good book of your boss so that it is easier for you to get what you want. Get along well with your co-workers because a cordial staff relationship is crucial in getting things done smoothly through others.

7. Be noticed: Don’t just do your job quietly. Get noticed and be noticed so that your boss is aware of your input. Be a valued employee.

8. Attend courses: Find out more about what you can learn to enhance your position at the workplace. Take up a relevant course and obtain certification. How many languages are you good at? It is an added advantage if you are proficient in more than one language. In a country like Malaysia, you need to have a working knowledge of three languages.


Job security is about what you can do for the company and how well you can perform.

10 E’s of a Highly Successful Executive

What do you find in a successful executive? The following 10 E’s identify the common traits of successful executives:


1. Engaged: She is enthusiastic about her work. She works with full concentration and she is loyal to the company which she is attached to. Her outstanding performance is making her a prime candidate for further advancement in the company.

2. Experienced: Her ability to get things done is well illustrated by her performance. Her talents are admired and her capability is accepted without reservation.

3. Expertise: She has gained extensive knowledge in her field of knowledge and she is able to apply what she has learned. She is a believer in continuous learning to stay up-to-date.

4. Expressive: She is a great communicator. She is able to express herself clearly, fully, and precisely in spoken words as well as in writing. She is able to convey and convince her thoughts to a higher authority

5. Energetic: She is bursting with energy and will jump right into action mood. Procrastination is not a word in her dictionary. She believes in just doing it.

6. Emotionally intelligent: A person with high E.Q. will bring him or her success in their career to the next level. She is fully aware of her own emotions and she is able to control the outburst of negative emotions. She is also able to pinpoint the feelings of others and act accordingly. She knows when to move forward and when to back off.

7. Example: She is the role model of the company. Her ability in her field of expertise is demonstrated by her track record. She is punctual and she delivers as promised. She is good at people skills and she is able to communicate effectively.

8. Efficient: She is creative and resourceful and she believes in making changes to get things done more efficiently but no less thoroughly

9. Effective: To know the right thing to do at the right time is her trademark. Her ability to distinguish what is important and what does not make her an effective person.

10. Exercise: She is fully aware of keeping herself healthy and fit so that she is able to perform in the long-haul. Exercise is her daily routine. Her calm, clear, and uncluttered mind is the result of doing aerobic exercise regularly.


You can learn and develop yourself to be a successful executive. It takes time, effort, and patient but with conviction, passion, and determination, you, too, can be one eventually.

7 Soul-Searching Questions to Ask Yourself

Living with life is a balancing act, you need to manage yourself, look after the family, get along well with others and face reality all at the same time. The following questions will search your heart so that you are aware of the things that you have done well and some of the things that are missing in your life.


1. Have I taken care of my health and well-being? Are you spending your leisure time drinking at the pub instead following an exercise program to keep fit and be healthy? Don’t allow your body to be out of shape, start today to move your body more often.

2. Am I happy with my performance at work? Are you doing your best? Have you thought of better ways of doing things so that you are more effective and efficient? Get out of your comfort zone and try new things

3. Have I manage my personal finance well? Are you keeping your spending within your budget? Have you set aside an amount each month for rainy days? Did you sign your credit card because you just want to have something? The most important thing is not to get into debt because getting out of it will not be easy.

4. Have I spent quality time with my spouse and children? When was the last time the whole family went out together? Have you spent time just to talk to your children about their school and find out how they are coping? Did you do the washing up and take out the trash? Don’t glue to the TV, do something at home.

5. Have I contacted my friends and made new friends lately? This is to find out whether you have expanded your circle of friends. New friends give you new ideas. Stay in touch with your old friends, don’t’ just go to them only when you have to.

6. When was the last time I read a book? Are you updating yourself by continuous learning? Life is a constant change and we have to keep abreast of the latest developments to stay ahead

7. What have I done so far to reach my goals? Are you keeping your goals in view? Have you worked on your daily tasks leading to your life goals? The daily tasks are important so that you will achieve your weekly, monthly and yearly goals.


These 7 questions are to jolt your mind so that you can review your current situation and take necessary remedial action right away

How to be Successful at the Workplace

Success

Your boss employs you because of your expertise. Your technical skills will complement his own skills to propel his business further. However, your boss will not know much about your character and your style of working. Also, the boss is yet to find out how good you are in your area of expertise. What do you need to do in order to be successful in your career?


• Your technical skills: Make sure you are able to deliver as expected by your boss each and every time. Whenever the boss refers to you he or she is satisfied and happy with what you can offer.

• Your brand: It is not good enough just to rely on your professional skills. You have to be punctual. Do not go missing in action. Deliver as promised over and over again until you have developed yourself into a trusted brand.

• Be a valuable employee: Don’t rest on your laurel. What other talents do you possess? Can you speak a few languages? Do you have other skills required at the workplace? Make yourself more valuable by being more knowledgeable.

• Relationships: The close rapport that you have with your boss does not happen overnight. It is developed over a long period of time. There will come a time that you can joke with him or her at a lighter moment. Strive to be in the good book of your boss.

• High EQ: You must be able to control your own emotions and show only your cheerfulness at work. You also need to know the mood of your boss in order to get what you want at the right time.



There is no instant success at the workplace, you have to develop yourself into a trusted brand and it takes time. Hone your area of expertise, develop a positive mental attitude, and build the confidence of your boss in you.