You will often find different types of employees at work. The first type is always enthusiastic about work. They are also the most trusted group. They may or may not hold a managerial position, but they are always the inspiration of the company. Some people seem to fit in, work hard, and get their promotion and perks, while others barely do their job. They only do their work because they are there and they never step up to the plate. These types of people barely get any bonuses or rewards.
There are people who never get promotions and barely do anything beyond the bare minimum. They just take up space and often wonder why they never get any perks. Yet, they loaf around with every chance they get and just take up space until a reason comes for them to get turned over.
From a financial point of view, you are far better being a part of the first group than being a part of the second group. People in the first group are the ones who get a raise, a promotion, and bonuses. The reason why they get rewarded is because they are the ones adding significant amount of value to the company. This phenomenon is true for any kind of job and any work place that you work in.
People aren’t set out to join these groups when they come to work; they naturally become a part of the group that they belong to. Some people come in and look for opportunities to get ahead, while others look for opportunities to loaf around, look at the clock, do their work, and get paid. There are yet some people who cause friction in the well oiled machines.
We will discuss seven factors here that will help you get ahead at any job.
1. Do every task the best you can
Many employees make the mistake of just getting their jobs done when a task seems boring and doing it with minimal effort. For example, you are asked to sweep the floors and you do a mediocre job. Mindlessly, you are just thinking this is not what I want to do. Your best approach should be trying to do a job the best you can, regardless of what you are being asked to do.
2. If you have downtime, find something to do
Many times you will have downtime at work. For example, after you finish a project, you might be waiting for a new one or for a new customer to come in. At this time, try to find something to do because downtime is often what sets the people who stay behind apart from those who move ahead. Try doing something useful during this time for the company like cleaning your workplace, organizing your desk and files, working on minor tasks and projects, and so on.
3. Learn from people who do their jobs well
If you join a workplace that has been running for a while, you can easily identify some people who are efficient at what they do. They are the ones that often come up with solutions and advice for the managers. Find people in the company who always come through with getting things done and have job stability. They are usually high paid employees in the company. Stick with them and learn from these people. Make sure to ask plenty of questions in order to learn how to get things done efficiently.
4. Build positive relationships with everyone at work
You can gain valuable information from people at work if you build positive relationships with them. People of all departments and all positions can become your friend. From high-level managers, who you can easily communicate with, to the people who empty your trash, you can be friendly to anyone. Avoid backstabbing because you can hardly gain anything from ridiculing anyone. Instead, build a positive relationship. You might get opportunities to sell out others at work, but avoid those at all costs.
5. Ignore the poisonous people
Every job has a few people who are poisonous in the group. If you are stuck with them, try to minimize communication. When you do need to interact, stay positive and stick to the facts. Stick to your job, and try not to spread any negativity around. Every workplace recognizes and identifies these poisonous people pretty clearly, so don’t let their responses or backstabbing bother you. Get your work done and move on with your life.
6. Never use your sick leaves as vacations
Whenever people have extra sick days piled up, they seem to call in sick like clockwork. However, it would be dumb to destroy your sick leave days without reason. When it comes to promotions and salary raises or bonuses, it’s the people who take the least days off that get them. A consistent and reliable attendance at work puts you ahead of others when it comes to promotions and long-term benefits.
7. Stand up for yourself
Don’t be afraid to take on challenging jobs and prove your capabilities. If you want to get ahead in life or at work, you will have to stand up for yourself. Let your supervisors know that you are looking for a raise or promotion. Be clear about it and ask your supervisor directly. If your supervisor refuses, then ask he or she what you need to do to get a promotion. If you don’t stand up for yourself, who will?
A workplace usually depends on team effort, and your job as an employee is to maximize benefits for the company. Your company or organization needs to run as smoothly as possible with the system and if there needs to be some structural changes made then those changes will be based off the feedback from employees. Your hard work and positive attitude in any situation will get you noticed and get you your promotion and perks.
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Source: Balanced Life Team
