Four easy tips to excel at work

Most of you reading this might be part of a formal organization, and there are times when you feel like the proverbial 'cog-in-the-wheel'. And for good reason, most organizations have thousands of employees and it is fairly easy to get swallowed up by the mass of people and just be one more employee. 

But there is a lot you can do to change that and get noticed for the right reasons. I have counseled and coached a lot of mid-level managers who were frustrated with their bosses not recognizing their hard work or the organization just not acknowledging their value. 

All of us might have experiences getting entangled in the day-to-day controversies and politics of our team and really missing out on the big picture. It's easy to make daily irritants at office your life. This is not just a bad strategy at work, but also personally self-defeating. Instead, ignore people who annoy you and invest time in studying your department/function and seeing things from 30,000 feet - like your super boss might. Try looking at the big picture of what are the key roles of your department and its place in the larger organization. For example, I am an HR/OB person, so how does my work assist the learning capability of the organization is a good question for me to think about. You will be amazed that you can recognize value-adding work, get noticed by the bosses, help the most important goals of your department, and really help your customer. 

Second, focus on your self-development. No matter what the nature of your job might be, there is always a certification you can earn, do a short-term course, or join a distance learning program. No study is ever wasted, or so is my belief. Learning can become a powerful weapon in your career progress if you target it on your current career path. In essence, make strategic learning decisions. What that means is, if you wish to become the next general manager or vice president at work, then learn about things that will help you get to that position faster or make you the ideal candidate for the next promotion. Learn things that will help you make your job description richer and more rewarding.

Third, participate in the world outside your organization. A lot of us are so involved and exhausted in our current jobs that all effort goes in going to office and coming back home. Has it ever occurred to you that your exhaustion is not just physical, it is primarily - mental exhaustion. Nothing is more tiring than a routine life that begins and ends in office. So, make the time to step outside the office. Join a management group or an association that talks about your kind of work. Another great way to participate in the outside world it so attend training seminars and conferences both as a participant or a speaker. You will be surprised how easy it to take these steps once you make the first move. So try it. 

Fourth and last, don't lose touch with your hobbies. It took me years to get back to my hobbies once I got lost in my world of work. But now that I am back into doing what I love to do in my free time, I find more energy and time to do my real job well. So go back to your hobbies, even if for fifteen minutes in a day. But let those fifteen minutes be just for yourself - indulging in what makes you happy and energetic. 

I hope some of these tips will help your excel at work and rise above the ordinary.

Selfish is good...

Some months ago, I heard a talk by the Dalai Lama, and he spoke wisely about the importance of 'thinking about ourselves first' if we are to be of service to others. Now this does seem like a counter-intuitive piece of advice when all we've grown up hearing is that being selfish is a bad and despicable thing, more so, in our culture. But maybe, being selfish is not what he means. Neither does my experience feel so.

Think about this for a while. Unfortunately, so many of our ills and family unrest come from doing what we think will please others or make things harmonious. On the contrary, and over years of familial closeness, situations and relationships worsen. To make it feel more wretched, we realize after twenty years of effort that no one ended up as happy with us as we had hoped for. On the contrary, we have ladled on our plate a good helping of blame for past messes. I've come to resent the idea of living to please others and keeping peace at the expense of my own peace of mind. It is self-defeating, unproductive, and does more harm than any good in the long-term. Believe me, love and service are not meant to be like that. Love is something else.

I feel, selfish is good. Not in a 'what-is-yours-is-mine-and-what-is-mine-is-mine' kind of way. But more in a way that says - I need to first make myself happy, fend for my wellbeing, employ my talents, nurture my spirit, create a healthy body, and find my livelihood - then I am available to share my life and love with others. Something tremendous happens once we follow this path - we are not just more available to others, we have more energy, gusto, and willingness to be inclusive and thoughtful. In the absence of having taken care of our self, our enthusiasm to serve and love others gradually declines to grudging resentments and an uncomfortable feeling of being used or taken advantage of. Harsh as it may sound, this is not noble, just cowardice - with a dash of denial.

I am changing myself, and the change is coming upon me like a gentle breeze. I no longer believe that I can be useful to others if I have not served myself first or loved myself first. And yes, it does make others sit-up and take notice. Btw, others around you will grudge you the change because not being driven by their moods is to their disadvantage, unless they love you so much that they are happy for your progress as a person. That way I am lucky with some people in my life who always support me, it makes it easier to deal with those who don't. Hope you find that support too. And if you don't, never give up on being your true self.

The way to inner happiness is to make yourself happy first, follow your joy, have your cup overflowing before others can take a sip from it. Only when we are whole can we genuinely share our self with others.