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.

Victims don't win...

We all have our pet peeves and we all have our fetish for a thing or two in life. I discovered that some people have an absolute liking for playing 'victim' in life.

A while back, I attended a gathering of like-minded people that promised to be an elevating evening of good conversations and sensible thoughts. Things were on track for a while, and the conversation was gathering momentum. A lady looked decidedly uncomfortable and skeptical. Ultimately, the constructiveness got too much for her and she piped in with - 'what do you do if others are hell bent on pulling you down? How can I be positive when everyone in my immediate environment finds faults with me, and compares me with others. I am surrounded by critical and unhappy people.'

For a while, there was absolute silence, not because the complaint was not acceptable, but because the whole conversation till then had been about taking responsibility and being proactive about managing our environment. Yet, the leader of the discussion tried his hardest to bring the lady hope, and we all pitched in with some fantastic ideas, if I may say so myself. These were very practical and common sense ideas such as:

• Love yourself completely - try not to find faults with yourself
• Look at the good stuff inside you that others might not
• Develop the courage to stand up to unwanted criticism and come up with facts
• Comparisons can be hurtful, but the one comparing you takes pleasure in the effect it has on you, so be stronger. Try not to get swayed by it.
• Change your environment however hard it might be
• Avoid brooding about what others say - it makes it harder to move on
• Value your strengths especially, when others don't
• Don't give energy to the negativity of others, it makes them stronger and you weaker
• Indulge in a hobby or interest that helps you shift your attention from others to yourself

This took considerable time and energy, but everyone was happy to contribute because everyone wanted to help. The only problem was - the lady was not looking for help. She looked doubtful and found a way to shoot down most suggestions and agreed unwillingly to some. Finally, she said, 'but there are some people in our life who absolutely cripple us, and we can't stop them.'

And then I understood her real problem - it wasn't her environment, it wasn't her family harassing her, it wasn't that God had chosen a hard time for her. Her problem was that she was a hard core victim. She enjoyed the attention and sympathy that her complaining brought her. I also realized that a victim who wants to be one doesn't turn a victor without their wanting to do so. It doesn't matter if good suggestions and help is extended. And it might not make any difference if someone put them in the best and most positive of environments. I guess they will still find a reason to crib and be unhappy.

I came away a bit jolted, and I'll admit even a little frustrated. We live only once - and none of us are getting any younger. Wasting our life is probably a more terrible loss than even wasting our time. But then, the gates of change open only on the inside, others can knock in hope.

Let's be victors....lets take charge....let's make the most of this one life we got. Because victims don't turn victors, only proactive, courageous and resourceful people do.