We all want to be liked, yes. But perhaps more importantly in the workplace, we all want to be respected. How do you gain respect at work?
Respect is so important when it comes to your career development. It comes into play when management are considering your ideas, when they are selecting people to participate in projects, and—yes—when they are thinking about who is getting promotions or raises. But when these critical career junctions occur, are you the person in the frame?
The first few days at your new job can make a big difference for your workplace reputation down the line. Before you start spending your first pay cheque in your head, give some serious though on how to make a good impression.
So, the anticipation of starting your new job is over. Your interview did the trick, you aced the interview, you’ve met with your new boss and are settled in to your new workstation – but you feel like a fish out of water.
Whether you are a manager now, aspire to be, or work under or over one, you will have an opinion about management style. With a management position comes increased salary, title change and responsibility. And that last part that will be the measure by which a manager’s success or failure in their position will hinge. How a manager chooses to manage – their management style or lack of it – will not only define them but have a profound effect on those they control.
When you quit your job, it is important to resign as gracefully and professionally as possible. It’s also important to be doing it for the right reasons. While a lot of people will claim they’re unhappy with their current position, there is a difference between hating your job and wanting to quit. It’s important to recognise that there are good reasons and bad reasons to quit your job.
Mistakes at Work Happen – It Is How You React that Counts
It is OK to make mistakes. From James Joyce, who called mistakes “the portals of discovery”, to Mahatma Gandhi, who said freedom was not worth having if it did not include the freedom to make mistakes, successful people the world over agree blunders can be a good thing.
“Well, that’s easy for them to say”, you might think. Once you have revolutionised the Western novel or liberated the Indian subcontinent, you can make mistakes all day long if you like. But if you are at the bottom of the career ladder with everything to play for, things look rather different. Making mistakes at work can be acutely embarrassing. Such failures can bring severe consequences. Learning from them quickly can save you future pain.
There are certain strategies that you need to adopt in order to take your career to the next level. Whether you are still in the early stages of your professional journey or you are looking at progressing into senior management, the same principles can be applied to help you get ahead.
Here’s a scenario – you’re in a job that offers you maximum job satisfaction. The commute is short, the work you do makes a positive difference, and you’re very good at what you do. Your colleagues are great. The salary could be better, but you love what you do.
Suddenly a job offer comes up. It’s across town, the responsibilities of the job are enormous, and the position will be highly pressurised. But the money is astronomical. Do you take it?
Workplace insecurities are a thing – even for those who would not normally consider themselves insecure. For many of us, feeling somehow ‘less than’ on the job is a constant struggle – and usually, the feelings are not even warranted.
You have probably had times at work when you have been told to suck it up, put on a happy face and get on with it. A little faking it to get through the work week is normal, but if you are constantly putting being in a position of putting on an act with the sole intention of appearing confident, then that is a problem that needs fixing.
Well, according to Elon Musk, the difference between a ‘manageable’ work schedule and an ‘insane’ one is somewhere between 80 and 120 hours of work per week. “There were times when, some weeks … I haven’t counted exactly, but I would just sort of sleep for a few hours, work, sleep for a few hours, work, seven days a week. Some of those days must have been 120 hours or something nutty.”
Once upon a time, not that long ago, it was considered a sign of loyalty and achievement to remain in one job. “A job for life” was a gold-standard and a status to strive toward. With today’s job environment, that’s no longer a realistic option for many of us. With plentiful opportunities and broader options, today’s job seekers demand more from their employers. This means they’re more likely to shop around different companies until they find the conditions they want.
