Don't dwell in your normal

Stepping out of your normal way of doing things can be unsettling for some but you will cheat yourself out of your full potential if you with business as usual. So here are a few tips to stir things up and move towards more interesting professional experiences;

TRY SOMETHING NEW: What is it that scares you about doing something new? Are you afraid you’ll fail or not do it well? Manage your expectations and fears. After all, you will be trying something new and you shouldn’t expect the best of yourself immediately. Stepping out in your quest to be better is what matters and for that you must give yourself the treat of failing a few times!.

GO FOR A NEW LEVEL: Get outside your comfort zone, take those things you do regularly to a new level. The benefits can be hard to see through the tension and discomfort you might feel in the process. But you’ll start to learn things about yourself, do things at different levels and bring more meaning to your work. If a job becomes too comfortable, develop a professional interest you’re passionate about perhaps even outside your day job to keep you growing.

DEAL WITH THE AWKWARD: Because many times as you work through challenges you gain a richer work experience and personal growth. Believe that if you face the discomfort and survive; you’ll be well on your way to uncovering the talents, new perspectives, skills, and experiences waiting for you beyond your safe zone.

KEEP EXPERIMENTING: It’s easy to pack up as soon as you hit a wall. If what you’re trying doesn’t feel okay you can decide on something else till you get a good fit. The point is to make sure you are not getting stale doing old boring job. The important thing is to ensure you are not going through your work day in a blur.

Now take action: What one new thing you will do to shake your normal routine

Six questions you must ask yourself

From time to time it helps to take the time to check that you are your best path to where you wish to be career-wise. Here are some questions to help your reflections;

WHO ARE YOU AS A PROFESSIONAL?: What’s your work ethic and working style?; How do you contribute to a positive work environment, how do you balance your aspirations with those of your organisation? How do you establish and maintain important professional relationships? What are you known for in your professional circles? What are you like at your best?

WHAT’S YOUR CAREER STRATEGY?: What do you want to achieve and in what timeframe? How do you push yourself into more ambitious places? How are you proactively managing where you go from here? How do you assess what options are available regarding the direction you want to go in? How do you make an informed decision on whether you are on the right career path?

HOW DO YOU HANDLE OBSTACLES?: Which of your own behaviours are becoming barriers and sabotaging you? How do you distil lessons from your mistakes?. How do you navigate when you are outside of your comfort zone? How do you bounce back from setbacks? What do you need to develop to strengthen your resilience?

WHAT ALARM BELLS ARE YOU IGNORING?: How do you know when you’ve stopped growing? What excites you that you no longer make time to engage in? What lame reasons are you telling yourself for not doing what you know you ought to? What are you tolerating that’s hurting you or your prospects?

HOW DO YOU MANAGE SELF DIRECTION? How do you handle change? How do you adapt when you find yourself in a situation that is new to you? How do you handle uncertainty? How do you proceed when you have to handle an important responsibility without clear direction? What actions are you taking now that will prepare you better for challenges?

WHAT WILL PUT YOU IN THE TOP LEAGUE?: What are you doing or not doing that’s keeping you from making the top league? How are you building on your successes? Who are you intentionally learning from? How do you know when you are ready to compete at your next level?

Now take action: Based on your answers to the above, what do you need to get better at?

What should you be willing to ignore?

Focus is such an important thing, it helps you pay put your attention on what really matters and to ignore other things of little consequence. But in the workplace there are several things that can distract you and stress you out. Here are some common occurrences things I suggest you learn to ignore;

IRRELEVANT WEAKNESSES: Most people are more concerned about fixing their weaknesses than building their strengths. If an area that you are weak in is not a critical competence for your job, minimise it otherwise whilst you spend time fixing your faults, your work is not getting done.

ADDICTION TO APPROVAL: A pat on the back will lift anyone’s mood but always needing a dose of validation from others in order to feel that you are doing something right is a false sense of security . Overcome your need to please everyone with the intention of getting approval. Don’t depend on others to feel good about yourself or the good work you do and don’t crumble if you don’t get a much deserved recognition or praise for something you have achieved.

OFFENSES AGAINST YOU: These will happen, a colleague will offend you or you may take offence at someone else sometimes even without the person knowing. When offences happen ignore them; if you can’t the deal with them promptly and then draw a line under them. Don’t hold grudges in the workplace. They drain your energy and can hold you hostage to yourself.

ADVICE THAT DOESN'T WORK: People mean well and especially in a nurturing environment people will volunteer free advice. Don’t reject it out of hand, reflect on it and feel free to ignore advice that you believe will not work for you and just plain inappropriate. Disagree with it without being disagreeable.

DRAMA AND MORE DRAMA: A thousand things can cause tension and drama in the workplace, personality problems, people who often find themselves in the midst of controversy, the rumour mill, gossip. Stay away from people with a negative attitude. When it comes to venting about your personal problems, set boundaries and avoid the urge to confront others over everything you are unhappy with.

Now take action: What little thing are you blowing out of proportion at work?

Keep it REAL with your boss

Your boss has a responsibility to help you be productive; but this is a partnership that requires you to be proactive in ensuring an open, honest and mutually beneficial process that facilitates this. Get R.E.A.L by demonstrating;

RESPONSIBILITY: Don’t just do tasks; make proper choices, solve problems that emerge and do things when you say you will. Being responsible includes having a strong work ethic and keeping a positive attitude when the going gets tough and rough. Focus on the right priorities. If you work with the same boss for more than a year, ensure that you demonstrate increasing capability year on year to strengthen their confidence in you.

ENGAGEMENT: Keep a conversation going with your manager. Know what your boss’s full scope of work is so that you keep your bit in perspective. Don’t surprise them with bad news or leave important work undone. Don’t be so attached to the way you like to do things that you fail to adapt to a way that works for both your manager and you. Engaging with your manager regularly helps you identify what’s changing and what’s on the horizon. It also helps you be aware when he or she is extremely busy and will appreciate not coming to them with issues are not urgent or critically important at that time.

ACCOUNTABILITY: Personal accountability should be paramount, take responsibility for your own performance. Know the performance metrics your boss pays attention to. Don’t do anything that will let he or she or indeed others question your integrity. Don’t complain without making effort to improve things. Highlight potential problems quickly and indicate what you are going to do about it. Don’t put problems on the boss’ shoulders, if you need help be specific about what you need.

LEADERSHIP: Show you can operate different situations. Don’t get stuck in ‘how great your previous boss was’’ and hope your new boss becomes like them. Every boss is different and must deal with their own challenges in their own way. Don’t let all your discussions with your boss be about problems, show that in time of trouble you can fix things and in stable times you can fly higher and sail further. Let the mention of your name bring positive attributes to mind.

Now take action: What can you do to improve how you work with your boss?

Act up to move up

Progression does not come by wishing, hoping or even just working hard. It takes knowing where you want to advance and taking steps to earn your way there. Here are some suggestions on how to act your way up.

UPWORTHY: This is about how you view yourself and believing you deserve where you have set your sights to get to. I am not talking about arrogance. Appreciate yourself; learn to speak up for yourself and celebrate your successes. Don’t be uncomfortable around power or authority. If you have either use it to build; if you’re near it, learn how it’s wielded wisely.

UPSKILL: You can never have too many skills and it’s not wise to be satisfied with the skills you need for your current level. Have better skills than your job requires because it prepares you to go for opportunities as they come up. Should those opportunities not come quickly, you can still use your skills to make yourself more valuable to your organisation. Upskill through formal courses, mentoring from a senior person, on the job training or trying your hands at tasks you have not done before.

UPGRADE: You can have the right skills but still not conduct yourself well at certain level. In addition to skills, develop the professional confidence and manners that enables you think, act and interact at the level. Upgrading includes looking the part, sounding the part and being the part. It’s transitioning from skills expert to executive or leader. It’s developing the capacity to read situations accurately, making good judgements, setting yourself highly standards and living up to them.

MANAGE UP: Inability to manage your boss and your superiors is one of the most challenging career traps. Whether your boss is super, difficult or disengaged find a way to cultivate a productive relationship. Earn their trust by doing your job well and by supporting them in whatever way you can to be successful. Give them constructive feedback that will help them be a better boss. Don’t go giving to your boss’ boss feedback that you have not or are not prepared to give to your boss directly especially if your aim is to have things improve. Managing up is not easy so get a mentor who will guide you


Now take action: Where do you need to move UP?

You can be A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!

When you want to be at your best, what do you usually do? How do you do it? Firstly don’t aim to be perfect, only be AMAZING? How so?


ACKNOWLEDGE AND ACCELERATE: If it’s going to be it’s going to be up to you; whether it is getting that opportunity, increasing your value or learning from failure. There is always something you can do, learn, share or develop to inch you step by step towards your goal.


MEASURE AND MAGNIFY: Determine '' what your amazing is'' and how you are going to measure that. Find a mentor who will help you do whatever it takes to get to your amazing self; that person you respect and are prepared to take instruction and advice from.


ACCOUNT AND ACCOMPLISH: Be accountable for your choices, actions, responsibilities and goals and follow through with your commitments. Be responsible for how you communicate, how you behave and how you handle responsibility and manage time.


ZOOM AND ZING: You can only be fantastic with your strengths not by trying to fix your flaws or stressing over your limitations. Don't be reticent. Find a way to start monitoring how often you're using your strengths and how you feel when you're using your strengths. Exude energy.


INVEST AND INCENTIVISE :Invest in your craft. What is the one thing you can say you are really good at? Increase what you bring to the table. Be your best and reward yourself when you achieve. Yes, it's ok to be happy for you! .


NIP AND NAVIGATE: Nip mediocrity in the bud. Do your very best whatever level of responsibility you are given. Navigate challenges instead of giving up when you hit a wall. Don't be afraid to learn even the hard lessons, these might be what prepare you for thriving in situations that most people might not.


GROW AND GUIDE: Make your choices on the basis of potential for growth and keep raising your standards. No matter how prestigious your job or role looks is if it does not offer room for personal or professional development, you are as good as sitting in a rocking chair, making a lot of movement but going nowhere.


Now take action: How can you become more accountable as a person?

Don't be a complainer!

We all complain from time to time but chronic complaining could hurt your reputation and professional relationships. How do you know if your complaining is getting out of hand? Here are some signs;


‘BUT’ IS COMMON IN YOUR VOCABULARY: You are a ‘resister’ and your first instinct in any situation is to find a reason to object. No matter how good things are, you still see only the bad or toss the issue round in your mind till you find your ‘but’.


YOUR LANGUAGE IS NEGATIVE: Negative phrases like won’t, can’t shouldn’t are not uncommon with you. You think ‘life isn’t fair’ and you find examples to back up this view. You think everyone’s out to get you. You are regularly argumentative and persistently voice out your disagreements.


YOU EXAGGERATE DIFFICULTIES: You make everything seem worse than it is, you focus on spotting flaws and mistakes. You’re overly sensitive and get easily offended. You are in your element when there’s controversy or drama.


So what can you do to stop complaining?

UNDERSTAND WHY YOU COMPLAIN: And try to be as specific as possible as regards what you are unhappy about so that you can address it.


KNOW WHAT IT’S COSTING YOU: Complaining is not a harmless habit, it wastes your time, drains your energy and fouls your mood. Complaining could leave you stressed and even sometimes isolated because people do not like to be around someone who complains all the time.


DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT: Whatever you tend to complain about, decide that you will do something about it. If it’s a situation you can’t do anything about then let it go or learn to live with it. That will take a lot of stress off you. Do something specific; you can start small; for example decide not to complain for one full hour, then one full day, then another. Complaining is a choice, one that you can stop.


KEEP COMPANY WITH THE CHEERFUL: If you’re always griping enlist the help of someone cheerful to remind you there are things to be grateful for. Reflect on what makes you happy and focus on that.


Now take action: What one thing will you stop complaining about?

Flip the S.W.I.T.C.H

Getting ahead in your career takes more than doing a decent job or holding steady in whatever role you have. If you want to advance you'll have to do better than just be a safe pair of hands. Here are some tips for stepping up;


SPEED: You must demonstrate speed, in getting results, in learning what you need to, in transitioning to new roles or settling into bigger responsibilities. Be self-directed, disciplined and always thinking ahead.


WISDOM: Wisdom isn't cleverness or even intelligence. It's the thoughtful analysis of knowledge and information and deciding a way forward. Enhance your capacity to make decisions even when you don't have all details you require. Don't operate on the basis of assumptions, speculation or your own biased opinions.


INITIATIVE: Seize opportunities, stay ahead of problems, follow through with what you take on. Show you are dependable and that you can step up. Think beyond your day to day work and gets things done without anyone standing over your shoulder. Rise to the occasion and always prepared.


TALENT: The mark of a good professional is one who brings something concrete to a role but also has room to grow. Don't be limited by the boundaries of job specifications. Bring not just your skills, but your energy, passion, your common sense and a relentless quest for excellence.


CHARACTER: Performance alone is not enough; integrity are key. Don't do anything that will undermine your credibility. Face difficulties and challenges squarely and be gracious to your colleagues. Be reasonable in your interactions with others and by all means be transparent. Operate on principles not emotions.


HEART: You can never really do your best unless you care about what you are doing and the difference it will make. Working with heart means you go the extra mile because your take pride in your work; by being committed and doing your best, you'll become smarter and smarter.

Now take action: Where in your career do you need to go one gear up?

How accountable are you?

Personality accountability is definitely a competency and those who embrace it have a strong sense of responsibility; Here are some ways to show you practice personal accountability.

KEEP YOUR COMMITMENTS: In simple ways such as being a person of your word, honouring people’s faith in you, dealing with your challenges in a mature manner, delivering on your promises to all- your peers, the reportees not just your manager.

OWN WHAT YOU INFLUENCE: You influence people, results and not just the things you directly do have authority. For example who is looking up to you? Who can you positively influence by your right example?.If someone were looking for a mentor would they ask you? Keep things professional and focus on what you can create to be a positive impact instead of reacting to what happens around you.

BE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR BEHAVIOUR: You can expect others will behave a certain way but the only thing you can guarantee or control is your own behaviour. So try not to behave on the basis of how someone behaves towards you. Seemingly calm or content people are not those who don’t have any problems but those who have chosen to keep things in perspective.

MAKE INTEGRITY VISIBLE: This does not mean you have to be an angel or infallible but you cannot fall down on the basics, such as leading by example especially when it’s difficult, willingness to draw the lines between right and wrong, what’s acceptable versus what is not.

DO YOUR BEST ALWAYS: Not only when circumstances are ‘perfect’. A reasonable workplace or boss would not expect that you do brilliantly in sub-optimal circumstances but only that to do your best in whatever circumstance. Aim to be productive always.

Now take action: Where do you need to show greater personal accountability?

Improve the way you think

Whether you are a good thinker or not manifests in what and how you communicate; and people who communicate clearly, justly or not attract more confidence from others. So here are some thinking skills to hone as you seek to advance yourself.

THINK CLEARLY : Clear thinking requires more than just logical thinking. You need to be able to sift through important bits of information and present them in a way that suits your audience. For example the level at which you’d pitch information with senior managers on a particular topic will be of a much higher order than those you may share with colleagues. Clear thinking shows connectedness between different bits of information, clear focus and flow of argument.

THINK STRATEGICALLY: Don’t be a thinker only focused on the here and now. Obviously there will be small level decisions that require thinking about what you do now. But you need to be able to think through complexity and make some sense of it. Ask questions like; what’s the purpose of what you are thinking about?, what could be its impact in the mid to long term?. What connections can you make about the situation that may not be immediately obvious?. What are the priorities and which ones are urgent? What risks are involved?- all these questions will help you think about the broader issues instead of the matter at hand.

THINK WISELY: This is demonstrating common sense, having a good sense of judgement and not being influenced by just what the rules say. Focus on not only on the things that make sense but also why they make sense and what the trade-offs are for the choices you’re making. Wise thinking is thoughtful, shows reflection has taken place and not just based on ‘raw thoughts’.

THINK FORWARD: By bringing new insights to a situation. Don’t be paralysed by analysis. Show foresight and anticipate what’s round the corner. Seek information from different credible sources but be flexible enough to incorporate new insights as they come to you or become available.

Now take action: Identify one way you can improve your thinking.