Hold Yourself Accountable in the Workplace

Your boss and your company will hold you accountable for your workplace behavior and accomplishments. Go one better and hold yourself accountable.

• Perform your tasks to the best of your ability, completing them in a timely manner.
• Maintain a positive attitude daily.
• Adhere to a strict code of personal behavior.
• Keep skills up to date and learn new ones as required.
• Become an expert in your field.
• Use good judgment.
• Speak kindly and tactfully.

Taking responsibility for your actions and words will preserve your value to the boss and company. How will you hold yourself accountable?

Career Advancement

To advance in your career, demonstrate your value to your employer and those around you. Be highly visible and take charge of situations when warranted. Continuously challenge yourself and members of your team. Act like management material by following these guidelines:

• Take advantage of every available opportunity to learn and grow.
• Establish behaviors that stand out positively in the minds of supervisors.
• Develop excellent critical thinking skills.
• Be a self-directed worker who performs duties with proficiency.
• Act professionally at all times and display integrity and ethical behavior.
• Take on extra responsibilities and help others.
• Become an expert in your field.
• Participate in lifelong learning to keep your expertise up to date.

Take a long, hard look at your personal qualities and adjust your strategies to align yourself closer to the way management-level people behave. With an inner drive and a determination to achieve, you can position yourself to rise to a higher level. What steps will you take to advance in your career?

Give Employers What They Want

In keeping with the theme of getting a job, let's take a look at what employers want. Employers want to hire dependable, enthusiastic people who will give a full day's work. Here are some tips to convince an employer you are the right person for the job:

• Maintain a record of dependability and good attendance at your current job.
• Be able to convey your assets and accomplishments within a few minutes.
• Match your skills to the employer's needs.
• Research the company and be prepared to discuss your findings during the interview.
• Demonstrate your willingness to try new things.
• Practice time management and organizational skills.
• Maintain a positive attitude and demonstrate your willingness to get along with others.
• If you working in a multi-generational workplace, mention your ability to get along with people of all ages.
• Take an active part in your self-development through training and updating skills.
• Join a professional organization in your field.

Push yourself to the top of the competition by showing the employer you are the right person to hire. What steps will you take?

Develop an Action Plan to Achieve Career Goals

Develop an action plan to reach your goals by listing several steps you can take to move yourself closer to those goals.  Make your plan easy to implement, and use a viable timeline. Periodically, check your plan to determine if it needs to be adjusted or if it is working for you.

Using the example goal of joining Toastmasters in order to improve communication skills, here is an sample action plan: 

• Within the next two days, check local listings or search online to find the nearest Toastmasters’ group.
• Contact the group by the end of the week and express an interest in joining.
• Attend the next available Toastmasters’ meeting.
• Network with at least two group members at the first meeting.
• Learn speaking tips and techniques from members.
• Become an active participant in the group and continue networking with group members.
• Implement changes in presentations according to information obtained at meetings and from constructive criticism following personal speeches

Develop a similar action plan for each of the goals you want to achieve. Follow through by completing the action plan steps you have listed.

What goals are you working toward?

Keep the Stress out of Thanksgiving--Be Grateful

Thanksgiving will be here in a couple of weeks. It's a good time to remember to take care of ourselves and keep stress to a minimum. Here are some stress-reducing tips:

• Be grateful for what you have. At the beginning of each day, reflect on your blessings and the people who complete your life.
• Don't let little aggravations overshadow the important ones.
• Count the things that are going right in your life, not those going wrong.
• Take a break when you feel yourself getting stressed. Don't wait until you are overwhelmed.
• Keep close to family and friends during this and other holidays.
• Burn a candle with one of the wonderful stress-reducing fragrances like lavender or vanilla.
• Take a mini vacation in your mind.
• Enjoy yourself.

Remember Thanksgiving is about being thankful. What are you giving thanks for 

FALL INTO GOOD HABITS

Fall brings many changes—from weather to leaf color. It seems a fine time to make changes in our lives as well. Here are a few positive changes that may make this fall a special season:

• Embrace change, rather than resist it. Oftentimes what we perceive as a negative change turns out to be the best thing that happened to us.
• Concentrate on what is important in your life. Establish priorities and stick with them.
• Write a personal mission statement for your life.
• Tell a loved one how special he or she is to you.
• Write in a daily gratitude journal.
• Help others.
• Let go of anger and resentment.
• De-junk and de-clutter the areas of your life that need it.
• Make time for exercise and eat healthy.
• Balance your checkbook and your budget.
• Listen to others—truly listen.
• Have fun on a regular basis

What positive changes will you make?

Find a Mentor to Ensure Career Success

Finding the right person to be your mentor can significantly increase your chances of career success. If possible, find a mentor who is willing to teach you what you need to know to reach your goal(s). This mentor should be someone who has the character traits you admire and who is in a position you aspire to attain or who is doing what you hope to do. He or she should give you straightforward information and honest, positive critiques. You don’t want someone who says, “Yes, you are wonderful,” without providing proper guidance and criticism that will mold you into the person you hope to be.

How do you find a mentor?

·        Network, network, network. You have to put yourself out there and ask for help. Most people are willing to support others.

·        Join relevant groups and seek out the successful members.

·        Observe people in the workplace. Who would be the best person from which to learn?

·        Take a class, get a tutor, or hire a coach.

Your mentor should be an expert in the area in which you want to learn. In addition, he/she should be able to teach; that is, get information across in an easy-to-understand way. Some people are experts in their fields, but they cannot convey information to others clearly.

Modeling successful people who have achieved what you want provides a readymade road map to reach your goals.

Who will you choose for your mentor?