Five reasons why hard work isn’t enough to win at work

2011-12-06

1) Cultivate high-trust relationships that matter
Relationship building is no longer enough. Its now about the investment decisions you make in trusting the right people. There are four types of people that you interact with in the workplace: leaders, lifters, loafers and leeches. It is your responsibility to be mindful of how you manage the dynamics that each of these people bring to the table. Do not get confused about how each of them can influence your success:
bull Leaders discover your talent and create an environment for you to best use it
bull Lifters encourage your creativity and help you find new ways to apply it
bull Loafers slow you down and always complain about your ideas
bull Leeches pretend to engage with your ideas only to use them for their own advancement
Cultivating high-trust relationships that matter require you to critically review your network through this new lens.
2) Mentoring reveals your authentic commitment to the organizations advancement
I realize that you dont have much extra time to devote to someone elses success. But as training budgets get reduced, if not completely eliminated, the opportunity grows for an organic training environment that allows employees to mentor one another. What is different about this mentoring approach is that you are not only making the choice to mentor others, but also you are making a conscious decision to allow others to help you.
If you are aseniorexecutive, make the commitment to sponsor an employee resource group or high-potential talent who seek guidance to navigate their careers. Executive sponsorship is a powerful tool and tremendous responsibility. Dont commit unless you are passionate about what you are supporting. Your actions in these settings will be critically examined and, if you are not authentic about your participation, it will backfire. However, a success story will advance your own success within your organization.
3) Examine the culture and identify how you can best contribute to its maturity
A successful workplace culture requires nurturing. Step back and think about how your identity and voice can contribute in purposeful ways. Focus on being a community-minded leader who is not only interested in your own advancement within the culture, but in particular what is required for others to grow and prosper from within the culture.
Be an ambassador to help the culture mature and continually monitor its ROI and how it not only benefits the organizations growth but equally the growth of the individuals who live it daily.
4) Expand your responsibilities beyond your internal duties
Not enough people in the workplace support external activities to advance their organizations. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives are a great way to get started. Since most CSR programs are still in their infancy, this gives you the opportunity to share new ideas and help define how CSR can contribute to business growth.
5) Encourage your peers to do the same
Find ways that your workplace engagement activities can grab the attention of others. Dont self-promote, but rather share the outcomes of your engagement activities. Get people excited about the benefits and personal satisfaction of contributing to the organizations overall success.
Create a new road map for success that others can follow. Make a mark. Dont be afraid to broaden your perspectives. Stop being a one-dimensional recognition addict and focus on taking a three-dimensional approach that focuses on the healthier whole.

Source From theglobeandmail.com