Getting ahead at Work Sean Farmer is CEO of Pragmatic Training based in Frankston, Victoria.
Sean specialises in leadership training for managers and improving motivation of teams and individuals.
Drawing from his own experience in a range of job roles and from observations as a leader, Sean has listed his key strategies for helping you move ahead at work.
Work can be a tough place to navigate at times.
Many people have competing goals and while others struggle to get ahead at work a few people will get stepped on along the way.
To make sure you are not one of the people getting stepped on it is important that you protect yourself with some simple strategies.
1 Keep a Paper Trail.
Track what you do in writing.
Keep a record of the facts and discussions at the time it happens as you will be surprised when you might need to confirm your version of events.
This is a great way to secure support from senior staff when you need it- the written word trumps verbal any day.
2 Take responsibility seize the initiative.
If you don t want to be the one who gets delegated the jobs no one wants then you better step up.
A person who can take initiative and consistently step up to the challenge is showing leadership qualities that will, over time, separate you from the pack.
3 Go the extra mile every time you can.
A little extra effort here and there will not kill you however it will be that little extra effort that will set you apart from those colleagues that reach the minimum and then take a break.
4 Keep focus on the prize and avoid small battles.
If we get lost in the minor issues or minutia , we will never be able to set and maintain our course on the big goals.
You have to take action in the short term based principally on where you are heading in the longer term.
This allows you to definitively say No to what is not really important and Yes to what is.
5 Learn to stay Cool under pressure.
Be aware of your feelings and know those buttons that others can press to excite your defensive patterns.
When you start defending yourself or your team you are more than likely reacting to the situation automatically and emotionally.
Know thyself and know which topics cause you to react so that you can be proactive and be in charge of how you will respond to topics that create stress for you.
6 Evaluate your approach.
Be mindful of whether your approach is working and whether you are heading towards your longer term goals or away from them.
Always keep an eye on the spending going on around you and question it.
Your superiors will love you for it as most employees disregard the need to watch the spending.
No such thing as Success at any cost.
7 Unique Value Proposition.
Every one of us has a special collection of traits, experiences, skills and knowledge coupled with a unique perspective and passion that we wish to pursue.
Being aware of your unique value proposition will allow you to pursue goals that feel right, utilize your insight and work from your strengths.
You will be able to make the most of the networks and connections to other people that you have created because they will be in alignment to your unique vision and passion.
8 Build Momentum.
Having some forward momentum requires you to be a person of action.
Do not be crippled by planning as this leads to procrastination and the disease of perfectionism, whereby we keep trying to improve our plan until it just can t fail.
Break free of your mental inertia by setting small goals each day for the most important tasks that will move you towards your long term goals and vision.
Procrastination hates action .
So small effective actions repeated many times will lead to greater results.
9 Keep Smiling and have some fun.
No one likes a grumpy pants Obviously keep your buoyant attitude in check when the matter is important and needs focus, however overall a smiling cheerful person will move up the ranks quicker than a grumpy one.
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