What qualities should an employee possess in order to be successful? So, here’s our list of 10 commandments of an employee.
-
DO NOT MISS THE DEADLINE GIVEN TO YOU
There is a useful tactic called “imaginary deadline”. For example, you need to complete a project in ten days. Set a new deadline in your mind – say, seven days – and make sure you stick to it. If you manage to complete the work earlier, you can rest for three days (plus my mother-in-law needed my help in the country house). If, which is more likely, you break the “imaginary deadline” – you will be able to meet at least the “real deadline”, because you did your work in advance.
So, what do good employees do if they understand that the “real” deadline will still be missed? They do not make excuses (it looks pathetic), do not explain the reasons (no one is interested), they just admit the mistake, warn in advance (the sooner, the better) and set a new deadline for the project (it can no longer be missed).
-
DO NOT MAKE EXCUSES
No one likes people who often make excuses because they look pretty pathetic.
No one cares about the personal reasons for failure. Your boss is not a psychotherapist or growth coach. To become a valuable employee, demonstrate maturity, responsibility, the ability to admit your mistakes and immediately learn from them. Therefore never make excuses.
-
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
Your boss wants to see you as a person who not only performs one specific function, but also participates in the life of the company, generates new ideas and implements them within the limits of your abilities. If you can improve some processes, improve them. If a leader does not take personal initiative, he is a bad leader.
-
EXCEED THE BARE MINIMUM
Try to do even more than it is asked and even better than it was expected – an experienced director will always notice employees who bring additional value.
-
DO NOT CREATE THE VISIBILITY OF WORK
Do not do double work. Don’t fuss. It is better to complete one task slowly, thoughtfully and qualitatively, than to frantically go through a messy pile of things all day, creating the appearance of work. An experienced boss only values the result.
-
SHOW THE RESULT, NOT THE PROCESS
Never tell how many sleepless nights you’ve had and how many dates you’ve skipped while working on a project. Forget about the energy, nerves and time that were spent on the task. An experienced CEO knows that talking too much about the process means worrying less about the result. So, don’t give yourself away.
-
KEEP THE BUSINESS GOALS IN MIND
Correlate your place in the business with its goals. Remember, your income depends on the benefit you bring. A smart leader will always appreciate an employee who does not forget about the company’s goals. By the way here’s what Forbes thinks about business goals.
-
PERFORM ONE OF THE THREE ROLES
There are many professions. But truly valuable employees fulfil one of three roles: bring money to the business, save money to the business, or save time to the business. The rest are engaged in nonsense.
-
EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE WITH THE MANAGEMENT
Your project may seem very important, but it is only one of many tasks that the boss is responsible for. Speak briefly and clearly and do not take more time than it’s necessary.
-
DO EVERYTHING TO BECOME A PARTNER
If you’re working for a startup or a small company, your main goal is to become a partner, even if you’re just answering emails right now. The salary of a hired employee, no matter how high it is, does not have the same potential as a share in the project. Partner benefits scale easily with business growth and have virtually no financial gravity that drags down line employee salaries.
Our employees are well aware of these 10 commandments of an employed employee and actively use them. This is why our company remains successful.
