There are good habits and there are bad habits in the workplace. Most of us already know what they are, but not all of us adhere to them. However, anyone that wants to land a promotion at their job knows that they need to improve their workplace habits to have any fighting chance.
Clearly, people take notice of what we do each day. Whether we're in a cubicle out in the open, or in an office behind a closed door, our workplace habits have a huge impact on our productivity on the job and just what we're able to get done for our employers.
The truth? Habits take a long time to foster, but if you're looking to land that promotion you've been chasing for some time, then ensure that you adhere to these 10 best workplace habits, and in time, you might just get what you want.
#1 -- Arrive early every day
Commitment to your job begins at the start of the day. Are you arriving early, on time, or just running through the door a few minutes late? Of course, if you're arriving late on occasion or even often, you'll need to make some drastic changes to your lifestyle.
However, even if you're arriving on time, many people won't take notice. If you want to impress your boss, other managers, and even clients and customers, arrive early and do it every single day without fail.
#2 -- Effectively manage your time
Develop a system for tracking your time and the various tasks at hand. Consider that we all have the same amount of time in this world. The differentiator has to do with just how effectively we manage that time and how efficiently we use this precious resource.
Once implemented, stick to a system that will help you to avoid distractions while tackling your long-term goal-related activities. The biggest hurdle most people face is that they dedicate too much of their time towards time-wasting activities.
#3 -- Set clear and concise goals
What goals do you want to achieve on the job? Without a clearly defined set of goals, you'll find that getting promoted will be an arduous task. Know what you want and write it down. If your goal is to get promoted in the next 6 months, write it down. Also take note of the position you want to be promoted to.
While many studies have been done on goal setting and writing out your goals, one in particular has pervaded the Internet. The study followed a Harvard MBA class from graduation and checked in on them 10 years later. The result? The 3% of the class that had set written goals with a plan for their attainment were earning, on average, 10 times as much as the other 97%.
#4 -- Keep your office or desk space clean and organized
If you've heard the saying, clean house, clean mind, no truer words have been said. In fact, much of cleanliness and organization has a staggering impact on our ability to focus. Studies have suggested that chaos in the form of disorganization and clutter can actually reduce our focus.
When our focus is reduced, it's harder to achieve our goals. Mental clutter holds us back. It's hard to get noticed for a promotion when we lack the wherewithal to even keep things on track. Keep the desk or office clean and organized at all times.
#5 -- Avoid workplace gossip
It's easy to get sucked into workplace gossip and get carried away with it. Most people are more concerned about others' misfortunes than they are about keeping positive and highlighting a person's virtues rather than their faults.
The mind also gets whatever it trains its sights on. When the mind is steeped in negativity, it will attract more of it. When the mind shifts its focus to one of positivity, positive results will follow.
#6 -- Follow the Pareto Principle
The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20-Rule states that 80% of the results come from 20% of the efforts. This also means that 80% of the sales comes from 20% of the customers, which is a common theme in business.
The goal? Identify the 20% of your efforts that are producing 80% of the results. Then, scale those efforts out. If you're in sales, identify the 20% of the clients that are producing 80% of the income, and focus on targeting that group more fervently.
#7 -- Become a masterful communicator
Want to get a promotion? Then you need to perfect your communication skills. What does that mean? Take the time and the care to hone your craft when it comes to writing, creating presentations and speaking in public.
Ensure that all your communications, whether they're via email, written reports or in any other format, are error-free. If you're using written words, check for grammar and spelling. Triple check your work and remember that practice will always make perfect over time.
#8 -- Engage in daily goal setting
It's not enough to just set long-term goals, even if they just have to do with landing a promotion at the workplace. Regardless, ensure that you engage in daily goal setting. Decide, every single day, just what you're going to achieve
You could also split your long-term goals at the job, or elsewhere, into milestones. As long as your long-term goal is measurable, you can easily split it into monthly, weekly and daily goals without much effort. The daily goals will give you direction towards the long-term, bigger goals.
#9 -- Create an follow a plan
Having goals isn't enough, you also need a plan. No goal is possible without a plan. You need to create a follow a plan and ensure that you measure and track the results. This way, you can see whether or not you need to make changes along the way.
For example, if you know specifically that you'll land a promotion when you hit a certain sales figure, break that goal out into milestones and daily goals, then create a plan towards its attainment. Always, always have a plan.
#10 -- Take breaks often
One study suggests that you should take a 17-minute break for every 52 minutes worked. Now, that's likely out of the question, but the point here is that you should take breaks often as it will increase your productivity and limit the potential for burnout.
Ensure that you take enough breaks throughout the day to retain peak productivity. If you have the flexibility to work and pause at will, then try out different methods of break times until you find what works best for you.
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