Work Habits To Make One Succeed

It doesn't matter whether you are just starting out on your career or
if you have years of experience behind you - making sure you have the
right attitude and approach is vital.

And having the right attitude does not come about by accident; it
comes from establishing the very best working practices and habits.

When I am looking to employ or promote people, one of the key
qualities I always look for is a thirst for excellence. The very best
people, in any walk of life, are those who are constantly challenging
themselves and are setting themselves new targets.

And if you want to be one of those characters who is always looking to
move forward and better themselves then you need to have the kind of
working habits in place that will lead to success. Here are a few
examples:

There is an old saying that if you're standing still, you're going
backwards, and this is especially true in career terms. Are you
somebody who is happy with your current skill set, or do you actively
look to improve? If it is the latter, then you are exactly the sort of
person most bosses look for. Put yourself forward for training
courses, learn new skills - the more you push yourself and expand your
skill set, the more valuable you become to your current and potential
employers.

Commercially minded

This is basically about being proactive and removing yourself from
your individual bubble. Think about the wider aims of the business you
work for. Where could things improve, where could even more value be
added? By having the overall vision of the business in your head, you
will find new ways to generate revenue, brand awareness, or any other
goals senior managers might have.

Ownership

There is nothing better for a manager than to see his or her employees
actively taking ownership of projects. Equally, nobody wants to be
seen as someone who passes the buck. If something falls under your
remit, ensure you are the one who sees it through - even if you
inevitably have to delegate certain aspects of it.

I have spoken before about having the ability to ignore what I call
the 'noise'. This means being able to prioritise between the essential
and non-essential, and focusing your energies on things that add the
most value. Too many employees tend to get caught up in the 'nice to
have' activities rather than things which are more critical to the
business. The other advantage of prioritising your workload is that
the quality ends up being far better. If you have ten things you need
to get done, I would much rather you produced outstanding results on
the most important ones, rather than mediocre results on all ten.

Self-reflection

Throughout my career I have always been in the habit of regularly
assessing my work and personal performance. At regular intervals I
will analyse what I've done, how my businesses have performed and what
I need to do differently. By having this ability to reflect -- and
sometimes criticise yourself -- you are making sure lessons are learnt
every step of the way.

--Yahoo