How to Be a Success at Work

Use these failsafe methods to succeed in the workplace

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Be confident: One of the most essential elements to success at work is to portray yourself as informed and confident. PERCEPTION IS EVERYTHING AT WORK. Never act like you are unable to do something or timid. If the boss asks for something, tell him or her that you will begin working on this right away. Never say things like "I have never done that before..or I am not sure I know how to do that." These are statements that make your superiors lose faith in you. Even if you dont know how to do something, try your best to find out how to do it. Always ask questions and do your own research. Do not try to find others to do your work. This will only make you look bad.

2. Try to walk around the office with a document in your hand: Having a document in your hand shows others that you are always working on something. I actually will just grab a memo off my desk before I walk to the other side of the office sometimes just to make it seem that I am busy with something.

3. Never walk slowly through the office like you are just wandering around: Have you ever noticed that the most important people in your office are almost running when they walk? A persons gait shows that they are energetic, and that they are in a hurry to get something done. There is nothing worse than walking slowly and shuffling through the office. This makes you seem lazy and non-important. And NEVER walk around with a coffee cup in your hand as if you are on an eternal break.

4. Never tell your co-workers your life story: This is a common mistake at the workplace. The more your co-workers know about your personal life, the more they will use this information against you. It is always best to keep personal information personal.

5. Never brag about your accomplishments: The more you tout your personal accomplishments, the more your co-workers will resent you. If you do something well and you are praised for it, simply say thank you and never bring it up again. Dont worry your boss will not forget that you have done these great things.

6. Do not announce to the world that you are going to lunch or going home. This is a common mistake that people make because they think they are informing people of where they are. It is better to be discreet about your lunch time and leaving time. You dont want others to think that these are the two happiest times in the day for you, even if they are.

7. Dress like you are important: Do not go to work looking like a slob. I wore a white shirt and a tie to work for 15 years straight when I was trying to move up in my firm. Others became so used to me wearing the white shirt and tie that when I finally wore a casual shirt one day, everyone was shocked. Dressing nice also assures others that you care about your work.

8. Use good vocabulary and never use foul language at the workplace. Using profanity only makes you seem unintelligent and unsophisticated. There are plenty of nice words available to tell someone that you are not happy with something without resorting to using profanity. I have always been able to convey my discontent with any issue without using words that are meant for the bar. In fact I would argue that it is better to tell someone they have failed with some nice words than to tell them off with crude language. They will remember the former more often than the chewing out.

9. Never gossip. This is a mistake that will cost you in the long run. You never know who you may be working for in the future. The last thing you want to do is to talk about people that may be your future boss. You also dont want to gossip because it never fails that someone will tell someone else that you said something about them and then if this becomes a problem that impacts the work, your boss will only think less of you for allowing yourself to fall into this trap.

10. Do not hang out in cliques or circles of friends. This is something you should have gotten over in high school. Be friendly to everyone. Smile at everyone. Go to lunch with everyone. You want to make yourself likable to all so that when the time comes for your promotion, all will agree that you are a good choice.

11. Be helpful to everyone without telling them everything you know. You always want to keep a little knowledge in reserve so that you can be the one people count on. I am not suggesting you dont help others so that they fail. I am saying tell them just enough without revealing how you learned these things or all your techniques.

12. Do your research before a meeting. If you take the time to read and research a subject before a meeting, you can really impress the boss during the meeting. But do it in a way where it seems like you are also asking questions. Do not make your co-workers look bad. I always say things like; But can we do this and still be in conformance with our Board regulations? I already know the answer but this will prompt the others to find out and when they do, they will also find out you were correct in asking this question.

13. Never try to schmooze the boss. This is a common mistake that people think will help them get ahead. The best way to impress your boss is to be eager to do your work. And dont tell your boss that you are the only one that can do something. This is childish. Just say things like; I hope I completed that report to your satisfaction, let me know if you need anything else. Never hang around his or her office talking incessantly. This will only annoy them. Most bosses want you to do your work, not sit around talking to them. They also have lots to do and they dont need you in their hair all day. Ask your question and then go back to work!

14. My final piece of advice is be consistent. Be consistently on time. Be consistently informed. Be consistently pleasant. Be consistently helpful. If you are not consistent, this gives others an uneasiness about you and they will not be able to trust you. People who are not consistent are not promoted. They are only viewed as risks that will eventually fail.

Tips & Warnings

• With a little work, you can gain a promotion in no time.
• The workplace must be carefully navigated. It is essential to make sure you know what you want and avoid mistakes that are not recoverable.

[deckster]

on 10/19/2009 The majority of this article is nonsense. I quote "never walk around the office without a piece of paper in your hand" ??? Seriously, that is the most ludicrous suggestions I have ever heard of. The majority of these tips sound as if they have come from fiercely competitive and hostile places of work, totally alien to any modern professional working environment.