Advance Your Career with
a Fresh Perspective
By Jade C. Pulman
Regardless of your type of business or the position you seek, a shift in your mindset toward your future can greatly improve your results. Business is changing, and so should you. The same techniques that people used a decade ago to advance their career may not be relevant any longer. Do you have the right mindset to move up in business?
Behaviors of a Winner
It is often tempting to do the bare minimum to receive a steady, decent paycheck. If you want to advance, you should be proactive, constantly learn new skills and cross-train in other positions during slow days. You should also network both within and outside your company. And do not be afraid to make sure people know the projects you work on, and to share your opinions in meetings.
Failure is the Path to Success
It is imperative that you understand that failure helps guide you to success. If you are not taking risks in your job and your career, you are not learning and you are not moving forward. People who continue to repeat the same actions over and over because it is safe and moderately profitable will never be an industry disruptor or leader and experience dynamic sales and revenue streams. If you make a mistake or you fail at something in business, learn from these errors and push forward. Employee exit interview questions can be a great way to learn and grow.
Use Fear as Motivation
Do not let fear prevent you from working on your career. Shift your mindset to turn fear into a positive. The workplace is highly competitive and job security was something from the 20th century. Use this to your advantage. You are never guaranteed a promotion or a paycheck, so be sure you are always positioning yourself to be as indispensable as possible. Learn a second language. Take computer programming classes at night. Use your fear to push you to never stop learning and to acquire new skills, and never be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone.
Productivity Does Not Equate to Busy Work
Busy work does not mean that you are contributing positively to the business. Sure, everyone needs several small breaks a day to remain productive; however, this does not mean take an hour to clean your office when you have nothing else to do. Take initiative to conquer a task or project that will help the team meet goals. Determine the difference between essential tasks and non-essential tasks that simply waste time and make you look busy to other people.
Embrace and Adapt to Change
Gone are the days of doing business the same way for decades. Technology and innovation change daily. These changes often disrupt industries in a way that leaves even the most experienced professionals and companies behind. If you are unable to embrace and adapt to change, you will unlikely be able to advance your career, and you may even lose your job. Change can be a bit frightening; however, it can also be exciting and life-changing in the most positive way.
Be Goal Oriented
Goals have always been important to success. You should set short-term and long-term goals. Short-term goals help you to experience progress and stay on track to reach your long-term goals. It is also important to incorporate deadlines and actionable items associated with each goal. Once you have established your short-term and long-term goals, increase them to push yourself harder. Also, take the time to work with others on your goals rather than to do it alone.
If you want to advance your career in business, you must change your mindset. Understand that complacency is your enemy, goals should be set higher, accept that failure can be good, busy work is not being productive, embrace change and use fear as a motivator. If you are able to accomplish these six mindset shifts, you might just become a C-level executive.
