Life Advice: December 2013

Being a successful employee is similar to running a sole proprietorship with low risk and limited customers. You listen around for what your primary customers (leadership) wants to get out of you. Then, you learn and actually get yourself to accomplish the requested tasks. Here are tips to be more successful in the work place.

Steps

Behave professionally. This is a business, not a playground. People talk, and workers know the difference between a person who is fun to work with and a person who is always fooling around. Fun means a good personality, a joke or two, and a smile. Fooling around is wasting your time and that of others, being frequently off-task, and often being seen standing in the workspace of others instead of in your own.
Learn to take criticism gracefully. It will provide you with valuable ideas about what people expect from you, any weak areas, and what you need to work on first. If a boss or coworker criticizes you in a way that hurts or angers you, wait until you cool/calm down and ask them if you can talk with them. Tell them how you felt, but tell them that you would like to fix the issue and want them to talk with you about what needs to be changed.
Learn to do your job, and do it well. Whether it's menial and tedious, or tough and high-paying, learn how to do the job, regardless of how difficult you think it might be. Salary is most commonly based upon years of experience, your ability to do your job, tenure with the company, and your educational background. If you don't know how to do something, go find out; don't make excuses for why you didn't do it.
Cultivate good relationships with the people in your organization;they are the experts in their departments. Treat all co-workers with courtesy, respect, and kindness because they hold more power than you realize, and your reputation with them matters. Do not hang out with other employees who mistreat, disrespect, or talk down to others.
When you get the opportunity to learn a new skill, receive training for a different activity, or take a study course paid for by your employer--do it! Cross-training, new skill sets, and further education show that you are intelligent and value life-long learning. If push comes to shove, and people are let go, you stand a better chance of being retained than those who can only do one thing.
Maintain a clean job performance record. Do a good job, show up on time, keep a good attendance history. When you find out someone has been let go, you often find out later that there were underlying circumstances that led to their dismissal--including frequent absences, missed deadlines, reprimands for unprofessional behavior, or too many customer complaints. If you don't do that, you don't have room to negotiate.
Be on time. Always arrive early. Be at least 15 minutes early every day. That way, if you are running late, you will be on time. If you have to park far away, you will walk in and still not be late. If your client is early, you will be there to greet him or her, and not leave someone waiting for you - even if you arrive on time.
Ask your supervisor what the expectations for outcome are. This will immediately make you stand out from 95% of the other employees. Mean what you ask and follow through on your promises.
Be part of the solutions. Quit whining about what's wrong and start being vocal about what's right! A positive attitude goes a long way with many supervisors. When you go to the boss with a problem, go with at least one suggestion in mind for a solution. Even if the boss doesn't take your suggestion, you will look like a problem-solver, not a complainer. Your boss has their own private lives to leave at the door, so do you. If you keep piling on the emotional baggage, then your boss may see that you can't balance your personal life from your work life. They will not approach you when they want to ask employees about perhaps open door advice when it comes to work related group efforts.
Don't drag your feet. We mean this in a literal way. Pick your feet up and walk proud, and get right to your work - don't procrastinate or let things drag up to the deadline, and then jump in to get it done in a fast flurry at the end. It makes your boss crazy. Gain a reputation for having your act together more so than the majority of people.
Be quiet and work. Quit gossiping and get to work. Your employer is not paying you to gossip. Of course, you want to establish a good rapport with your co-workers, and a little chatting is inevitable and desirable. But spending a half hour regaling your co-workers with your previous evening's adventures will not make your boss love you. When one of you is talking a lot, two of you are not working a lot. Note: if your boss walks by and two of you are talking, no big deal, but wrap up the conversation so that the boss won't see the same sight on her way back. The same goes for a group of you. If you are part of a group who is talking when the boss walks by, discreetly excuse yourself to return to your area after a few seconds. If your boss hears that you are gossiping behind their backs or planning a secret meeting to approach your boss is not the solution. This may just make you look like a instigator or conspirer.
Always be productive. Don't let paper sit on your desk for days on end. Get the work done and move on to the next thing as quickly as possible.
Dress appropriately for your job.
Hold your head high and be confident. A calm, assured energy will take you much farther than carrying yourself in a hunched up ball.
Volunteer or be active in projects to get the job done. Don't worry about who gets credit - your boss knows much more than you think. Be a team player. In addition, volunteering allows you to choose the part you will play. If you don't choose, chances are it will be chosen for you. Either way, you'll be responsible for some facet, so be one of the first to step forward when you can.
Don't spend a lot of time on personal phone calls. Work is for work. Keep cell phones in your locker and limit personal calls on work phones to emergencies.
Use the last 15-20 minutes of your shift. People notice who runs to the clock out stations prior to shift end. One of the best uses of this time is to organize your work space for tomorrow. Take a moment to put away loose papers, sweep, wipe down surfaces, and locate things you'll need.
Offer junior employees guidance and encouragement. Offer to show them the ropes or offer training tips. Remember how it felt to be the newbie. Be a mentor. If you are not sure someone understood something, be willing to ask if they need assistance. Don't do the work for them, teach them instead. Be careful what you say to new employees; don't air your grievances, frustrations, or interpersonal conflicts. Don't gossip.
Acceptance is the Key. Don't argue a lot, your company's policies is what your boss has to follow. So if you found something wrong, try to understand your boss's perspective, but without arguing. Use a good and quiet way to understand the problem point. You may just realize that things happen for a reason and not necessarily for a season. Policies are implemented for reasons of the good of the whole.
Be appreciative, always say thank you whenever a boss or a co worker does something good to you, it will always motivate them to do more good to you.

The millionaire next door does a lot to get ahead, but you can be pretty sure the list excludes the following 20 points.
The millionaire next door does NOT:

Pay for Lawn Service – You could save $150 a month, get some healthy exercise and maybe even a bit of a tan just by mowing your own yard.
Go to a Hair Stylist – Even the cheapest barber shops charge men $15 - $20 for a haircut these days. If you’re a woman, it may cost well over $50 a visit. Dying your hair? You’re broke!
Use Time as a Measurement for Success – The millionaire next door measures success based on output quality, the results. The amount of time spent on something means nothing if the results do not meet the expectations.
Buy Brand New Cars – Why would anyone pay the full retail price worth half a year’s salary for the fastest depreciating assent on Earth? We are brainwashed!
Carry a Monthly Credit Card Balance – Carrying a monthly credit card balance only makes sense if you enjoy poverty. Monthly interest payments can add up to hundreds of dollars over the course of a year. Do not buy “stuff” right now that you cannot afford to pay for in cash right now!
Eat Out on a Regular Basis – With the recent price increases in corn, wheat and dairy products, preparing your own food is already expensive enough. If you eat out you will pay triple the price. If done on a regular basis you will waste a few thousand dollars a year.
Think He Knows It All – People who think they know it all stop learning and thus become unaware of new opportunities. Once you lose awareness, you lose.
Socialize with People Who Waste Money – The people you socialize with influence your habits. It is impossible to save money if you constantly hang around people who blow it all.
Desire Instant Gratification – You have to think long-term to attain long-term success. The millionaire next door desires long-term deferred compensation over instant gratification.
Pay Retail for Name Brand Clothing – You can easily save hundreds of dollars a year on clothing purchases by waiting for sales or shopping at discount retailers like Marshalls. Better yet, avoid name brand clothing all together.
Keep His Money in a Checking Account – If you want to increase your wealth you have to set your money up to make more money. Most checking accounts yield little to nothing in interest. Think long-term (5 years +). Invest in quality stocks, bonds and mutual funds, especially those with high yield dividends and interest. Or buy some land in an area with growth potential.
Replace What is Not Broken – The millionaire next door fixes things. Fixing something is usually significantly cheaper than buying a brand new replacement, especially if you fix it yourself.
Visit the Tanning Bed – $25 a month for skin cancer? Where do I sign up? If you want a tan, move to Florida. For those that live in Florida and still go to the tanning bed… WOW!
Impulse Buy – Impulse buying wastes money and leads to a cluttered house full of “stuff” you don’t need or use. If you see something you like at the mall, walk away. Think on it for a day or two. If it still holds value in your mind, maybe it’s worth buying. Never buy something the first time you see it.
Waste Time on Senseless Activities – They say time is money. In actuality, time is far more important than money. Time is your life. If you waste it, you will fail.
Focus His Attention on Negative Obstacles – If you focus all your attention on negative obstacles, you will lose sight of the finish line. You can’t get there if you can’t see it.
Bet The Farm – The millionaire next door takes evenly weighted, calculated risks on long term investments. If you go “all in”, you’re gambling, not investing.
Fly First-class – Would you pay $400 to sit in a leather chair for a couple of hours? That’s exactly what you do when you fly first class. Huge waste of money!
Rent – The millionaire next door has a long-term mindset. In the long-term, owning something is always more cost effective than renting it. The key is to purchase quality products for long-standing use.
Earn Every Dollar He Makes at His Day Job – Two words: Passive Income. You can be sure the millionaire next door invests his money wisely. These investments create a solid passive income stream that grows over time. If your money isn’t making you more money, you’ll never be wealthy.