Whether you are an employer, or an employee, you must read what follows.
If you are an employer, do you think you have a team of exceptional employees?
The employees who consistently find ways to add value to the assigned tasks and make a difference. What level of performance do these employees deliver?
What success attributes these employees have?
If you are an employee, do you think you have that extra edge that will make you stand out of the rest? Or you think the vast experience that you hold is enough for you to be the right candidate for the job and perform reasonably good?
An Employee
We are sometimes confused that because we have done a task, job or role before, that makes us the best choice for our job. As we look at our existing employees and at anyone who we are considering bringing into the organization, we must look into, not only the experience, but other effective traits the person must have, and the values and beliefs they have that will guide them to succeed in their respective roles in the organization.
Understanding and determining these effective traits will help the employers also to assess the employment candidates in a better manner and also to guide the management as to how to develop each employee later, to perform at their best abilities.
For the employees this can be a guide to improving themselves, while working in an organisation, or before presenting their candidature for a prospective job interview.
One important point to be noted before we discuss the effective traits of outstanding employees is that all these attributes are a matter of choice and not the inborn habits. These can easily be inculcated or adapted if one chooses to get noticed for exceptional performance. People who perform extra are not bribed through incentives, or threatened into performance. They choose it because it comes from the inside out, it comes from who they choose to be and how they choose to show up to the events of their lives, including work.
The 4 distinctive traits that an outstanding employee must possess are, what you will read now.
Show-up: No Matter What
Exceptional employees must know themselves. They must identify their own talents, strengths, passions and values; they must be self-aware. They should pay detailed attention to what they are tending to. They must understand their world and environment, and act accordingly. Strong presence of mind helps to show up for all the situations, including those which are not just run-of-the-mill, but demand an effective course of action. Being present and attentive to the information always helps. When you show-up, you must show-up in body, as well as in mind!
Show up – No matter what happens
Step-up: To Every Task In Hand
Being a great worker involves a lot of improvisation. You have to step-up from what is expected of you. Own your work. Understand the performance expectations of your manager or boss and deliver a step ahead of it. You must act smart. Take charge of the situation and self too. Be accountable for your own actions, performance and results thereof. You should not be told to do things that can bring great results.
Step-up: To Every Task In Hand
Speak-up: For Self and Other Rights Around
Know what you stand for and use your voice to offer ideas, create possibilities, take advantage of opportunities and challenge things that need challenging. Know, understand and live your values; you must be courageous enough to say what needs to be said. Defend others who need to be defended and cannot do for selves. Commit to what is right. Remember, you don’t need the title of leader to act like a leader.
Speak-up: For Self and Other Rights Around
Stand Out: With Your Own Performance Standards
Outstanding performers don’t settle for usual. They have a personal standard of excellence that is present both in and out of work. When they do things, they go beyond; they encourage and expect the same from others. If you wish to be the one who stands out naturally, you have to lay down your own performance standards, which ahead of the usual. Regular remains regular, EXTRA has to have something extra.
Stand Out: With Your Own Performance Standards
So these were the imperative attributes one must own if the aspiration is to be that shinning performer year after year. The one thing to notice here is that the key to success with each habit is CHOICE and the awareness that employees own their performance, impact and achievements henceforth. Until you own your habits, until you make sensible choices, simply identifying an effective trait will not translate into performance.
We must be performance owner too!
For the employers and managers, these are the keys to building and developing a team of employees that constantly adds value and makes a difference.
