So what are the qualities of a great employee?

How does an employee hit the sweet spot with co-workers?

How to impress the boss?

Is there any fun involved, while striving to be that EXCEPTIONAL EMPLOYEE?

I say YES!

When it comes to striking a rapport with the co-workers or creating the right impression for the boss, there are some very unusual yet easy to develop traits one can look out for! In my view, there are certain traits that all the high-performing employees should strive for in their work, like being self-directed, productive and a team player.

Yet, over the years, I have discovered a few decidedly out-of-the-box job attributes that can help take a person’s job performance from good to remarkably great. The adjustments are small but they might just make you stand out from the crowd at work, and help make your boss’ life easier, which is undoubtedly a posotive thing. And trust me, they are so much fun all the way.

The traits are:

Write Short Emails

Well, a three sentenced email to be precised! Yes it is possible. You can always flush out the fluff and keep only the most essential points. It saves your time and it saves the reader’s time. Whenever I get a long email from an employee or a co-worker, I ask myself if things could have been expressed more concisely. It’s great to see that he or she cares enough to have spent the time composing it, but is all the information absolutely essential? Could a few more sentences have been eliminated? Time is often a boss’s most valuable commodity. Rather than sending long emails, save more substantial communication for a phone call or meeting, and practice writing shorter than short emails.

Write Short Emails

Bring Out That OCD in You

For employees looking to take their performance to the next level, there’s a not-so-subtle lesson here. Pay detailed attention to the small stuff, small print and small happenings. Basically, sweat the small stuff! For any business, small glitches can be major disasters waiting to happen. At a company, with hundreds of employees and over a million users, a minor copyright issue, improperly executed email campaign or even what seems like a small technical glitch can end up affecting a lot of clients in a short period of time. An employee who can be trusted to catch such small errors truly begins to stand out among the crowd. You know what I mean here, right? PAY ATTENTION to SMALLEST of the details around you, and strive for perfection in them! Be the OCD if you have to!

Bring Out That OCD in You

Walk Out Of A Meeting (And No I Am Not Out of My Mind!)

I love it when employees walk out of a group meetings. Why? Meetings are, by nature, inefficient. Some agenda items are resolved in minutes while others run on for what seems like forever. Topics that are critical for some group members might be completely irrelevant to others. The solution: Stand up and excuse yourself when you’re no longer gaining value. Bosses would rather have the employees making good use of their time than sitting around politely listening to information they can’t use. Now, not all bosses are going to see things this way. But to the right boss; the productivity seeker who’s always looking for ways to boost efficiency; this tactic can speak volumes.

Walk Out Of A Meeting

Learn To Treat Up The Downers 

Treat the janitor or floor-keeper better than your boss.  Various people sitting at high-level roles in a company, who are personable and courteous to their managers are downright rude to IVth graders in the organisation. The ability to work well with others; not just your boss; but especially those who are in small time roles such as house keeping and pantry, is a skill that’s critical in any role. Bosses, sometimes are constantly assessing how the employees treat co-workers, clients, subordinates and even strangers. Civility, courtesy and genuine caring are the traits bosses often value highly because they lead to a more harmonious, productive team. Leave the ego at the door. Make a rapport with the co-workers and juniors around you.

Learn To Treat Up The Downers

Fail At Something (Yes, It’s Not Bad At All)

There are two types of failure; failure due to incompetence and failure due to ambition. A good boss recognizes the difference between the two and respects employees who fail for the latter reason. I personally have great admiration for people who bite off more than they can chew, who take on projects that may be too big or too ambitious. And I don’t hold it against them should things not turn out as planned. Without risk, after all, it’s hard for any company to move forward. Steve Jobs knew this well. While Apple is revered for the iPhone and MacBook, less remembered are the products that fell totally flat, like the Apple Lisa, the Apple III and the Power Mac G4 cube. A good boss knows that failure and innovation are two sides of the same coin.

Fail At Something

It’s important to keep in mind that while following these suggestions might impress some bosses, not all bosses are made from the same mould. Therefore, these tricks should be applied judiciously; especially if you work in a more conservative or regulated industry.

Having said that, great bosses know that empowered, not fearful, employees are a key to success. Here’s hoping that you’re lucky enough to work at a company that supports people with the courage to take (informed) risks; especially when they have the best interests of the business in mind. That is when your job becomes fun!

Happy working to you!

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Our bodies have a language of their own, and their words aren’t always kind!

Your body language has likely become an integral part of who you are, to the point where you might not even think about it. Bodies act on their own, and give outward signals of what it desires. It happens with most of us, unless you are an expert on controlling your body language.

If you are not, it’s time to start, because you could be sabotaging your career, because unspoken signals have strong powers of communication and they monitor the body language accordingly.

Here are some usual body language goof ups that people make in office, and emotionally intelligent people are careful enough to avoid: 

Slouching (A Serious Sign of Disrespect)

If you continuously slouch while in a meeting or sitting in front of your boss, It communicates that you’re bored and have no desire to be where you are. You would never tell your boss, “I don’t understand why I have to listen to you,” but if you slouch, you don’t have to say that —your body says it for you, loud and clear.

The brain is hardwired to equate power with the amount of space you take up. Standing or sitting up straight with your shoulders back is a power position. It maximizes the amount of space you fill. Slouching, on the other hand, is the result of collapsing your form—it takes up less space and projects less power.

Maintaining good posture commands respect and promotes engagement from both ends of the conversation.

Slouching (A Serious Sign of Disrespect)

Exaggerated Hand and Body Gestures

A lot of quick hand movements can imply that you’re stretching the truth. Aim for small, controlled gestures to indicate leadership and confidence, and open gestures, like spreading your arms apart or showing the palms of your hands, to communicate that you have nothing to hide. Exaggerated nodding signals anxiety about approval. People may perceive your heavy nods as an attempt to show you agree with or understand something that you actually don’t.

Exaggerated Hand and Body Gestures

Continually Watching the Clock

If you keep staring the clock or your wrist watch while talking to someone, it is a clear sign of disrespect, impatience, and inflated ego. It sends the message that you have better things to do than talk to the person you’re with, and that you’re anxious to leave them.

Leaning or Looking Away From the Person

Turning yourself away from others, or not leaning into your conversation, portrays that you are disengaged, uninterested, uncomfortable, and perhaps even distrustful of the person speaking. Try leaning in towards the person who is speaking and tilt your head slightly as you listen to them speak. This shows the person speaking that they have your complete focus and attention. Avoiding eye contact also makes it look like you have something to hide, and that arouses suspicion. Lack of eye contact can also indicate a lack of confidence and interest, which you never want to communicate in a business setting. Try to make a pleasant and constant eye contact.

Leaning or Looking Away From the Person

Crossed Arms And Crossed Legs

Crossed limbs in front of your body are the physical barriers that suggest you’re not open to what the other person is saying. Even if you’re smiling or engaged in a pleasant conversation, the other person may get a nagging sense that you’re shutting him or her out, or you are trying to hide something. Even if folding your arms feels comfortable, resist the urge to do so if you want people to see you as open-minded and interested in what they have to say.

Crossed Arms And Crossed Legs

Disapproving Facial Expressions

Inconsistency between your words and your facial expression causes people to sense that something isn’t right and they begin to suspect that you’re trying to deceive them, even if they don’t know exactly why or how. For example, a nervous smile while rejecting an offer during a negotiation won’t help you get what you want; it will just make the other person feel uneasy about working with you because they’ll assume that you’re up to something.

Disapproving Facial Expressions

Some other very common body language signals that you need to control in office:

Fidgeting with or fixing your hair: It conveys that you’re anxious, over-energized, self-conscious, distracted and overly concerned with your physical appearance instead of job at hand.

Constantly looking down as you talk:  Clear signs of lack of confidence or being self-conscious, causing your words to lose their effect. It’s especially important to keep your eyes level if you’re making complicated or important points.

Intense Stare: Eye contact that’s too intense may be perceived as aggressive, or an attempt to dominate.

Rolling the eyes: A fail-proof way to communicate a lack of respect.

Scowling or having a generally unhappy expression: It sends the message that you’re upset by those around you, even if they have nothing to do with your mood.

Weak or overtly strong handshakes: A weak handshake signal that you lack authority and confidence, while a handshake that is too strong could be perceived as an aggressive attempt at domination, which is just as bad. Adapt your handshake to each person and situation, but make sure it’s always firm.

Standing too close to someone: It signals that you have no respect for or understanding of personal space. This will make people very uncomfortable when they’re around you.

The Crux of The Matter

Smiling is one constructive body sign that suggests that you’re open, trustworthy, confident, and friendly. Studies have shown that the human brain responds favorably to a person who’s smiling, and this leaves a lasting positive impression.

Well, avoiding these body language blunders will help you form stronger relationships, both professionally and personally.

If you can think of any other such body language blunders, please do share with

The post These Destructive Body Language Signs Can Definitely Ruin Your Career! appeared first on Youngisthan.in.

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.

The post Good Working Experience Does Not Determine An Exceptional Employee! These Attributes Do! appeared first on Youngisthan.in.