SHILPA VOHRA

Have a Positive Attitude towards the job which you are now doing. Remember, it is your choice so, bloom where planted. Take pride in what you do.

If you project yourself as an enthusiastic person, who is willing to learn and is cheerful and easy to get along with people, your life will be more rewarding at the workplace.

All self-improvement starts with self-reflection. Know thyself is the starting point for all self improvement. You have to understand your strengths and weaknesses and understand the personality you need to develop to be successful.

The next step is to have specific short-term and long-term goals. The normal long-term goals for self-improvement relate to the following categories:

Career

Social status?

Education and training

Physical well being

Earning and saving

Your objectives will depend on your goals.

E.g. If your goal is to be promoted to office manager in two years, then your objectives will be:

Learn basic principles of office management

Receive good report from the boss

To train for your promotion, it is important that you take an inventory of your knowledge and skills. Check what you are lacking in and start building on the required skills.

The topmost reason that people fail in life is not because they don't have knowledge, education or skills, but because they are unable to fit in and get along with others. There are certain traits that are valued at workplace. You must strive to develop these qualities.

Cheerfulness - This is contagious. A cheerful atmosphere is a productive one. Co-workers will enjoy working with you. A cheerful worker energises others. Remind yourself to be more cheerful everyday as it will make you a more valuable employee.

Sense of humour - Most people appreciate a good sense of humour. If you cannot develop a good sense of humour, at least make a good effort to smile more often.

Tactfulness - Tact is the ability to do or say the right thing when dealing with people. Tact involves understanding other people's needs and wishes.

Some suggestions are given below:

Avoid confrontational language.

Watch your e-mail language. Bold face type, underlining, all caps can be interpreted as confrontational.

Never respond immediately when a response requires tact. Pause and determine the best way of designing a response.

Empathy - This is the ability to understand another person's emotion. If you develop empathy towards your co-workers, you will build a rapport with them.

Some of the negative traits to avoid are given below:

Resentment - If you harbour resentment towards your co-workers, you will constantly be grumbling and complaining. You will make the atmosphere unpleasant for all and lower the productivity of the group.

Self-pity - If you wish to fit in and get along with your colleagues, then dump your feeling of self-pity. You must stop talking continuously about your problem to others. Remember everyone has their own problems. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and try to be cheerful and positive.

4. Be a team player

The key to be a game player is to get along with others. Some of the personality traits, you need to develop are given below:

You have to be co-operative with your co-workers

You have to be polite. Positive body language and pleasant words are very important.

You have to learn to be more patient with your co-workers.

You have to be more enthusiastic about your work.

You have to be dependable. Teamwork is based on people counting on you.

Loyalty towards your organisation is important for success on the job.

You must be able to build a positive self-esteem for others.