9 Sensational Traits of Highly Promotable Employees

What criteria do you use when promoting employees? See if your list of qualities matches this one.

One of the most common questions employees ask is, “What can I do to get promoted?”

It makes sense: Often employees assume there is a key initiative, a specific action, a high-visibility project, or a critical role they should take on…and if they do, a promotion is just about guaranteed.

Maybe that is sometimes true. Maybe that’s how you make promotion decisions.

 

 

Dharmesh Shah, co-founder of HubSpot (No. 666 on the 2013 Inc. 5000), takes a different approach. Dharmesh focuses on the employee’s attitude.

His reasoning is simple. Attitude informs action. Attitude informs behavior. Attitude is the driving force behind every achievement, every accomplishment, and every success.

Attitude, where performance and therefore advancement is concerned, is everything.

 

Click here to learn the 9 traits of highly promotable employees.

 

  1. Are humble, not arrogant.

Humble people ask questions. Humble people ask for help.  Humble people automatically share credit because they instinctively realize that every effort, no matter how seemingly individual, is actually a team effort.  Humble people are willing to take on any job, no matter how menial, because they realize no job is beneath them…and in the process, they prove that no job is above them.  Ultimately, success is not limited by how high you can stretch but by how low you are willing to bend.

 

  1. Are servants, not self-serving.

Great teammates make everyone around them better. Great leaders focus on providing the tools and training and culture to help their employees do their jobs better–and to achieve their own goals.

Great companies serve their customers first; they know that by serving their customers they ultimately serve the interests of their business.  The employee only in it for himself will someday be by himself. The employee in it for others may not get all the limelight…but the right people definitely notice.

 

  1. Are optimistic, not pessimistic.

Optimists add energy to a situation or meeting or business; pessimists drain away energy. Optimists try more things and take more (intelligent) risks simply because they’re focused on what can go right. Pessimists never get started because they’re too busy thinking about what might go wrong.

 

  1. Think execution, not just planning.

Planning is definitely important, but too many shelves are filled with strategies that were never implemented.  The best employees develop an idea, create a strategy, set up a basic operational plan…and then execute, adapt, execute, revise, execute, refine, and make incredible things happen based on what works in practice, not in theory.

Success starts with strategy but ultimately ends with execution.

 

  1. Think forever, not one day.

Real leadership isn’t short-lived. Real leaders are able to consistently inspire, motivate, and make people feel better about themselves than they may even think they have a right to feel. Real leaders are the kind of people you follow not because you have to…but because you want to.  Other people will follow a real leader anywhere. And they’ll follow a real leader forever because she has a knack for making you feel you aren’t actually following–wherever you’re going, you feel like you’re going there together.  Creating that level of respect, that degree of trust, and that type of bond takes time. Great employees consider not just the short-term but also the long-term–and then act accordingly.  And in time, are placed in positions where they can truly influence the long-term success of their team, their unit, and their company.

 

  1. Are volunteers, not draftees.

They volunteer for extra tasks. They volunteer for responsibility before responsibility is delegated. They volunteer to train or mentor new employees. They offer to help people who need help–and even those who don’t.  Why is that important? Volunteering demonstrates leadership aptitude. Leaders are proactive, and proactive people don’t wait to be told what to do.

 

  1. Are self-aware, not selfish.

Self-aware people understand themselves, and that awareness helps them understand the people around them. Self-aware people are more empathetic. They are more accepting of the weaknesses and failures of others because they know how it feels to fail.  And they can lead with empathy, compassion, and kindness because they know how it feels to be treated with disregard, disdain, and scorn. They do everything they can to help others reach their goals, because they know how it feels to fall short.

Self-aware people solve for the team, the organization, and the customer–not just for themselves.  Every organization needs self-aware people in key roles. (What is a key role? Every role.)

 

  1. Are adaptable, not rigid.

Things constantly change in high-growth companies. Inflexible people tend to grow uncomfortable with too much change and consciously–even unconsciously–try to slow things down.

 

Anyone can follow guidelines and procedures. Great employees are willing, even eager, to change. Great employees respond to new circumstances and new challenges with excitement, not hesitation. Employees willing to adapt and adjust tend to advance more quickly because that is what every company–especially a high-growth company–desperately needs. Otherwise, growth will be a thing of the past and not the future.

 

  1. Are teachers, not truant officers.

The best people like to teach. They don’t hoard knowledge; they spread it. They share what they know.  A truant officer’s job is to make sure people show up. A teacher’s job is to make sure people learn.  Besides, truant officers tend to give “advice.” Do this. Don’t do that. Go here. Don’t go there.

 

A teacher gives knowledge. A teacher helps other people gain experience, gain wisdom, gain insight. A teacher willingly and happily gives other people tools they can use.

In the process a teacher builds teams.  And a teacher advances because a true team builder is a rare and precious gem.

 

Source: Adapted from an Inc. Article By Jeff Haden

Contributing editor, Inc.

 

8 Things That Set Truly Confident People Apart

Successful people often exude confidence—it’s obvious that they believe in themselves and what they’re doing. It isn’t their success that makes them confident, however. The confidence was there first.

Think about it:

  • Doubt breeds doubt. Why would anyone believe in you, your ideas, or your abilities if you didn’t believe in them yourself?
  • It takes confidence to reach for new challenges.  People who are fearful or insecure tend to stay within their comfort zones. But comfort zones rarely expand on their own. That’s why people who lack confidence get stuck in dead-end jobs and let valuable opportunities pass them by.
  • Unconfident people often feel at the mercy of external circumstances.  Successful people aren’t deterred by obstacles, which is how they rise up in the first place.

No one is stopping you from what you want to accomplish but yourself. It’s time to remove any lingering self-doubt. With proper guidance and hard work, anyone can become more confident. Embracing the following behaviors of truly confident people will help get you there.

  1. They Take an Honest Look at Themselves

True confidence is firmly planted in reality. To grow your confidence, it’s important to do an honest and accurate self-assessment of your abilities. If there are weaknesses in your skill set, make plans for strengthening these skills and find ways to minimize their negative impact. Ignoring your weaknesses or pretending they’re strengths won’t make them go away. Likewise, having a clear understanding of your strengths enables you to shake off some of the more groundless feedback and criticism you can get in a busy, competitive work environment—and that builds confidence.

  1. They Don’t Seek Attention 

Confident people always seem to bring the right attitude.

Confident people are masters of attention diffusion. When they’re receiving attention for an accomplishment, they quickly shift the focus to all the people who worked hard to help get them there. They don’t crave approval or praise because they draw their self-worth from within.

  1. They Seek Out Small Victories

Confident people tend to challenge themselves and compete, even when their efforts yield small victories. Small victories build new androgen receptors in the areas of the brain responsible for reward and motivation. When you have a series of small victories, the boost in your confidence can last for months.

  1. They Speak With Certainty 

It’s rare to hear the truly confident utter phrases such as “Um,” “I’m not sure,” and “I think.” Confident people speak assertively because they know that it’s difficult to get people to listen to you if you can’t deliver your ideas with conviction.

  1. They Exercise

A study conducted at the Eastern Ontario Research Institute found that people who exercised twice a week for 10 weeks felt more competent socially, academically, and athletically. They also rated their body image and self-esteem higher. Best of all, rather than the physical changes in their bodies being responsible for the uptick in confidence, it was the immediate, endorphin-fueled positivity from exercise that made all the difference.

  1. They Dress for Success

Like it or not, how we dress has a huge effect on how people see us. Things like the color, cut, and style of the clothes we wear—and even our accessories—communicate loudly. But the way we dress also affects how we see ourselves. Studies have shown that people speak differently when they’re dressed up compared to when they’re dressed casually. To boost your confidence, dress well. Choose clothing that reflects who you are and the image you want to project, even if that means spending more time at the mall and more time getting ready in the morning.

  1. They Are Assertive, Not Aggressive

Aggressiveness isn’t confidence; it’s bullying. And when you’re insecure, it’s easy to slip into aggressiveness without intending to. Practice asserting yourself without getting aggressive (and trampling over someone else in the process). You won’t be able to achieve this until you learn how to keep your insecurities at bay, and this will increase your confidence.

  1. They Get Right with the Boss

A troubled relationship with the boss can destroy even the most talented person’s confidence. It’s hard to be confident when your boss is constantly criticizing you or undermining your contributions. Try to identify where the relationship went wrong and decide whether there’s anything you can do to get things back on track. If the relationship is truly unsalvageable, it may be time to move on to something else.

In summary…

Your confidence is your own to develop or undermine. It’s the steadfast knowledge that goes beyond simply “hoping for the best.” It ensures that you’ll get the job done—that’s the power of true confidence.

 

Source: Dr. Travis Bradberry’s Coauthor EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE 2.0

Article dated Dec 18, 2018

6 Tips to Deal with A Workaholic Boss

Having a workaholic boss often means working long hours and sacrificing personal time to meet all the demands. Forget about having any work-life balance — for workaholics, work is life. You can’t change your boss,  but you can take steps to deal with the demands:

  1. Avoid notorious workplaces. Do your research to find an organization in line with your views of work-life balance.
  2. Set your own boundaries… Don’t be afraid to share your work philosophy with your boss to help establish boundaries.
  3. … and stick to them. If you decide to go in over a weekend to finish up a project, make sure your boss knows this is an exception, not an expectation.
  4. Acknowledge, then negotiate. If a deadline is too tight acknowledge the request and then work to find a compromise.
  5. Find the right balance. If weekend work is unavoidable, make it part of your schedule so it doesn’t disrupt your personal and family time too much.
  6. Show your sacrifice. If you have to skip out on family or personal time for work, let your boss know and work to find a compromise that won’t interrupt your life.

The key is to coexist with your boss. You can’t change their approach to work, but you can manage your expectations to ensure a successful collaboration.

“Most people chase success at work, thinking that will make them happy. The truth is that happiness at work will make you successful.” – Alexander Kjerulf

Adapted from CNN Business.

6 Ways to Speak Like You Mean It

Repetition can be a useful communication tool, but if you find that you constantly needing to repeat yourself, your communication style may be to blame. By following the six part “speak like you mean it” framework you can spend less time repeating yourself, and more time on what matters.

  1. Be authentic. Be true to who you are when you communicate.
  2. Be clear. Think about the recipient, is your message clear to them?
  3. Use influence. What does your message mean for your team? Keep it relevant and influential to what’s going on now.
  4. Inspire. When your team member feels it, they’re more likely to be part of it.
  5. Use physical and vocal energy. Your body language and tone help you connect with your message recipient.
  6. Bring the conversation to life. Stories, anecdotes, and metaphors make the conversation more relatable.

By using this framework, you can get your message across most effectively. Staying on the same page with your team takes work, but speaking like you mean it can make things easier!

“If you aren’t authentic and people don’t feel that you’re being real, it’s a little bit like a dart hitting a dartboard, but there’s no point on it… you can’t connect with somebody who’s not real.”
— Melissa Gordon

Adapted from Leadercast.

Are Leaders Supposed to be Optimists, Realists, or Pessimists?

The answer is… Yes! The key is knowing when to be which.

In some circumstances a leader must be a grim-faced pessimist, while in others it requires being a cheery-faced optimist. How do you know which -ist to be? Here four easy guidelines to get you started!

Number 4: A leader must be a pessimist when…
… making financial forecasts in a challenging season.
Any leader who has led through tough times will tell you the first step to stop the bleeding is by taking a worst-case scenario approach to budgeting.

Number 3: A leader must be a realist when…
… developing the team.
Nothing will crush the spirit of a rising leader quite like giving them too much responsibility too soon. Effective leaders must be realistic when it comes to each team member’s potential, and design their development plan accordingly.

Number 2: A leader must be an idealist when…
… Casting vision.
Effective leaders embrace the ideals of their organization’s mission and vision and communicate them with authentic passion.

Number 1: A leader must be an optimist when
… building a healthy culture.
When the going gets tough, it’s the leader’s job to remind the team that, together, things are going to get better. The mission is worth pursuing, and success will come.

Effective leadership requires being a combination of pessimistic, realistic, idealistic, or optimistic. As a leader you can develop the skills to know when to be which!

 

“Often times success doesn’t come from strength, but from flexibility and adaptability”  — Debasish Mridha MD

3 Tips to Reduce Tension Across the Generational Divide

Generational differences are real and can result in real tension on your team. While everyone may have the same goal in mind, growing up in vastly different times means team members will come up with different approaches to the same problems. Let’s take a look at some of the tips you can use to reduce tensions and successfully lead across generations:

  1. Avoid pigeonholing. The majority of differences among employees are not driven by generation, but by their unique personalities. Get to know each team member as an individual instead of simply focusing on the year they were born. As a leader you can focus on their individual needs, rather than generational stereotypes.
  2. Examine your style vs their expectations. If you feel resistance from an employee who is much older or much younger than you, it’s possible they have legitimate concerns because your style is different from how they expect things to be done. Address these differences head-on, and help your team understand the reason you lead the way you do.
  3. Tap into your empathy. Sometimes resistance isn’t about your leadership style. An older employee might be reacting to the youth of their peers because it reminds them they have been passed on their career track. A younger employee might be responding to the perception of the organization as being slow and rigid. Be empathetic to how difficult this can be, and work with your team to handle the emotional backlash.

One thing you can count on is that, regardless of age, everyone wants to be valued. Start by engaging each person in a conversation that demonstrates you are interested in their thoughts. When most people know their voices are being heard, they will help build the bridge that crosses any divide.

“We all require and want respect.” – Aretha Franklin