Wednesday September 10, 2014
By HETAL DOSHI - SUHANA DASWANI
editor@mystarjob.com
Have you ever met someone at work who constantly seemed to win at work despite all odds? Have you ever wondered what their DNA was made of that allowed to be consistent winners? And have you ever wondered what was the most effective and efficient way of winning just as greatly if not better?
It is easy to talk the talk of winning, but it sure isn’t easy to walk the talk. First, let us define what the term 'winning' actually is.
Winning is the experience of small and big victories in the face of created or unexpected challenges and situations.
As we face obstacles in our careers, our belief in winning may become discouraged and our blame towards external variables may become heightened.
However, these really are stories we often tell ourselves to defend, compensate or excuse our losses. A great reminder during arduous times is that, there is always an opportunity to focus on what is within our control and how to still win.
We all have different definitions, goals, standards and expectations of winning, and we may not all want to win at the same endeavor.
However, there is one thing we all have in common in the space of work - all of us want to win and all of us want to win big.
Yet, achieving this in this era seems more challenging and more critical. Organisations, on the other hand, are tirelessly seeking out and forking out more for those with the potential to win big, today more than ever.
So, what does it take to win big?
Here are three ingredients that all winners, champions and legends in the workplace possess:
1) Attitude eats skill for breakfast!
Throughout my career, I have observed that the smartest or most skilled tend to have a strong head start.
However, it is typically the ones with the right attitude - the attitude to execute proactively, meet high quality standards and take ownership for both losses and successes - that tend to win.
This is why companies such as AirAsia place higher importance on attitude rather than skills and experience in their hiring process.
This belief that “attitude eats skills for breakfast” remains equally relevant in conquering promotions, salary increments, impossible timelines, difficult clients or bosses, team dysfunctions or unbeatable performance records.
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2) Refine Your Craft
China has become the biggest winners in the global economy today because of how quickly they learn and evolve. They are champions in refining their craft, or otherwise known as developing themselves.
Their typical modus operandi of understudying themselves and the numero unos in their league is for the sole purpose of outperforming themselves and their competition.
They remarkably compete and aim to stand out in cost, efficiency and consistency. This is a desired trait by many organisations out there, which can be termed as learning agility and professional development.
At work, it is of grave importance to not only learn from yourself and the very best but to apply this learning to constantly refine your capabilities and outperform yourself.
3) Reputation is King
As you begin to win big in the corporate world, your support system should begin to gain strength - and the only way to do this is through your reputation.
Your reputation is the sum of images that people have of you that determine whether they aim to support your success or sabotage it.
People are more likely to support and contribute to your success if they feel connected with you, if they feel like winners too, and if they can truly respect the values at which you carry out your successes.
As you climb that ladder of success, therefore, always be mindful about the importance of building a reputation that gains the trust and support of others. Winning numbers, money and performance is always a great thing; however, winning love and respect is truly the greater high.
I am aware that the word love is rarely spoken of in business, however, the power of love will always trump the love of power regardless of the context.
Yes, we are all born to be winners and we all could be convinced that we have the potential to win. However, that may never translate into reality if we just go with the flow. There are fundamental steps one must take to realise this dream of winning big.
Here’s wishing you lots of fun in your journey to consistent success across your career and life!
Hetal Doshi – Suhana Daswani is a professionally qualified organisational psychologist, certified professional coach, and the founder of O Psych Sdn Bhd, with an expertise in work performance, team dynamics and emotional intelligence. To get in touch with her, drop an email to editor@mystarjob.com.
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