How to be professional… Workplaces can be full of all types of thinking, both good and bad. The challenge with over 75% of the national workforce being unhappy at their current jobs comes when you see how that spirals out throughout the workplace dynamic/culture. So how do you protect yourself and remain professional in a world that has a large percentage of disengaged workers? I suggest two things. One, if you do not hold the target, the arrow will be less likely to come your way. That is to say, your integrity is what you have going into and leaving a job, guard it and don’t open yourself up to the engagement of counter-productive activity. Two, focus on facts and quality within your workplace, and the specifics of your job. Don’t get distracted. Facts and quality are solid. Regardless of workplace politics facts and quality are two items that will support your integrity day in and day out. The bottom line here is people on average don’t enjoy a negative atmosphere, but do often participate in it. So note to self, you can’t change what you feed.
What Are You Focused On?
“Whenever you want to achieve something, keep your eyes open, concentrate and make sure you know exactly what it is you want. No one can hit their target with their eyes closed.” ~ Paulo Coelho So many of my clients, and myself at times, face the challenge of lending our precious time and focus on what we don’t want. We gravitate towards what annoys us, bugs us, makes us nuts, instead of what we want. What we give our time and attention to is what grows for us. So if we are focusing on crap we don’t enjoy or like even a little, that is what we will grow. So obviously the converse is when we focus on what we want, that is the path we’ll go down. This is not permission or a recommendation to go down a road of not doing things you don’t like. Especially if you are currently getting paid to do so. It is rather a recommendation to start, wherever you are, to do what you are being paid to do well without engaging in the negative response that may pop into your head about it. Example, you hate your job. Don’t stew on all the things you hate about it. Do your job as the professional you are, but also focus and develop, on your off time, what you do want. As you do so you are more likely to identify those same qualities, no matter how small in your current environment which makes it much more tolerable until you move up and/or out. I promise you your day will be much better if at lunch, on a break and/or after work you are focusing on what you want and planning to make it happen. Eventually the scales will tip from what you don’t want to having what you do want.
Focus
I’ll keep this post short and sweet. Your future depends on your present focus. For example if you are focusing your time and energy hating your job, you are not focusing your time and energy on finding a better one. I am not saying quit your job without a plan or a new job. I am saying while at your current job focus on the positives and use the negatives to up your focus on what you do want. Use the negative to hone in on what you want to move towards. This applies in management as well. Stop focusing on your employees weaknesses and start utilizing their strengths.
Problems or Solutions
Are you focused on problems or solutions? It doesn’t take a genius, when you think about it, to determine which focus will leave you more productive, more relaxed and happier in general.