Can You Advance Without Becoming a Workaholic?

workaholicYour boss spends at least one day out of the weekend in the office. Or your boss is on the job till 7 pm most nights. Does this make you think, “I have to do the same if I’m going to succeed!” Maybe not everyone thinks that way, but I sure did! One of my bosses was in the office every Saturday. And nearly every evening, he was there when I left. I started to think that this was what was expected of me. But I had a family, and kids still at home, I wasn’t sure this was really what I wanted to do.

I decided to mention it to my boss. I wove it into the conversation when we were talking about someone junior to me. He mentioned that he didn’t think this particular employee was dedicated to his job. So I asked him to tell me what he meant when he said “dedicated to his job.” Did he expect overtime? Working on weekends? To my surprise, and relief, he told me that he didn’t expect long hours, and certainly not weekend job responsibilities. He did those things because his family lived in another city and it was easy for him to spend long hours at work. Instead, he wanted to see passion in his employees. He said,“people who work for this company should have a real desire for their work, and demonstrate value.”

So what is expected of most employees? How do you get ahead, without dedicating your life to your organization? Here are some tips from career coaches.

Be engaged. If you are engaged, you’re part of the solution. How can you help? Your attitude shows through and more people want to be around you.

Be a person who takes action. Have you ever been in a meeting where someone keeps telling you, “it won’t work.” It drives you crazy, doesn’t it? Instead of saying it won’t work, try coming up with a solution. You take ownership. Demonstrate the creative problem solving skills you have.

Work smarter. Long hours don’t necessarily mean you are more productive. Take a minute to think through your project and see if there are overlapping areas that aren’t necessary. That’s what business process re-engineering is all about. Companies and organizations start fresh. They look at a process and determine what activity is no longer productive. Working smarter means planning your time more effectively.

Focus on relationships. Advancement rarely happens in a silo. Instead, managers what to know that the relationships you’ve built are solid. It’s important that people who work for you think highly of you. And in building relationships, you never know what gems of knowledge you’re going to uncover.

Take on new challenges. Do you hide from new projects? Instead of thinking of the work that new projects entail, think about how, if done right, that new project might just help you learn new skills – skills that will be important to the business as you move forward.

Think Big. Instead of being mired in the details, think about how you can achieve more. If you’re going through a checklist, you’re probably thinking of tasks. Look at the big picture instead, and come up with ideas that might grow the business.

When it comes right down to it, the one thing that separates successful people from others is the smart decisions they’ve made – not the hours they’ve spent on the job.

More successful employees result in a more productive organization. Does your organization need help with career development? Leah M. Joppy & Associates provides training at all levels. Give us a call at 301-670-0051 and let’s discuss your needs.