PATIENCE IS KEY

Being in the highly competitive society, one would always stop and consider on whether is one doing well compared to other peers. You get competitive or would feel unjust when one person who have graduated with you has attained a higher position in her individual’s career. You start to wonder if your career progression is too slow.

At times, you wonder if what you are doing is enough or whether are you in the right company who recognizes your effort enough? Generally, the higher your expectations, the greater the fall when it is not met.

Generally, it is important you enjoy the journey and not the destination. We should all learn to appreciate the small progression and strides we make during the climb of the corporate ladder. Because no matter how fast your peer’s progression is, it takes time and it will consist of multiple attempts and failures.

PATIENCE IS GOOD WHEN YOU HELP IN PROCRESS IMPROVEMENTS

When you feel that the current system is too slow or too many steps, and you seek to create process improvement, this is good, and this can help you with your career progression. Let your impatience question process that are inefficient and ineffective, be it whether your direct change or you could engage a productive conversation with someone involved to make it more effective at work.

PATIENT IS BAD WHEN YOU ARE IMPATIENT WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES

Doing follow up to remind your colleagues on tasks they need to complete is good, if you are not a nag. People generally do not like working with people who are impatient and are constantly sending chasers for an update.

As much as you want to attain your deliverables, you should plan your deliverables where there is enough time for your co-workers to do something and communicate to them on when is the deadline. If there is no submission, then should proceed to enquire and follow up.

PATIENT IS GOOD WHEN IT MAKES YOU PROACTIVE

If your colleagues are not able to deliver what they are expected to, it will be good if you focus on what you can do and help in comparison to when you are waiting for the deliverables, which in turn affect your performance.

It is also good if you are eager to help another colleague out as well, when you know the other colleague has a lot of tasks assigned. Being proactive helps you to learn and progress as an individual. It makes you constantly challenge yourself, and eventually lead to a better you.

It really reflects well if you go ahead and ask your manager on whether are there anymore responsibilities you can take to learn and progress with the Company, instead of asking your manager on when would your next promotion be.

PATIENCE IS BAD WHEN YOU ARE PROGRESSING WHEN YOU ARE NOT READY

You must set reasonable targets, because there is no way of getting a progression when you are merely 6 months into the job, or getting a pay raise. You might have heard from your other peers that they have attained the progression, but you must remind yourself that you must EARN the progression by showing you are ready to progress into the new role.

It is most definitely better when you take on the role only when you are ready, if not you will just be taking the role with more responsibilities and not be able to deliver to your stakeholders.

The BAD boss

Sometimes, we all need a wake up call. If you are a boss or a manager leading a group of employees, read on to find out if any points are of relevance to you. If there are, you had better change it.

So many of the times, while talking to candidates moving from one company to another – it is obvious that management plays a big part in attracting as well as retaining employees.

Disrespectful Bosses

Being of a managerial level does not make you superior. Your title does not give you the superiority status, and if you want people to respect you – you just have got to earn their respect. If you think having the title make you superior, then you obviously do not deserve the title. 

Everyone is working really to get paid and are not begging you to get employment so everyone in the company, regardless of title deserves the fair share amount of respect. If you respect your bosses more than your colleagues, then you should also be doing your fair share of reflection.

This includes your inappropriate humour as well, about your other colleagues. Be sure to check with them on whether they are affected by your jokes about them.

Unreceptive Bosses

If you think your suggestions are the brightest and most feasible, and other suggestions provided by others have their shortcomings and you are their harshest critics, you might want to think again.

Besides, it can be quite annoying when you keep boasting about how you have climbed the hierarchy and you might appear stupid when people question how feasible your suggestions really are.

Micro managers AND Lazy Bosses

The reasons why we dislike bosses who micro manage are self-explanatory. But what is worse is not a micro manager but a lazy boss who always pushes the blame to employees when certain tasks and responsibilities are not done well, when it should have been his duty to oversee things.

Bad role models

Ever had a boss who stress the importance of punctuality, but is always late? Why should I be early, when you are always late too. Why should you be expecting things on people when you are unable to fulfil the requirement? If the policy is important, should you not advocate this yourself?

How to deal with negative colleagues?

Experiencing negativity in the workplace can be challenging. It can become distracting and pull focus away from goals and responsibilities, or create so much drama in its wake that the whole working environment becomes toxic. Other than avoiding these toxic colleagues completely, is there anything else that can be done? There are situations when different people have to work together and it can be mutually harmful if such negativity isn’t handled appropriately and professionally.

EMBRACE POSITIVITY AND ENCOURAGE IT IN OTHERS

We all know the mean-spirited and highly-competitive colleagues can be the trickiest to work with, especially when they are constantly putting people down in order to feel better about the job at hand. The way to counter this is not to have a difficult and awkward confrontation, but instead channel good thoughts and embrace positivity in the self. Remember that not everyone has the same perspectives or opinions, so there is never any singular right answer to a problem. The workplace is for people to learn and grow together, so just be positive.

BE FIRM IN DRAWING PERSONAL BOUNDARIES

Put a feet down if things get too hard between conversations with these people. If their negativity is affecting the job, then one has to be firm and draw boundaries as to how much of this negativity can be allowed in the workplace. Do not allow it to become personal as it will further complicate things and let the matter live on for longer than appropriate. If one can keep cool, calm and sitting down, then the problem will only limit itself to the professional space and be dealt with properly.

POWER CHECK YOURSELF TO KEEP EVERYTHING IN ORDER

One of the most common traits of negative people is their constant habit of doubting everyone’s abilities. This will cause people to overthink their work choices and delay decisions, resulting in tardiness or excuses about work that cannot be completed with confidence. The fact is that everyone has complete power over themselves and how they react to negativity, so as long as the individual is collected and believes in himself or herself, all decisions ultimately weigh and matter only to the self.

How to handle workplace Gossips

If there is one thing it is unavoidable in the workplace – it is gossips. You could either be the subject of the gossips, or you could be the one instigating the gossip.

However, let’s not forget the person subject to gossip has negative consequences – whether is it affecting their own career and reputations, or being emotionally affected by it. Worse, the person subject to being gossip could be ostracized at work.

If you are verbally harassed, these strategies could help.

Address it, tactfully

Instead of the usual practice of avoidance, addressing the person who instigated the gossip could work. However, the approach should not be done in a confrontational nor aggressive way. Being confrontational would only lead to fuel more gossips among your colleagues.

This is the right way to address gossips, especially if it is due to untrue speculations. The instigator should be able to understand that you would want to clarify the speculations. You could also self-reflect on yourself upon hearing the gossips. If you feel there is some truth in the gossips, or how most of the people perceive you to be – you could use it as a self-reflection as how others perceive you affects their motivation to collaborate and work with you.

If you are the one who are instigating the gossip, you should always remind yourself that if you are not able to bring yourself to say things in the person’s presence, then you should avoid that as a topic to others.

Don’t be one of them

If you are one of those who have been gossiping at the work place, you have lost the right to ask others to stop gossiping about you, or making you the subject of the gossip. One should never solve the problem of being the subject of gossip by gossiping about others.

This will only lead to negative repercussions, as you will likely lead to confusing signal to your colleagues and friends around you.

Report It

If the gossips have become too unhealthy, and you feel you are not able to manage it on your own, you can talk to the Human Resource department – especially if you feel if it is harassment.

Companies do not encourage gossips, anyway as it dampens morale and productivity.