The importance of developing a strong
work ethic and how the work ethic you develop will impact your future as an
employee can never be over emphasized.
What is Work Ethic? Simply put, it is a standard
of conduct and values for job performance. It is the acceptable standard for
performance in every work environment.
What does an employer want? A winning Employee! Yes that is correct.
No employer that wants to be successful will ever employ you because you are
pretty or handsome. Every successful employer would have employed employees who
have winning mentality. Winning employees are the ones that are ready to add
value and have all it takes to add value to the system. Having said that, let us
look at the top ten work ethics that will make one a winning employee:
Top 10 Work Ethics
(i)
Attendance
(ii) Character
(iii) Team Work
(iv) Appearance
(v) Attitude
(vi) Productivity
(vii) Organizational Skills
(viii) Communication
(ix) Cooperation
(x) Respect
Traits of a
Winning Employee
Ø Limit Absences: To be a winning employee you must
not be seen as a late comer. You must limit your absences to work. If you must
be absent to work, it must be very necessary. Be at work every day (if possible). Plan your
absences and never abuse leave time.
Ø Come to work on time: Every company has resumption
time. To be a wining employee, you must respect your company resumption time.
As much as possible, be punctual every day.
Ø Be honest: Honesty is the single most important
factor having a direct bearing on the final success of every individual,
corporation, or product. To grow in any establishment, honesty is a trait and
ethics that cannot be toiled with.
Ø Be dependable: A dependable employee is a winning
employee. If any employee will get a promotion in the work place, it is a dependable
employee. If any employee will grow on the job, it is a dependable employee. To
be a dependable employee, you must Complete assigned tasks correctly and promptly
too.
Ø Be loyal: To grow in any establishment, you must be
loyal to the company and the management. You must speak well at all times about
the company. You must be a good ambassador of the company.
Ø Be willing to learn: Look to improve your skills.
The difference between two employees with the same degree and employed at the
same time is in the additional skills acquired by one that the other does not
have. Once you stop learning, you stop growing. You must continue to learn and
acquire new skills if you must grow and become a winning employee.
Ø Be a team player: You must have what it takes to relate
to your team. You must be able to relate with your managers and your
subordinates alike. The ability to get along with others – including those you
don’t necessarily like is required
to be a good team player.
Ø Leadership abilities: This is the ability to lead and/or to become a leader. To
grow in any establishment you must aspire to be a leader. Leaders are groomed
to become Supervisors and Managers. Wining employees always have leadership abilities.
Ø Be a contributing member: Do not just be part of the
team. Do not just make up numbers in a team or group. Have the ability to carry
your own weight and help others who are struggling in your team to accomplish their tasks.
Ø Accept compromise: Recognize when to speak up with an
idea and when to compromise by
blending ideas together. Know when to bend the rule for the best of
the establishment.
Ø Dress Appropriately: Most companies have their dress
codes. No matter your level in the organization, you need to abide by the rules
of the establishment, and of which the dress code is one. Dress for Success and
always set your best foot forward when it comes to dressing smart.
Ø Personal hygiene: As an employee, you do not have to
play with your personal hygiene. The office accommodates other employees, so
your personal hygiene will affect the other employees whether good or bad. Do
not come to the office unkempt. Always observe high level of personal hygiene for
your sake and sake of other employees.
Ø Good manners: Build and imbibe good manners at work.
Be bold, cheerful and open minded always. Do not avoid handshakes and eye
contact when interacting with other colleagues. Remember that the first
impression of who you are can last a lifetime.
Ø Have a good attitude: Listen to suggestions, be
positive and accept responsibility
for your work. If you make a mistake, admit it and effect needed corrections.
Ø Do the work correctly: Quality of your work and
timeliness are highly prized. To be a winning employee, you must ensure that
quality of your work is always top notch. Learn to work and deliver on targets
as expected.
Ø Get along with co-workers: No man is an Ireland.
Everyone is needed for the work to move on. You must always remember that you
need one another in the work place. You cannot do it alone; otherwise others
will not be employed. Note that Cooperation is the key to productivity.
Ø Help out whenever asked: Always be ready to do “extras” without being asked. Take pride in your work and do things the best you know how at all times.
Ø Make an effort to improve: Learn ways to better
yourself. Do not be comfortable being just who you are and what you are. Ensure
you aspire to grow , add new skills and be a better person.
Ø Time Management: Utilize time and resources to get the most out of both. Managers always rely on
employees who deliver targets on time.
Ø Written Communications: You must be able to
communicate effectively and efficiently both in writing and verbally. You
must be able to correctly write
Reports
and memos. You cannot do without these
two in a work environment.
Ø Follow company rules and policies: Every company has
its rules and policies. For one to grow in any company one has to respect the
company policies and rules. Disobeying company rules is the fastest way to
being disciplined.
Ø Appreciate privileges and don’t abuse them: Privileges
are favors and benefits. That you are opportune to be employed does not mean
you are the best candidate out there. It is a privilege and opportunity, so you
need to reciprocate by giving your best.
Ø Work hard: Work to the best of your ability. Do the
work and take it as if your life depends on it. Carry out orders, do what’s asked the first time.
Ø Show respect: Accept and acknowledge an individual’s
talents and knowledge. No matter the age or qualification of your boss,
supervisor or Manager, you are expected to respect him for the fact that he is
your boss.
Why People Lose
Their Jobs:
People lose
their jobs everyday in work places. Aside from voluntary resignation there are
only two ways people may lose their jobs. They get laid off. In this way the
job loss is not their fault. The other option is they get fired. And here the job loss is because of their actions.
Common Reasons Why
Employees are Fired
These include reasons the Law upholds as
“just cause” for firing any employee. They include:
Ø Being late or absent from work. These simply show lack
of responsibility. It definitely will hinder productivity and is not acceptable
by any employer.
Ø Being dishonest: This is the opposite of honesty. No
employer will keep any employer that is dishonest. Note
that Trust, once lost, is hard to
regain.
Ø Being unreliable: This has to do with dependability.
If you are not reliable, you can never be dependable. Dependability is an
employee asset.
Ø Abusing drugs or alcohol: I don’t see any company
that will approve of drug abuse, weather in the office or at home. It is
dangerous to the person indulging in it as well as people around him. It can create health/safety issues , that is why companies
disengage employees who get involved in drug or alcohol abuse.
Ø Bossing others around: Giving orders is the boss’s
job. So why give orders and boss others around when you are not the boss? You
are putting your hand where it does not fit and you will get burnt.
Ø Not carrying your weight: You are employed to work.
To add value and fill an existing gap before your employment. Not doing your
part – relying on others to do
your job for you will definitely lead to job loss.
Ø Dress Code: Like I said earlier, most companies have
their dress code. Not adhering to the dress code means you are defiant.
Indiscipline is one of the things that lead to termination of appointment. Remember
that you are a representative of your company how you dress and act can reflect
on the company.
Ø Being a troublemaker: Stirring up dissent among others, Causing
arguments and problems unnecessarily means fighting against your employer
indirectly. No employer will tolerate or accept that.
Ø Being rude and using abusive language: Every work
environment is an organized set up and there is always orderliness. You don’t talk
to people any how or use abusive languages in the work place. Inappropriate behavior is inexcusable and will
surely lead to job loss.
Ø Failing to do the task properly: Not doing your job
as expected can be costly. And costly errors hurt the business and surely lead
to losses and may also be HSE issue.
Ø Being lazy: It’s a form of theft. You are paid to
work. If you do not do the work you are being paid for, then you are a thief.
If it is discovered, you are fired. Same applies to being careless; it can lead to
accidents/profit loss.
Ø Lack of Time Management: You must meet deadlines and
targets as expected.
Time is
money and not meeting deadlines will definitely lead to loss of man hours and
money.
Ø Not being prepared: Not ready for meetings or presentations.
That shows one is not serious and no company will keep and unserious employee.
Ø Poor communication skills: Every worker will
communicate all the time. You either communicate in writing or verbally. Whichever
way, your communication must be effective. Being unable to properly express ones thoughts and ideas or being unable to interpret instructions and
directions will definitely lead to termination of appointment.
•
Not getting along
with others: Team work is key. No employee can do it all alone without the cooperation
of other employees. Together Every One Achieves More.
Ø Failing to follow rules and policies: Not following instructions and “Doing your own thing”. Being disrespectful, argumentative and confrontational. Making fun of colleagues, harassing, or discriminating
against others etc. These aside
from causing one his job could also land in court!
Ø Being dissatisfied all the time: Most employees keep
complaining about their poor salaries and this affects their productivity. Meanwhile
the employee agreed to the work/pay/hours before commencing the job, so why complain
always.
Ø Theft: Of course this is a case of summary dismissal.
No employer will retain or give a second chance to any employee caught
stealing.
Ø Incompetence: This is lack of ability to perform assigned
tasks. Every employee is employed to do his or her job. Not being able to do
the work you are employed to do simply means, you are fired!
Positive Actions to
Take if You’re Fired
Most successful employees and employers
today have been fired at one time or the other in their careers. Being fired
does not mean the world has come to an end. You need to find out why you were
fired, take necessary corrective actions and move on to become a better
employee. So if you lose your job what do you do?
Ø Correct
your faults move forward.
Ø Don’t repeat
your mistakes, learn from them.
Ø Think
positively about your next job
