5 Ways To Become A Better Employee

The average amount of time spent at work is 40 hours per week, so why not make it more enjoyable? Becoming a better employee is a process that you can undergo for your benefit to make the workplace a more healthier environment for yourself. Having a job is great, but having a job that you enjoy is even better and it’s all on what you do to make it more enjoyable, this all comes down to the simple fact on ‘how you think’.  A job can only become bad, stressful or overwhelming because your thoughts tell you it is.

1. Attitude: Having the correct attitude for work is a major part of becoming a better employee, there isn’t a manager that wants to keep an employee that has a negative attitude when at work because it isn’t productive and will affect others around you. In life there will be times where you have to do stuff that you might find boring, hard or simply do not want to do. There isn’t much you can do but just accept the fact you have to do these things, almost every job role has some repetitive aspects and are routine and having a positive and open attitude will make these tasks not a problem at all. Having a positive attitude shows that you are always open to new tasks and reliable.

2. Skills: If you find yourself struggling at work with some of the tasks assigned due to lack of experience or because you simply do not understand it, you should always voice your struggles because there isn’t much point in sitting unable to do the work efficiently when help is always available from a colleague. Simply ask the manager or your trainer for extra help. If you are unable to do the work because you don’t understand it, the manager might be able to put you on courses where you can gain hard skill training, soft skill training or any general training you need. The employee and manager relationship is a two way street and it is important to always feel comfortable enough to ask people for help when needed.

3. Relationships at work:  Being in a workplace means that you will be surrounded by new people of all ages so it’s healthy to form fun, positive and motivating friendships with them because studies have proven that having good friendships with your colleagues produces better work efficiency, culture and team working ability. Being happy has knock on effects to other people for the better too, if you show positiveness, it will rub onto other employees too. Besides, you probably have a lot more in common than you think with other people and may even find life long relationships. In this process, you will gain valuable interpersonal skills which will help you throughout life.

4. Set goals for yourself (aim to be the best, not just to do the job):  Being a better employee involves more than just being a better employee at work, it involves becoming a better person in general. It is important to set goals to build your character, it is a good idea to always set the bar above to what is expected of you at work because your manager will see the hard-working ethic you have and that will result in all sort of benefits. This doesn’t mean overwork yourself and set unrealistic goals because that will end up in disappointment and  exhaustion. Stick to the SMART goals, your goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time bound.

5. Stand out:  There will be times in your work depending on what your profession is where problems may arise and extra help is needed. This help may be in the form of labour, ideas or anything else, it is wise to go that extra mile for your company because it paints a good picture of you if you are willing to be the solution to a problem. This creates a sense of reliability and hard working ethic that is valued high in the eye of employers because they will have somebody on their team who is truly committed to the cause.

To conclude, you have to remember that becoming a better employee isn’t about just pleasing your manager. It is about you setting goals, working that little bit extra and learning those extra skills for your own benefits. These are accomplishments that should make you feel better about yourself and what you do. A better employee is a happier employee.

Bhav Seera has been working with London Management Centre since October 2015 and is a young aspiring digital marketer who is still eager to master the field. London Management Centre offers corporate training courses in London and Dubai in many areas, specialising in soft skills such as leadership, management, HR, PR, etc.