How to survive the workplace Part 2

It's imperative for your career survival that your written communication skills be equal to your verbal skills. Take the time when you are preparing written documents to proofread each line carefully for content (meaning), grammar (correct usage of the word) and typos (misspelled words.)

Your work is a reflection of who you are and decision makers pass judgment on your communication skills every time you open your mouth or send and email message.


2. Assess your abilities - abilities are the talents, gifts and skills you were born with or developed expertise in over time. Identify what it is your do really well. The things no one else can beat you doing. The skills and talents you have mastered. These are your true abilities. You might be surprised to discover what your are really good at has nothing to do with your current profession.

My mother has been an accountant for more than 40 years and she's good at it, yet her true talent lies in her ability to bake an egg custard pie from starch, with a recipe her grandmother taught her that she will not reveal, even to her only daughter. This is only one of her many talents. Identify your abilities, talents, skills and gifts.


3. Recite your responsibilities - identify the task you have been responsible for completing in all of your career positions. Remember that what you have been responsible for my not necessary be the same as your talents and gifts. We are all responsible for tasks on our various jobs descriptions that do not address our God given abilities, yet we do them. It's important for resume building that you know what you have been responsible for in each of your previous positions.


4. Sharpen your business etiquette skills- fast trackers have mastered being comfortable in business and social settings that require not only knowing which fork to use but how to make business introductions and how to have a good time without losing their professional edge.


5. Display your enthusiasm - people are drawn to other people with energy so get some energy, motivation and inspiration through positive literature and CDs. Be sensitive to what your allow in your spirit because you can only share what you already have in your system. Watch the company you keep, soar only with eagles, not every one will allow you to fly. Watch what you read, because your thoughts will become your actions. Monitor what you listen to because you will repeat it to others.


6. Establish your business ethics- make sure your moral compass is always pointing north. Never let it be said that you can be bought for any price or the quality of your work has been compromised due to a lapse in judgment, or a quick but unethical fix on your part.


7. Identify your entrepreneurial skills - all good entrepreneurs, are good employees. All good employees can be good entrepreneurs. The skills needed to be an excellent entrepreneur are the same skills you should master as a good employee. If you can't be on time to work as an employee you'll be late opening your office to do business with your clients. If you hate doing the monthly budget report for your current boss you'll hate it even more when you have to complete a financial analysis for your banker as an entrepreneur. Good employees make good entrepreneurs. And good entrepreneurs make good employees.


8. Strengthen your relationship skills - there are many different, diverse and difficult people in the workplace these days. While you might believe the lions, triggers and bears are out to get you and take away that next promotion on the corporate ladder it becomes your responsibility to learn excellent interpersonal relationship skills, in order to survive at work. It's important to demonstrate that you can get along with your teammates and management. Remember you don't have to like them but you must respect them.

After addressing these 8 areas of your career, you should notice one of 3 things. First, making some small adjustments in your thinking and behavior might make your current work place a better place. Secondly, you might identify that you enjoy the industry/profession that you are in, however you are working for the wrong company or organization within that industry. Finally, after assessing all of these areas of your career, you make the discovery that you are not working in your divide purpose or passion.