Three Professional Employee Characteristics

            Having professional characteristics as an employee is the key to succeeding in the workplace. Here are three characteristics that will help you in your career. First, be ethical in your business dealings (Ingram). Honesty is always the best policy. Second, be punctual to your meetings. It makes a lasting impression. Third, be jovial with those around you. The world always looks better from behind a smile.

Ethical

            Ethics is the foundation for trust.  Ethics includes being honest, trustworthy, responsible, and dependable. Cheating or taking shady shortcuts to get ahead is not worth the risk (Ingram). A responsible and dependable employee is an asset to any company.

Punctual

            Time is very important. Wasting time is disrespectful. Try to be punctual arriving to work, attending meetings, and meeting deadlines. The way you show your employer how you manage being “on the clock” speaks louder than words.

Jovial

            Employees who come into work fresh, upbeat, and energetic every day will out-produce their peers (Sundheim). Employees with a positive attitude are more likely to be promoted. Attitudes are contagious; is yours worth catching?

            In conclusion, being ethical in your business dealings, punctual to your meetings, and jovial with those around you will help you find success in your career. Find what you can improve on and start today. Good luck!

References:

Ingram, D. (2014). The Qualities of a Good & Professional Employee. Houston            Chronicle,        Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/qualities-good-professional-   employee-10963.html

Sundheim, K. (2013). 15 Traits Of The Ideal Employee. Forbes Magazine, Retrieved from             http://www.forbes.com/sites/kensundheim/2013/04/02/15-traits-of-the-ideal-    employee/

Four Tips for Team Effectiveness

           Working effectively in a team is extremely important in today’s world. Here are four tips to be more effective in a team. First, make sure everyone has a clear vision and understands the objective or goal (Mochal). Second, collaborate as a team by having specific individual assignments for every team member in order to accomplish the job. Third, communicate openly, honestly, and respectfully with each other (Heathfield). Communication is extremely important in order to understand each other’s opinions and ideas. Fourth, evaluate the team’s performance; look for areas that can be improved; then repeat the steps.

Clear Vision

            Rowing a boat as a group is very difficult if everyone is paddling in different directions. It works best if you know where you are going. To work best in a group, you need to have a clear vision and understanding of where you’re going (Mochal).

Collaboration

            When I was a small boy, my mother would assign each child specific house chores to help clean the house. She would say, “We will divide and conquer in order to get done faster.”  Collaborating as a team and dividing up a large project into smaller assignments helps each individual to focus on one task.

Communication

            We all see the world differently. To be the most effective, we need to be able to communicate our ideas openly, honestly, and respectfully to others (Heathfield). If we can do this, more ideas will be shared and teams will work more efficiently.  

Evaluation

            After finishing a project or obtaining a goal, evaluate how things went. No one is perfect; there will always be something that could be improved. Evaluate yourself, your teammates, and the project as a whole. After evaluating, challenge yourself to improve and then repeat the steps.

            In conclusion, a team works more effectively if it has a clear vision or understanding of the main goal; collaborates by assigning individual smaller tasks to its members; communicates openly, honestly, and respectfully with each other to share ideas; and evaluates what can be improved. To become an effective team takes hard work but has great rewards. Apply these four steps to your group or team, and see the results for yourself. Good luck!

References:

Heathfield, S. Tips for Better Team Work? Retrieved from   http://humanresources.about.com/od/teambuilding/f/team_work.htm

Mochal, T. (2007, Nov. 12) 10 Tips For Managing Virtual Teams. Retreived from

            http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10-things/10-tips-for-managing-virtual-

            teams/266/#