11/15/2016 TenTraitsofaValuableEmployee

TenTraitsofaValuableEmployee
BYEDWARDL.WINKFIELD JANUARY1,2016

Bybecomingabetteremployee,youwillhaveagreaterchanceoflandingthejobyou
reallywant!

Source:Thinkstock

TheGreatRecessionisbehindus.Whiledebatelingersastowhentheworsteconomicdownturnsince
theGreatDepressionofficiallyended,theeconomyappearstobebouncingback.

EmploymentnumbersintheUnitedStatessupportthis.AccordingtoareportissuedbytheU.S.
DepartmentofLabor,unemploymentplummetedto5percentinOctober2015,thelowestsinceApril
2008.Exactlysixyearsbefore,unemploymentpeakedat10percent.

Despiteanimprovingjobmarket,however,thoseseekingpositionsorcurrentlyworkingmuststillfocus
onemployabilityskillsandattributesnecessarytoacquireandretainjobs.

Businessesopenlyexpressthattheywantemployeestonotonlydotheirjobswell,butalsopossessless
tangibleattributesreferredtoassoftskillswhichareusuallymorepersonalitydrivenandharderto
quantify.

Whencompaniesareassessingjobcandidates,theyrelookingforsomeonewhoisnotonlyproficient
inaparticularfunction,butalsohastherightpersonality,RosemaryHaefner,chiefhumanresources
officeratcareerresourceandjoblistingsiteCareerBuilder,toldBusinessNewsDaily.Itsimportantto
highlightsoftskillsthatcangiveemployersanideaofhowquicklyyoucanadaptandsolveproblems,
whetheryoucanbereliedontofollowthrough,andhoweffectivelyyoucanleadandmotivateothers.

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11/15/2016 TenTraitsofaValuableEmployee

Managersandcompaniesdesirecertainkeyqualitiesintheirworkers.Byknowing,practicingand
incorporatingthefollowing10traits,youcandramaticallyincreaseyourworthtocurrentandfuture
employers.

(1)Characterdriven

Characteristhevirtueofknowingrightfromwrong,turningfromthewrong,anddoingwhatisright,
eveninthefaceofnegativepressures.Itrequiresonetobehonestanduprightineverythingheorshe
does.

Sadly,though,goodcharacterintheworkplacehasallbutdisappeared.Comparingtodayssocietytothat
ofeven20yearsagomakesthisplain.Peopletendtodowhatismostexpedientforthemselvesoragiven
situation.

Putyourselfintheplaceofanemployer.Employeesarearepresentationofyourcompany.Howthey
conductandpresentthemselves,interactwithcustomersandfellowemployees,andthequalityoftheir
work,reflectsdirectlyonyourorganization.

Ifyouhadtochoosebetweenanemployeewhowasupstanding,trustworthy,honestandtruthfulinhis
dealingswithothers,onewhogoesaboveandbeyond,anddoesexcellentworkandonewholacks
thesequalitieswhichwouldyoukeeponthepayroll?

Theanswerisobvious.

(2)Multiskilled

Soundadviceforthoselookingtofurtherthemselvesintheircareersistoalwaysincreasethevalueof
therealestate.Insteadofbeingareferenceaboutland,property,homesorbuildings,itisactuallyan
analogyaboutincreasingyourvalueasanemployee.

Thinkaboutahouse.Whenitisremodeledandinvestedin,itsvalueincreases.Sotoowillyourvalueto
anemployerasyouimproveandupgradeyourself.

Thiscanbedoneinavarietyofways.

First,identifyskillsyoualreadyhave.Manypeopleareunabletoidentifywhattheydowell.Ifyoudonot
knowwhatyouarecapableof,howcanyouexpectanyoneelsetorecognizeit?

Onceyouhaveidentifiedyourskills,seektoimprovethem.Employerslovetoseeworkerswhoarewilling
togotheextramiletobetterthemselves.

Alsostrivetogainmorethanoneskillset.Makeityourbusinesstobroadenthenumberoftasksyoucan
perform.

Forexample,anautomotivetechnicianwhocanrepairanything
onacarhasmorevaluethanonewhocandoonlyroutine
maintenancetasks.Likewise,acarpenterwhocannotonlydo
roughframing,butalsosidingandroofing,alongwithinstalling
windowsanddoors,standsabetterchanceofholdingontohis
jobthanotherswithonlyonespecialization.

Source:Thinkstock Learnallyoucanandavoidcomplacency.Themoreyoucando,
thegreatervalueyouwillhavetoanemployer.Inturn,youwill
alsohavemoreopportunitiesforadvancement.

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(3)Reliable

Fewthingsareasaggravatingtoanemployerasdealingwithaworkerwhodoesnotcarryout
instructions.Asaresult,thecompanymissescrucialdeadlines,makesmistakes,andproducesfaulty
productsorprovidespoorserviceallofwhichresultinunhappycustomers.

Failuretofollowinstructionsaccuratelyisoftenbecauseemployeeseitherdonotpayattentionto
directivesordonotcareenoughtocarrythemout.

Mostmisunderstandingsandmiscommunicationsatworkcanbeavoidedbysimplyapplyingabasic
biblicalinstruction:Leteverymanbeswifttohear,[and]slowtospeak(Jms.1:19).Humannature
tendstospeakandreactimmediately,ratherthanpatientlylistenfirst.

Apersonwhowaitsandlistens,andthencarriesoutdirectivesisrare.Yetmanymistakesandaccidents
couldbegreatlyreducedoreveneliminatedbysimplylisteningtoandfollowinginstructions.

Awillingnesstobeattentivealsoshowsrespectforyoursuperior,whichwillnotgounnoticed.Hewill
seethatyoupatientlylistenwithoutinterrupting,whichwillassurehimthatyoutakeyourduties
seriouslyandcanhandlemoreresponsibility.

(4)PositiveAttitude

Individualswithpositiveattitudesarewelllikedbytheircoworkers.Theyareeasytogetalongwithand
peopleenjoybeingaroundthem.Why?Noonewantstobearoundsomeonewhoisunhappy.Pessimism
andnegativitybreedmoreofthesame.

Cheerfulattitudesarecontagious.Theyhaveapositiveeffectontheworkplace.

Similartoeverydaylife,thingscangowrongatwork.Employerswantworkerswhoapproachissueswith
anupbeatattitudeandworktowarddevisingandimplementingsolutions.

Consider.Thepurposeofeveryprofessionistosolvesometypeofproblem.Problemsneedsolutions.
Wagesofferedinanyindustryaregenerallyproportionaltothedegreeofdifficultyandcomplexityof
problemsemployeesmustsolveonadailybasis.Themoreproblemsyousolvelargeorsmallthemore
valuableyouwillbetoyouremployer.

Realizethatonewhoispronetocomplainingisoftenthefirsttogetreplaced.Instead,beanemployee
thatquietlyandefficientlydoeshisjobdayafterday.

HavethetypeofpositiveattitudeaboutyourjobspokenofbyMartinLutherKing,Jr.:Ifitfallsyourlotto
beastreetsweeper,sweepstreetslikeMichelangelopaintedpictures,sweepstreetslikeBeethoven
composedmusic,sweepstreetslikeLeontynePricesingsbeforetheMetropolitanOpera.Sweepstreets
likeShakespearewrotepoetry(TheSeattleTimes).

Hecontinuedbysayingthatyoushouldworkinsuchamannerthatpeoplewillsay,Herelivedagreat
streetsweeperwhoswepthisjobwell(ibid.).

(5)Responsible

Inthepast,craftsmenusedtotakegreatprideintheirwork.Theywereaccountableandfeltanobligation
tobetheverybest.Oftentheywouldpourhoursintotheircrafts.

Today,manyemployeesbarelydoenoughtorightlyearnapaycheck.Thisisreflectedbythelackof
qualityingoodsproducedandservicesrendered.

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11/15/2016 TenTraitsofaValuableEmployee

Ifyouwanttobecomeamorevaluableemployee,understandyourparticularjobresponsibilitiesand
attempttogoaboveandbeyondwhatisrequired.Themorecareyouputintoeverydetailofwhatyoudo,
themoreyourmanagerwillbeabletofocusattentionelsewhere.Hewillknowhecanrelyonyoutoget
thejobdone,whichwillprovidehimwithpeaceofmind.

Inadditiontothis,realizethatyourjobdutiesaffectothers.Your
mistakescancausemoreworkforfellowemployees.Understand
thatyoucanmakeyourcoworkersjobsmoredifficultifyou
performworkinaslipshodmanner.

Alsokeepinmindthatwhenthingsgowrong,mostpeopleblame
others.Aresponsibleemployee,however,isnotafraidtoadmithis
Source:Thinkstock mistakes.Anemployerappreciatessuchhonesty.

(6)Proactive

Therearetwotypesofemployeesthosewhowaittobetoldwhattodoandthosewhotakeinitiativeand
findinnovativewaystobeproductivetobenefittheiremployer.Managersnoticeaselfmotivatedworker
andwillseekhimoutforadvancement.

Avoidthetendencytowaitforsomeoneelsetoaddressorfixanissue.Giveyourcompanythemostbang
foritsbuckinwhattheyspendonyoursalary.Thiscanbedonebyanticipatingproblemsandbeing
willingtohelpresolvethem.

Thereisanoldsaying:Ifyouwantitdone,giveittoabusyperson.Thosewhoproductivelyusetheir
timearemorelikelytobegivenincreasedresponsibilityorevenpromotions.

(7)Dependable

Often,employeesrepeatedlyarrivelate,callinsick,ordonotshowupatall.Whensomeonefailsto
show,theimpactisfeltbeyondtheperson.Othersmustpickuptheslack.

Dependabilitycomesdowntotrust.Managersmustbeabletoknowforcertainthatemployeeswilldo
whatisexpectedofthem.Theycannotaffordtohandholdandcoddleworkerswhoagreedtodoajob
whentheywerehiredandthendonotdoit.

Whatifthetableswereturned?Imagineifyouworkedhardfortwoweeksandwhenitwastimetoget
paidyouremployerpaidyoulateornotatall.Whatifyouhadtoconstantlyremindabosstoprovideyou
withthetoolsandresourcesneededtodoyourjob?Youwouldbeextremelyunhappy.

Strivetobeadependableemployee.Legitimateissuesdooccasionallyoccurthatcanforceyoutomiss
workorhavetoadjustdeadlines,butthisshouldbetheexceptionnottherule.

Byyouractions,showpeoplethatyoukeepcommitments.Adependableandproductiveworkerstayson
thepayroll.

(8)Diligent

Fewtodayarewillingtofinishwhattheystart.Yetadiligentpersonappliesconstanteffortandis
persistentinwhathedoeswithoutwaning.Hedoesnotgiveupatthefirstsignofadversity.

Thereisareasonemploymentiscalledwork.Ittakeseffort.Ifanyonecoulddoyourjob,thenitprobably
wouldnotbeapaidprofession.

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Giveyouremployerafulldaysworkforthefulldayspayyouaregiven.Inotherwords,Whatsoeveryour
handfindstodo,doitwithyourmight(Ecc.9:10).

Beknownasahardworker.Oftenthisqualitywilltakeyoumuchfurtherthanintelligenceorwhoyou
know.

Becomeknownforbeinganemployeewhoexercisesconstantdiligenceinwhateveryoudo!

(9)Selfdisciplined

Distractionsinthemodernworldcanmakeitdifficulttofocuswhileonthejob.Ifnotcareful,wecan
allowconcernsoutsideofworktocreepinandstealawayattentionthatisactuallybeingboughtand
paidforbyyouremployer.

Agoodemployeeisonewhostaysontrackdespiteissuesthateveryonefacesfromtimetotime.He
manageshislifeandstrivestokeepproblemsathome.Healsodoesnotbecomedistractedbymodern
technology,suchastheInternetoracellphone.Hefocuseshisattentiononhiswork.

Adiligentemployeedoesnotwastehisemployerstimeandmoney.Instead,whileatwork,heworks!

(10)Dedicated

Consistentlyexceedinganemployersexpectationsandbeingwillingtotakeonanytaskshows
dedication.

Manyemployeesfeelasthoughtheyareaboveagiventaskandvoicetheircomplaints.Theyfailto
considerthatifthosetasksdidnotexist,theywouldnothavejobs.Keepinmindthatifyourmottois,
Thatsnotmyjob,youmaysoonfindyourselfoutofajob!

JesusChristspokeaboutdedicationanddoingwhatisexpected.NoticeHiswordsfromthe
ContemporaryEnglishVersionoftheBible:Ifyourservantcomesinfromplowingorfromtakingcare
ofthesheep,wouldyousay,Welcome!Comeoninandhavesomethingtoeat?No,youwouldntsay
that.Youwouldsay,Fixmesomethingtoeat.Getreadytoserveme,soIcanhavemymeal.Thenlater
onyoucaneatanddrink.Servantsdontdeservespecialthanksfordoingwhattheyaresupposedtodo.
Andthatshowitshouldbewithyou.Whenyouvedoneallyoushould,thensay,Wearemerely
servants,andwehavesimplydoneourduty(Luke17:710).

Thisisdrasticallydifferentfromtheprevailingattitudeofworkerstoday!

Avoidanentitlementmentality.Beaworkerwhoshowsheisdedicatedtohisjobbydoingmorethanis
expectednotjustthebareminimum.

EmploytheLawsofSuccess

Whilemanymoretraitscouldbeaddedtothislist,therearesevenlawsofsuccess,whicheveryperson,
regardlessofhisorherpositioninlife,shouldfollow.Theseprovenruleswillhelpyouprospernotjustas
anemployee,butinallaspectsofyourlife.

Theseincludesettingtherightgoals,gettingapropereducation,maintaininggoodhealth,beingdriven,
andemployingresourcefulness.

DavidC.PacksbookletTheLawstoSuccessprovidesinsightintotheseoftenoverlookedlaws.This
publicationclearlyexplainsthekeystotrueandlastingsuccessinallareasoflife.

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11/15/2016 TenTraitsofaValuableEmployee

Therearehallmarksofavaluableemployee.Bysystematicallyandconsistentlyapplyingtheprinciples
covered,youwillincreaseyourvalueinthejobmarketandprovideyourselfgreaterjobsecurityinthe
future.

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