Did the title get your attention? Let me correct myself by saying this: there is no such thing as an employee; you will always be the boss. This article is for all those who work for somebody else or those who are looking for some ideas on how to motivate themselves and others. Many of the topics discussed in this article come from my personal leadership philosophy, and throughout this article I use the words “employee” and “boss”, even though I really dislike these two terms. I am convinced that they are anti-team terms and are often used to hide behind. Those types of terms should be used by the HR or legal department, but not on the floor where things get done. Yes, there are those who make the decisions, but at the end of the day only you can control your own success. The “can-do” attitude

The right attitude can catapult you ahead of the pack, while a bad attitude can be fatal to your success. A positive attitude will get you much further than any technical qualifications. Qualification may get you a job but without a mature attitude you will always be unhappy, and most likely you will not last very long in your job.

Having an award-winning attitude is by no means easy; it is not something you are born with and much harder to learn than anything else. The “can-do” attitude as the name implies, is about never giving up, tackling tasks no matter what they are or how difficult they appear to be. It is also about having a smile on your face from when you get in the office until you go home. Cultivating this type of attitude can be extremely difficult. Here is a little trick: Place items around your work environment so that you are reminded of your attitude. For example, put a little sticker on your notebook or put a small rock on your desk. Don’t let anybody know about these little reminders; they don’t need to know about them. Every time you see a reminder, remember the “can-do” attitude to be a team player, to communicate well, or anything else you set out as one of your goals.

Attitudes can be contagious, so make them work for you and those around you.

Don’t be shy

All problems need to be addressed and dealt with, no matter how big they are. It is critical however, that whoever addresses the problem is careful when doing so. There are two ways of going about it. One is, to blame somebody for something. The other is, to get to a solution. Which one do you think is the better, more productive method?

When dealing with other people, much depends on how you talk with them. For example, instead of saying “Alfred, your tea doesn’t taste good today” you could say “Alfred, have you noticed that the tea tastes different today?”. The same goes for recommendations, comments, and input. Contribution is always good; just remember to be a team player.

Voicing concerns over a topic is not complaining. Complaining is when a subject is talked about over and over again without the attempt to find a solution to it. If you approach somebody with a problem, always have at least one solution ready; of course, the more the better.

There will always be anti-team players, who think hiding information is good. Sharing information will get them and those around them much further, though. Those individuals only survive in organizations that don’t value and cultivate teamwork. Unfortunately showing them “the light” is nearly impossible; usually they need to learn the hard way.

Something didn’t work out as planned and you screwed up on something? Oh-oh… hang on here comes the good news: It happens to the best of us. It is important to communicate the mishap, to know the reason why it didn’t work out and be ready to explain it. Identify the problem, write it down, and try to avoid it in the future. If you see that you will not be able to meet a deadline, inform whoever needs to be informed ahead of time.

Communication

It is all around us, cats do it, dogs do it, and even we humans do it; we communicate. Some communicate more than others. Communication is not one topic; it is the foundation of success. Before delivering some thoughts it is most important that you think before you communicate. Ask yourself: What do you want to communicate? What is important and what is not? What is the most efficient way to communicate? Is it better to write an e-mail or is it better to call-up the other person at an appropriate time; will you interrupt the person?

Build yourself

All successful companies do market research, benchmarking, and analyses of their existing processes in order to boost efficiency. In plain English, they learn and educate themselves: you need to do the same. Think of yourself as a little company. What would happen if you would stopped educating yourself? It’s a no-brainer: your knowledge would quickly become out-dated and the demand for your services would decrease accordingly.

There is a big difference, however, between learning and educating. We learn all day long, but it’s not enough to really set you apart. You need to go the extra step and educate yourself knowingly. No matter if you decide to attend seminars, conferences, take courses, or simply get yourself books to read. In doing so, you show initiative for growth and contribution and either the company you work for right now notices it or another one will; either way it will help you to reach your goals.

Formal education is great but you must remember that the right attitude is greater; showing initiative is part of having a positive attitude. Building yourself does not only mean acquiring new knowledge or expanding existing know-how; it also means building yourself as a person, but more importantly as a member of a team. If you are in a company where there is no real teamwork you are going to have a tough time as a team player. In this case I suggest that you leave the company and find yourself a place where teamwork is spelled in capital letters. Why? Because in today’s business world you will get much further by working as a team.

Have goals

Why work if you don’t have goals? Everybody has goals; some are just bigger than others. Since you are your own boss, you also need to motivate yourself. Set your goals and dreams as high as you want and have a plan how to get there. Of course the company that you work “in” may have motivational programs or activities, none of those will be as powerful as when you motivate yourself. Just like with the “can-do” attitude you need to remind yourself of your goals. In fact, you can combine these two. You want to drive a new Mercedes? Great, so get yourself a miniature version of your favourite model and place it on your desk, make it your background image on the desktop of your computer, or put a photo of one on your desk. Every time you are annoyed or lose the drive, it will remind you what you are working for.

If your company is publicly traded, buy stocks. It doesn’t need to be a lot but put your own money on the line for the company. It will make you work twice as hard. Of course, if you reach the conclusion that the company is a lost cause, don’t bother, find yourself something new and move on. You are the boss; you decide who gets your knowledge and abilities.

Conclusion

How far you will go is up to you. Sometimes you won’t be able to move as fast as you would like to, but don’t let that get you down. Give your very best to whomever you work for, and in return you will get back the very best from your company; if that is not the case, somebody else will. Speak loud and clear, dress clean, speak up, collect your ideas on paper, work clean, and smart. No matter what position you hold within any institution, you will always be the chief.