Becoming a bigger fish is good but only requires more oil for you to get fried. Life in the workplace can be harsh, brutal and deflating but still doesn’t prevent anyone of us going into work the following morning… why? Because we need to get paid of course.
Jealousy, deception and fake integrity are all traits that are widely expressed within many workplaces. Some may believe that it is just the nature of the person, I believe this is employees only adapting to the nature of their work environment. Humans are natural adapters, if jobs gave promotions based on someone’s ‘funny jokes’ or ‘amazing work from home’, then everyone will attempt to do so to get a promotion. So my theory is, if everyone is showing bad traits while still being highly ambitious in the corporate world, then they are merely trying to adapt and learning from their environment on how to reach the epitome of success.
Here are my 5 tips to surviving the 9-5 workplace:
1) Never take things personally
“Never take things personally from someone that doesn’t know you personally.”
Ever wonder why we get so mad at close friends and families insults towards us? Because we actually give a sh*t. I understand some of you may be mothers and fathers or just good people and genuinely have a kind heart, but please understand many people will use this against you whether you know it or not. Never take things personally in the work place because at the end of the day you will be the only one stressing and dwelling on the negative. My advice is to always try and be positive and don’t take it personally when it comes to negativity or criticism.
This is an amazing trait to have because you will begin to understand why people are criticising you or being mean. If you eliminate the factor of being upset or angry, you will subconsciously begin to view every negative comment from a different prospective allowing yourself to be more visual and understanding giving yourself potentially for improvement as a person mentally.
2) If speaking is made of Silver then silence is made
People always want information out of someone it’s in our human nature, it’s why we are always so nosey well we just can’t help it. In the workplace someone will always be trying to get information out of you no matter what field you are in, the key is to never let off more than you need to. Revealing your next steps or plans is equivalent to showing your cards in poker, I could go really deep into this… but to cut things short, bare in mind some people are playing chess in the workplace and it’s no secret, don’t be a bad chess player and reveal your next move.
“Actions speak louder than words it’s well known, so always remember silence is gold.”
3) consistency is key
consistency is the key to mastering any art or field and it’s no secret. I’ve heard that to master a art you need to practice it for 10 years, well I’ve also spoke to business men that tell me they have been doing the same thing for 15 years now and still learn new things every day! Wake up and set your goals, sit down and write your weekly objectives and then go to bed at night dreaming your vision.
Whilst I was growing up I’ve witnessed some amazing young footballers and there was always that one kid in class that was referred to as the ‘best in the year’. As the years went on that kid would usually get content or get sucked into a different lifestyle and completely neglect football, and actually the 2/3rd best footballer in the year would actually make it pro, because behind the scenes every day they would go and practice football and the key was consistency, this is a true story and I tell my little brothers all the time to advise them that if you really want to be/do something you need to fully commit.
4) Embrace failure
“Every failure adds a layer to your mental strength”
Within the workplace there is always pressure to never make mistakes at any costs or you will perceived as a ‘liability’ or a ‘failure’. Well young professionals such as interns or apprentices are expected to make mistakes which kind of makes the boss/manger become slightly lenient more on them, but a professional with 5 years of experience is expected to know it all, this is a harsh reality we all have to face.
Failures are inevitable and a part of life, in the animal kingdom if a tiger misses a kill they will not eat, which is a failure, but with their natural instinct they will see it as a lesson and next time they will be stealthier, faster and more observant to ensure they get it right. Us as humans need to adapt to failures and always try and find a positive in the situation and then actually need to own it and embrace it.
Little tip: As a IT assistant when I never knew how to do something I would tell a client I forgot my notes, then run back to my bestfriend called Google and find out exactly how to fix the issue, then return to the client and fix the issue with them none the wiser that I had no clue how to do it before hand, maintaining tThis main point is never admit you don’t know how to do something before seeking help or advice.
5) Always have a vision
Having a vision is so important in a workplace and you should even incorporate having a vision into your daily life, I don’t have dreams, I have goals, but I will admit my goals start of as visions. If you have a vision to become a manager for example, you will subconsciously implant it into your mind and then when you get tested with nonsense in your current job role you will automatically see your vision of yourself being a manager and start to think how you would approach the issue, ultimately then sucking it up and understanding you need to be patient, and that you actually have a bigger goal to aim for and this is just a obstacle you need overcome to actually get there.
There are more reasons to have a vision but the main one is so that you actually have a purpose in life or a main aim. if you don’t have a vision then you will just be living day to day, paycheck to paycheck not really seeing your next stage of progression. Please set yourself targets and goals and watch how they work out eventually, I can’t explain how they will happen but if you believe it will happen then trust me, it will happen, if not then MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Published by Yusef
Yusef's Insight 