Good Workplace Habits: The Key to Career Success in the Modern Workplace

We all know the basics when it comes to good workplace habits. You know: show up on time, put your phone away, don’t gossip about co-workers, don’t hog the coffee machine…

But being a high performer in a sales job goes beyond the basics. After all, if you’re going to succeed, you’ll need more than office beverage etiquette to impress your customers (and your boss).

If you want Career Success in your life, you need to cultivate habits that will set you apart from the meh” performers.

Best of all, those habits are ones you can build! Here are 5 habits of highly effective employees and how you can start developing them today.

What Workplace Habits Set High Performers Apart?

1 - They Take Initiative

Highly effective employees don’t sit around waiting for someone to tell them what to do. They see an opportunity, figure out what needs to be done, and get to work!

In sales, that might mean doing things like the following (without being asked to do so):

• Seeing a problem and creating an action plan
• Brainstorming new ideas about ways to engage customers
• Looking at competitors and leveraging your own areas of strength
• Tracking your performance and making adjustments to hit (or exceed) your targets

Taking initiative shows that you’re proactive and willing to take on more responsibility – two qualities that will help you stand out at work.

2 - They’re Resourceful

Resourceful employees find solutions to problems without needing much help. They know where to look for information when they need to troubleshoot a problem. And when that information doesn’t yet exist, they think outside the box and create new solutions.

As a resourceful salesperson, you approach sales challenges by considering:

• The problem: what’s causing the pain you or a customer is experiencing?
• The outcome: what are you ultimately trying to achieve?
• The methods: how might you arrive at that outcome?
• The tools: what can you use to learn more about the problem and arrive at a solution?
• The people: who can you reach out to if you run into a wall?

Start by taking the time to learn about the tools and resources available to you and how you can best use them. That way, when a problem arises, you’ll know exactly where to start.

3 - They Communicate Effectively

Effective communicators get their point across clearly without using too many words or resorting to jargon.

They make a conscious effort to use language that is clear and easy to understand and pay special attention to things like:

• Verbal communication: how you speak to customers, compose emails, prepare presentations, etc.
• Non-verbal communication: how you express yourself via body language, tone of voice, eye contact, touch, etc.

Good communicators also know how to listen – really listen – so that they can understand what others are saying, instead of just waiting for their turn to talk.

4 - They’re Coachable

No one is perfect – even Superman has his kryptonite! We all have room for improvement in one way or another.

The most successful employees are open to feedback and willing to change their behavior based on feedback they receive.

If you want to be coachable at work, start by soliciting feedback from your boss and co-workers on a regular basis. Then, actually listen to what they have to say and make an effort to change your behavior accordingly.

Indeed recommends asking for feedback by preparing questions like:

• How can I get better at supporting the mission of our team?
• What skills should I develop to improve my work performance?
• How can I be prepared for our upcoming projects?

5 - They Have a Positive Attitude

There’s a saying, Attitude is like a flat tire. If you don’t change it, you’ll never go anywhere.”

A positive attitude in the workplace may be a key player when it comes to managing workplace stress, boosting productivity, make better decisions and jump on opportunities for Career Success.

If you’re not naturally a positive person, fret not! You can develop a more positive attitude by doing simple things, like celebrating small wins, using positive language and practicing kindness to others. Plus, your positivity can actually make those around you feel more positive as well!

Start Great Workplace Habits With Uvaro

If you want to be successful in your career, it’s important that you develop good workplace habits that will set you apart from your peers.

Highly effective employees are those who take initiative, communicate effectively, have a positive attitude, etc. So if you want a leg up on the competition, start working on developing these good workplace habits!

But… where do you start? Our Career Coaches are an excellent resource for Uvaro members who are ready to tap into their potential.

Our Courses are built on developing effective habits for salespeople, too – so don’t forget our Career Success Catalog to find the right fit for your wildly ambitious goals!